December 19, 2013

The USDA and the Brazil Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food made a joint statement on its collaboration on many agricultural issues as well as strengthening its bilateral beef trade.

The US and Brazil are two of the world's largest agricultural producers and exporters. Over the last 20 years, the USDA and Brazil's Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Food Supply (MAPA) have collaborated on many agriculture issues and currently have some 100 agricultural cooperative activities. As global leaders in the use of innovative agricultural production technologies, both countries share a keen interest in exploring further agricultural cooperation.

Both Brazil and the US maintain a strong commitment to science-based rulemaking. USDA and MAPA recently agreed to a path forward to amend rules that currently limit bilateral beef trade. Bilateral trade of all beef and beef products could occur once each exporting country meets the importing country's equivalence and technical requirements for animal health and food safety.