Antidumping guarantees competitiveness for dairy farming, says executive
The federal government's decision not to apply anti-dumping measures on imports of powdered milk from Argentina and Uruguay generated dissatisfaction among Brazilian producers.
The assessment is by Alexandre Lacerda, president of the Brazilian Association of Girolando Breeders, who participated this Monday (1st) in the Eloos event, in Belo Horizonte.
The topic has been discussed by the sector since December 2024, when entities linked to the dairy chain asked the federal government to open an investigation to investigate possible dumping practices in milk exports from Argentina and Uruguay to the Brazilian market.
The mechanism occurs when a product is sold in another country at prices lower than those practiced in the market of origin or below its value considered fair, affecting the competitiveness of local producers.
According to Lacerda, the investigation confirmed the existence of the practice, but the final decision by Camex (Chamber of Foreign Trade) frustrated producers' expectations by not establishing compensatory tariffs.
"Producers are outraged, as we would like recognition of the dumping of milk imports from Argentina and Uruguay. It was a long process that we have been through since December 2024", he stated.
According to the director, the technical result of the investigation showed significant margins of dumping in exports destined for Brazil.
Despite the conclusion, Camex chose not to apply anti-dumping measures. In Lacerda's assessment, the decision took into account concerns related to inflationary impacts and trade relations with neighboring countries.
"We did not expect Camex's decision, which did not introduce anti-dumping measures for fear of causing inflation or a certain discomfort with trading partners. We don't want any advantage, we would just like to compete on equal footing with anyone," he said.
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Panel "From countryside to geopolitics: agriculture at the center of global decisions" during Eloos, in Belo Horizonte - Uarlen Valério / Itatiaia
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Adriana Maugeri, president of the Minas Gerais Forestry Industry Association, during the panel "From the countryside to geopolitics: agriculture at the center of global decisions", at Eloos - Uarlen Valério / Itatiaia
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Federal deputy Domingos Sávio (PL-MG) during panel "From the countryside to geopolitics: agriculture at the center of global decisions", at Eloos - Uarlen Valério / Itatiaia
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Flávio Bolsonaro, senator and pre-candidate for the Presidency, and Thales Almeida, Secretary of State and Agriculture, Livestock and Supply of Minas Gerais, during the panel "From the countryside to geopolitics: agriculture at the center of global decisions", at Eloos - Uarlen Valério / Itatiaia
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João Vitor Xavier, CEO of CNN and vice-president of Itatiaia, during Eloos, an event that debates the challenges and future of agribusiness - Uarlen Valério / Itatiaia
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Eloos, an event that debates the challenges and future of agribusiness, is held in Belo Horizonte - Itatiaia
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Senator Flávio Bolsonaro (PL-RJ) upon arriving at Eloos, an event that debates the challenges and future of agribusiness - Itatiaia
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Flávio Bolsonaro and Ronaldo Caiado greet each other during Eloos, in Belo Horizonte - Uarlen Valério / Itatiaia
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Romeu Zema, former governor of Minas Gerais and pre-candidate for President, during Eloos, in Belo Horizonte - Uarlen Valério / Itatiaia
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Panel "Strong harvest, fragile structure: the bottlenecks of Brazilian agriculture" during Eloos, in Belo Horizonte - Rodrigo Leite / Itatiaia
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Núbia de Paula, acting vice-president of OAB-MG, during the panel "Strong harvest, fragile structure: the bottlenecks of Brazilian agriculture", at Eloos - Rodrigo Leite / Itatiaia
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José Luiz Bellini Leite, general head of Embrapa Gado de Leite, during the panel "Strong harvest, fragile structure: the bottlenecks of Brazilian agriculture", at Eloos - Rodrigo Leite / Itatiaia
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Alexandre Lacerda, president of the Brazilian Association of Girolando Breeders, during the panel "Strong harvest, fragile structure: the bottlenecks of Brazilian agriculture", at Eloos - Rodrigo Leite / Itatiaia
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Fernanda Pressinott, columnist for CNN Brasil, during the panel "Strong harvest, fragile structure: the bottlenecks of Brazilian agriculture", at Eloos - Rodrigo Leite / Itatiaia
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Panel "Science inside the gates: the challenges for a technological and innovative agribusiness" during Eloos, in Belo Horizonte - Uarlen Valério / Itatiaia
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Ludmila Falcão, state deputy of Minas Gerais, during the panel "Science inside the gates: the challenges for a technological and innovative agribusiness", at Eloos - Uarlen Valério / Itatiaia
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Antônio de Salvo, president of the FAEMG System, during the panel "Science inside the gates: the challenges for a technological and innovative agribusiness", at Eloos - Uarlen Valério / Itatiaia
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Bernardo Scarpelli, president of the Minas Gerais Society of Agricultural Engineers, during the panel "Science inside the gates: the challenges for a technological and innovative agribusiness", at Eloos - Uarlen Valério / Itatiaia
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The president of the association also highlighted the relevance of Minas Gerais milk production for the national supply. Minas Gerais is the largest milk producer in the country and accounts for more than 40% of Brazilian production, according to the director.
"We have good quality, with good producers who produce more than 40% of the national milk in Minas Gerais alone. The Girolando breed produces 80% of this total and we are proud of that", he declared.
Even faced with challenges related to imports and production costs, Lacerda states that the sector has sought efficiency gains through the adoption of technologies and innovation on rural properties.
"Production costs suffer from several factors. We, producers, are able to work with efficiency and technology, we invest in innovation that serves producers", he stated.
"Variables that depend on the exchange rate, for example, bring difficulties, but our productivity, which has almost doubled in recent years, is the difference we have to offer", he added.
The discussion on competitiveness and international trade was one of the topics debated during Eloos, a project resulting from the partnership between CNN Brasil and Itatiaia, created to bring together representatives from the private sector, public authorities and experts around strategic themes for economic development.
In previous cycles, the event promoted debates on energy, infrastructure and competitiveness of the Brazilian economy.
How does the producer finance the harvest in Brazil?
Source: CNN