China lifts beef import restrictions on Brazil
China has lifted restrictions linked to foot-and-mouth disease in northern Brazil and now recognises the country as free of the disease, Reuters reported, citing an official notice.
The move removes a barrier for Brazil, the world’s largest beef and chicken exporter, which sent more than half of its beef exports to China last year. China, the world’s biggest beef importer, bought nearly $3 billion of meat from Brazil in the first quarter of this year.
Brazil said the decision should expand exports of beef and pork products, including offal and bone-in meat, and said it followed more than 20 years of negotiations and recent diplomatic talks between the two countries.
China had previously tightened animal health controls after its own foot-and-mouth outbreaks earlier this year in Gansu and Xinjiang, which led to culling and vaccination measures.
