Without the European Union, Brazil could stop exporting almost US$2 billion a year in meat; understand

European Union vetoes imports of meat and animal products from Brazil
The European Union (EU) published this Friday (5) the decision that removes Brazil from the list of countries considered to comply with its standards on the use of antimicrobials in livestock farming. The measure threatens Brazilian exports of products of animal origin to the bloc, which total around US$ 5 billion per year (R$ 25 billion at current prices).
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➡ With this, Brazil is banned from exporting meat to the bloc from September 3 of this year.
According to the EU, Brazil was excluded for not providing guarantees about the non-use of antimicrobials in the bloc. livestock.
In the 2024 list, Brazil appeared as authorized to export beef, chicken and horse meat, as well as tripe, fish and honey. Now, the country appears excluded from the list of all these products.
The European Union is the second largest market for Brazilian meat in value, behind only China, according to data from Agrostat, a system from the Ministry of Agriculture.
In 2025, the bloc purchased 368.1 thousand tons of products, in deals that totaled US$ 1.8 billion.
➡ Considering only beef, Brazil raised US$ 1.048 billion with the block, with a total of 128 thousand tons exported. The product is the most relevant in the category in sales to Europeans in terms of value and represents the third largest destination for Brazilian beef, behind China and the United States.
➡ The sale of chicken meat to the European Union, in 2025, reached US$ 762 million and 230 thousand tons.
➡ Other products should also be impacted. Honey totaled US$ 6 million in exports, with a volume of one thousand tons.
According to the Brazilian Animal Protein Association (ABPA), Brazil does not export pork to the European Union.
Other Mercosur countries, such as Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, remain authorized to export to the EU.
Why was Brazil left out?
The European Union prohibits antimicrobials that are also used for animal growth, explains Leonardo Munhoz, doctor in agro-environmental law and lawyer at VBSO.
They are:
virginiamycin;
avoparcin;
cacitracin;
tylosin;
spiramycin;
avilamycin.
In April, the Ministry of Agriculture published an ordinance prohibiting the import, manufacture, commercialization and use of some antimicrobials used as performance enhancers, including avoparcin and virginiamycin.
To return to the EU list, Brazil has two paths: legally restricting the use of the other medicines mentioned or ensuring that the meat exported does not contain these substances.
The second option is not easy to apply, as it depends on the traceability of the product, it is more time-consuming and costly, points out Munhoz.
As soon as it is proven that Brazilian livestock farming does not use these antimicrobials, the country will be able to return to exporting, even if this occurs after September.
According to the researcher, it was already known that the European Union had been planning these restrictions since 2019.
"It raises relevant concerns for agriculture because the European Union is a strategic market for animal proteins and because these requirements can impact traceability, health certification and export compliance", says the researcher.
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Source: G1

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