DistantNews
Support us
🇵🇾 Paraguay /Economy & Trade

Brazil criticizes European ban on its animal products and threatens retaliation

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

Newswire Official statement Ongoing story
  • The European Union suspended purchases of Brazilian animal products over concerns about compliance with antimicrobial-use rules across the production chain.
  • Brazil exported $2.026 billion in affected products to the EU in 2025, including beef and poultry, and is seeking to reopen the market.
  • The government said it could use reciprocal trade measures or dispute mechanisms under the Mercosur-EU agreement and World Trade Organization rules.

Brazil has threatened retaliatory action after the European Union suspended imports of its meat, poultry, fish, eggs and honey. The measure took effect Thursday and reflects European concerns that Brazil has not demonstrated compliance with rules governing antimicrobial use throughout the production chain.

Brazil’s foreign and agriculture ministries expressed “deep concern” and said the country had already provided assurances that it meets the phytosanitary requirement. The ministries said negotiations were under way to reopen the market and restore trade flows.

The dispute puts a substantial trade relationship at risk. Brazil is the world’s largest producer and exporter of beef and chicken, while the EU ranks among its main markets. Brazilian exports in the sectors covered by the suspension totaled $2.026 billion in 2025, including $1.064 billion in beef and $781.4 million in poultry.

Deep concern

· Brazilian foreign and agriculture ministriesThe ministries used the phrase to describe the EU’s suspension of Brazilian animal products.

“If the negotiations do not immediately lead to a satisfactory solution, the Brazilian government reserves the right to use the instruments provided to ensure balanced trade conditions, including reciprocal measures established in legislation,” the government said.

Brazil also said it could invoke dispute-settlement mechanisms under the free-trade agreement signed this year by Mercosur and the EU, which is already in force, or under World Trade Organization rules. The government argued that the affected products already face quotas and tariff restrictions under the agreement, so excluding them from the European market would erase an important share of the benefits Brazil secured in the negotiations. It said a prolonged suspension could alter the balance of concessions that enabled the agreement to be concluded.

If the negotiations do not immediately lead to a satisfactory solution, the Brazilian government reserves the right to use the instruments provided to ensure balanced trade conditions, including reciprocal measures established in legislation.

· Brazilian governmentThe government warned that it could retaliate if talks fail to resolve the suspension.
About this summary

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

More Stories

From Our Blog