Brazil keeps an eye out for trade barriers and finds them

As an exporting country Brazil is very sharp on the free flow of products. Photo: Mark Pasveer

The Brazilian private sector constantly monitors for international trade limitations and has identified 17 new trade barriers created by different countries all over the world. Between March and May 2020 3 of them hit poultry products.

The National Confederation identified Mexico, India and Saudi Arabia as the main culprits, based on its worldwide monitoring system. Mexico and India have increased import taxes on chicken meat from Brazil. Saudi Arabia, in turn, has started to require import licensing for poultry products. The Arabic country is one of the main clients for Brazilian poultry and imported 468,828 tons in 2019 while Mexico bought 97,987 tons at same period. There is no data on India.

The National Industry Confederation (CNI) updates this survey periodically based on official data from Electronic System for Monitoring Exports Barriers (“Sem Barreiras”, in portuguese) of the Federal Government. Since 2018, the “Sem Barreira” system identified 70 barriers against Brazilian products. The data is used to help Brazilian authorities define strategies to address the problem. Nonetheless, the government has only solved 10% of these cases. The trade issues go further than just agricultural products. China, Argentina and European Union have created barriers against rubber, electrical materials and metallurgical products, automotive vehicles, plastics and information technology.

Brazil: Dutch settlers adapting to new poultry opportunities
The Zegeren farm in Holambra, Brazil, is a 3rd-generation operation. At the heart of the farm there is a 24,000 bird parent stock facility, surrounded by an orange plantation and a potted plant business. “Every generation added something to the farm,” says Walter Zegeren.

Vietnam opens doors to 4 Brazilian poultry processors

Vietnam allowed 4 Brazilian poultry processors to start exporting into its market. The info was shared by the Minister of Agriculture, Tereza Cristina, last Tuesday, during a webinar. Vietnam imported 12,100 tonnes of Brazilian poultry in the first quarter of this year, 73% more compared to the same period in 2019, according to Brazilian Association of Animal Protein (ABPA). Last year, the demand from Vietnam had already grown by 42%.