June 1, 2006

Brazil imposes tit-for-tat ban on Chilean fruits

Brazil's Agriculture Ministry retaliated for Chile's ban on its beef by suspending fruit imports like kiwi and grapes from Chile on Monday (May 29) due to an insect disease.

The country has banned Brazilian beef because of foot-and-mouth disease in 2 states.

Industry representatives believe that the Chilean government is unlikely to back down on the beef ban based on Brazil's latest move.

The Brazilian Beef Exporters Association, or Abiec, has been lobbying the government to threaten bans on fruits, in exchange for a lifting to the beef ban.

Grapes are one of Chile's top export items to Brazil while the country once accounted for 8 percent of Brazil's beef export revenue. 1.5 million tonnes of Brazilian beef were shipped to Chile until recently.

That figure plunged to a mere 57,994 tonnes last year on safety concerns.

Antonio Jorge Camardelli, executive director of the Brazilian Beef Industry and Exporters Association, said that Chile has steadfastly refused to resume the beef trade despite the fact that Brazil had acceded to their various requests.