October 11, 2007

China's ban on Brazilian meat impedes trade

China's continued ban on Brazilian meat is one of the main obstacles to increased trade between the two countries, Rodrigo Maciel, the executive-secretary of the Brazil-China Business Council (CEBC) told Macauhub, a Chinese newspaper.

Maciel said at the World Economic Forum in the Chinese city of Dalian in September, Brazil had pointed out to China that the meat issue was an important obstacle that needed to be overcome.

China, the world's largest consumer market, would be highly profitable for Brazilian meat producers, Maciel said.

China banned beef from Brazil in January 2006, after a foot and mouth disease outbreak.

Before the ban, Brazil sold US$2.3 million of beef to China.

Although insignificant compared to the country's overall exports to other countries, it was a 72-percent rise over figures the previous year, highlighting a fast-growing market.

However, Maciel said that meat is not the only food product that Brazil can offer: rising incomes in the country would drive consumption of other products such as poultry and dairy products as well.