EU suspension of Brazilian meat comes into force, despite ongoing talks with Brasília
Yahoo World · 2026-09-03
The European Union has officially suspended imports of Brazilian beef, poultry, eggs, and honey as of Thursday, September 3, 2026. This measure follows a vote by national experts in May and comes despite ongoing technical discussions between Brasília and the EU Commission. The suspension was enacted because Brazil is not currently compliant with EU rules on antimicrobials, which prohibit their use for growth in animals. Commission spokesperson Eva Hrncirova confirmed that Brazil was not on the list of countries meeting these standards when the rules came into application.
While an audit based on written guarantees from Brasília for poultry and honey is underway and expected to conclude by the end of the week, no such guarantees have been provided for beef, which requires assurances covering the animals' entire life cycle. Trade in agricultural products, including beef, was a contentious issue throughout the 25-year negotiations for the Mercosur agreement, which was provisionally applied in May after a legal referral to the European Court of Justice by the European Parliament.