Greater Chinese covid-19 concerns are leading to the suspension of Brazilian meat export licenses, according to industry experts.
Since January of this year, China has already announced the suspension of the authorization of five Brazilian meatpackers, two of which for beef and three for poultry.
Suspensions remain for units of producers JBS, BRF, Bello Alimentos and São Salvador Alimentos. A unit of Frialto was suspended for a week on March 12, automatically resuming sales to the Chinese market after this period, according to the Brazilian press.
Brazil-China Beef Trade Pending Chinese Technical Assessment
According to the president of the Chamber of Commerce of Brazil-China (CCBC), Charles Andrew Tang, the arrival of the omicron variant in China has led the country to increase controls on frozen animal products that arrive at Chinese ports.
“China is simply being extra careful. It is not accusing that all meatpackers or all suppliers of frozen foods come with covid, but acting as a precaution”, Tang told Globo Rural.
He added that there is a belief in China that the omicron variant, more contagious than others, arrived in China via frozen foods – which reinforces the measure adopted by Chinese health authorities. “Chinese news say that the recent outbreak of Covid is also coming from imported frozen foods, because of this the government is redoubling its efforts to control the situation, which has greatly affected the Chinese market”, says the CCBC president.
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“As long as China is not satisfied that all its protocols have been followed and that there is no danger of contamination, [the licenses] will remain suspended,” Tang adds. The suspension will end when this recent omicron explosion subsides.
China did not disclose reasons for the suspension. Neither the Brazilian government or the companies.
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