Brazil's ambassador to the European Union has cautioned that the bloc's suspension of Brazilian meat imports is eroding the benefits of the EU-Mercosur trade agreement, a deal that Brasília made significant concessions to secure. The move, he argues, is creating a "reversal of expectations" in Brazil and deepening discontent among its agricultural exporters.
The European Commission last week halted imports of meat and other food products from Brazil over concerns about antimicrobial substances used in production. The suspension affects hundreds of millions of euros in Brazilian exports, hitting sectors that were central to the trade pact signed earlier this year.
Ambassador Pedro Miguel da Costa e Silva told Euronews that the ban targets "sensitive products"—items such as bovine meat, poultry, and honey—that Brazil and its Mercosur partners had to fight hard to include in the agreement, and which are subject to strict quotas. "If we stop exporting bovine meat, poultry, honey, we are losing. There is a reversal of expectations of what we thought the agreement was going to be for us," he said.
The ambassador stressed that the suspension is not a reflection of the quality of Brazilian food exports, but he warned that it could be exploited by critics as part of a "disinformation campaign against Brazil" and its production standards. "And all this, I think, does a lot of harm to the EU-Brazil relation, and it also creates a problem in terms of the EU Mercosur agreement," he added.
Audit results pending
An EU audit of Brazilian poultry and meat production was completed last Friday, but the preliminary findings have not yet been released. A European Commission spokesperson said that if the audit results are positive, Brazil could be reinstated to the list of countries authorised to export to the EU.
However, the Commission says Brasília has not provided the guarantees needed for an audit of its beef sector, a significant setback for Brazilian producers. Beef exports to the EU were worth around $1 billion (€860 million) in 2025.
While Brazil's agriculture ministry has threatened reciprocal measures if the ban is not lifted, Ambassador Costa e Silva expressed confidence that dialogue could resolve the dispute. "We prefer dialogue, we prefer cooperation, but if we need to go down another road, we will," he said.
Brazilian industry groups have criticised the measures, arguing they fail to recognise the high standards of Brazilian products. The government in Brasília is said to have intensified talks with EU officials in recent days to reach a quick resolution.
The dispute comes just months after the EU-Mercosur free trade agreement—covering Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay—entered into force in May, despite strong opposition from European farmers. The agreement was hailed as a landmark for transatlantic trade, but this latest friction threatens to sour the mood just as both sides begin to implement its provisions.
For the EU, the challenge is to balance food safety concerns with the strategic importance of the Mercosur pact. For Brazil, the stakes are equally high: the country's agricultural sector sees the EU as a key market, and any prolonged disruption could undermine confidence in the deal's long-term viability.
