July 9, 2026
 

Brazil's chicken meat exports jump 40.6% in June as H1 2026 shipments hit record 2.94 million tonnes

The sharp year-on-year rise partly reflects a low base from June 2025, when exports were disrupted by a now-resolved HPAI outbreak in Rio Grande do Sul state.

Brazil exported 482,800 metric tonnes of chicken meat in June 2026, a 40.6% increase year-on-year, while first-half shipments reached a record 2.936 million metric tonnes - up 12.9% - generating export revenue of US$5.7 billion, a 17% rise compared with the same period in 2025, according to industry group ABPA.

China was the leading destination in June, taking 50,100 tonnes - an increase of 12,248% from June last year, a comparison period heavily affected by the HPAI-related export restrictions. Japan ranked second with 46,600 tonnes, down 0.9%, followed by the United Arab Emirates with 46,200 tonnes, down 5.1%, and Saudi Arabia with 33,100 tonnes, down 1%.

ABPA President Ricardo Santin noted that despite a challenging geopolitical environment in the Middle East, Brazil expanded its presence in high-value markets including Japan, the European Union and South Korea while maintaining its position in the Gulf. "June's performance, although influenced by a lower comparison base following the now-resolved HPAI outbreak in Brazil, reinforces the diversification of the country's export markets, the competitiveness of our production chain, and lays a solid foundation for another year of record chicken meat exports," he said.

The HPAI case that disrupted June 2025 exports was identified at a poultry farm in Rio Grande do Sul state in May of that year and has since been resolved.

- ANBA