Key facts
- Brazil may impose reciprocal measures against the EU if negotiations to lift the animal product ban fail.
- The EU ban on Brazilian animal products took effect on Thursday.
- The ban is due to concerns over the use of prohibited antimicrobial substances in Brazilian production.
- Brazil's agriculture confederation urged the government to invoke a trade-balancing mechanism under the Mercosur-EU agreement.
- Potential retaliatory measures discussed include barriers on European dairy products and olive oil.
Brazil's government has warned of potential reciprocal measures against the European Union if negotiations to reverse the bloc's ban on animal products do not yield a satisfactory outcome. The ban, which took effect on Thursday, is driven by the EU's demand for guarantees that prohibited antimicrobial substances are not being used in Brazilian production chains.
Negotiators close to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva believe reversing the ban has become more difficult. The government's stance is to maintain dialogue channels, but officials are already considering retaliatory actions. Sources suggest Brazil may impose sanitary barriers on European dairy products and olive oil. The potential impact of suspending exports of poultry, beef, eggs, honey, and seafood is estimated at nearly $2 billion annually.
President Lula had previously sent a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen requesting the ban be lifted, but has yet to receive a response. The EU's health spokesperson, Eva Hrncirova, confirmed the bloc lacked sufficient assurances on antimicrobial use but expressed confidence that Brazil could resolve the issues soon. A European technical mission is currently auditing production and inspection processes in Brazil's poultry and honey supply chains, with expectations that exports of these products could resume possibly in November.
Brazil's Agriculture and Livestock Confederation (CNA) has urged the Foreign Ministry to invoke the Rebalancing Mechanism under the Mercosur-EU agreement, arguing the EU restrictions undermine trade benefits. CNA President João Martins stated the suspension creates a "serious and unjustified distortion in access to the European market" and called for Senate intervention to preserve farmer competitiveness.