Brazil Hopes for Bird Flu Trade Relief
Brazil Pins Hopes on Regional Approach to Ease Bird Flu Trade Bans
Brazil’s poultry industry is facing a challenging period following the country’s first confirmed bird flu outbreak on a commercial farm. However, Brazilian officials are optimistic that major importers, particularly China, will adopt a regional approach to trade bans, limiting restrictions to the affected southern state rather than implementing nationwide suspensions.
Luis Rua, international secretary at Brazil’s Agriculture Ministry, expressed confidence that “since global demand is very strong, it’s likely that there will soon be some flexibility.” He added, “We are doing our part to quickly share information so things aren’t suspended for long.”
The hope is that China, Brazil’s largest chicken export market, will follow the lead of Japan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, which have indicated a willingness to restrict bans to chicken from the state of Rio Grande do Sul, where the outbreak occurred.
A nationwide ban would be particularly painful for both Brazil, which accounts for over 35% of global chicken exports, and major importers like China, which sources over half of its chicken imports from Brazil. Brazilian Agriculture Minister Carlos Favaro highlighted this reliance, noting that the United States is the other primary supplier to China.
Interestingly, China already has significant restrictions on US poultry due to a widespread bird flu outbreak in the United States and ongoing trade tensions. Currently, China blocks poultry imports from more than 40 US states.
Brazilian officials are banking on their ability to contain the outbreak within Rio Grande do Sul and the strong global demand for chicken to persuade key importers to adopt a targeted, regional approach to any trade restrictions.
Original source: Reuters
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