The Brazilian government has expressed "deep concern" over the EU decision to suspend meat imports from the South Amercian country.

In a joint statement, Brazil's ministries of agriculture and foreign affairs said "reciprocal measures" could be taken against the European Union if talks around the restrictions do not lead to a "satisfactory solution".

Brazilian beef, poultry and other animal products exports to the EU have been suspended since yesterday (Thursday, September 3).

It followed concerns over Brazil's compliance with EU requirements on the use of antimicrobials for the entire lifetime of the animals that the exported products originate from.

The move has been welcomed by Irish and European farmers who have long expressed concerns that Brazilian products did not meet EU standards.

In 2025, Brazil was the EU's second-largest supplier of beef, exporting more than 92,000 tonnes worth over €713 million.

Brazil

The Brazilian government has "maintained intense political and technical engagement with European authorities" since the EU decision was announced in May.

"Brazilian authorities expressed their indignation at the lack of dialogue prior to the adoption of the measure," the ministries said.

They added that the decision "is inconsistent with the depth of the strategic partnership between Brazil and the European Union".

Brazil maintains that it has "implemented the necessary measures" to meet the EU requirements and has presented documentation and information on relevant supply chains to European authorities.

The Brazilian government said it also agreed to an EU audit of poultry and honey supply chains, "even though other trading partners of the European Union have not been subjected to this type of procedure".

This audit began on August 24 and is due to be completed today (September 4).

If the outcome of that audit is positive the European Commission said it "may consider proposing an amendment to the list of authorised third countries in order to reinclude Brazil for poultry, and/or honey".

Trade

The ministries reiterated the country's "commitment to the safety, quality, and sustainability" of animal products destined for its domestic market and over 150 countries.

"Brazil is one of the main suppliers of animal protein to the European market, which attests to the compliance of our exports with EU standards.

"The Brazilian government firmly expects that the ongoing technical dialogue will allow for a swift, objective, transparent solution based on scientific criteria, which adequately recognises the guarantees offered by the country and remains immune to protectionist pressures," they added.

The statement noted that the products affected by the suspension were subject to quotas and tariff reductions under the EU-Mercosur trade deal.

"Excluding these products from the European market negates a significant portion of the gains achieved by Brazil in the negotiations, frustrates legal expectations, and could, if not promptly reversed, alter the balance of concessions that allowed for the successful conclusion of the agreement negotiations."

The ministries warned that if a resolution is not reached "in a timely manner", the Brazilian government "reserves the right to resort to the appropriate instruments to ensure balanced trading conditions, including the reciprocity measures".