April 20, 2011

 

More Brazilian meat firms to export to China

 

 

China has significantly expanded the number of Brazilian beef and poultry firms that can export to it, further adding 25 firms to its list of approved poultry suppliers, Brazil's farm minister Wagner Rossi said Tuesday (Apr 19).

 

The total firms are now 50, with five more beef suppliers to the existing three that shipped to it, Rossi said. He declined to name which firms were involved.

 

Total Brazilian meat exports totalled US$13.3 billion in calendar 2010, according to official trade data.

 

The decision had been approved at a technical level and would be formally announced in coming weeks.

 

The announcement follows Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff's visit to China last week, during which she also secured the first-ever authorisation for Brazilian pork producers to export to the Asian giant.

 

"We have the perspective ... of a significant increase in trade in meats with China," Rossi said, without offering estimates.

 

China is Brazil's top trade partner and biggest buyer of its agricultural produce, mostly soy.

 

Brazil is the world's top producer of beef and a top exporter of chicken meat. Major meatpackers include JBS, Marfrig and Brasil Foods .

 

Rossi said China was interested in increasing its imports of Brazilian corn and considering imports of whole citrus fruit. Brazil is the world's No. 1 grower of oranges.

 

Regarding Chinese investment in Brazil, Rossi said Chinese firms had a keen interest in participating in improvements to Brazil's transport infrastructure such as ports, railways and waterways.

 

"One of our objectives was to offer investment opportunities for China in Brazil. This involved various sectors but with a big emphasis on infrastructure," Rossi said.