Venezuela could import Brazilian beef after 11 years of crisis

Itatiaia Agro column on the possibility that Venezuela may reopen imports of Brazilian beef after 11 years of economic crisis and limited purchases from Brazil. The resource states that Venezuela last imported 160,000 tonnes of Brazilian beef in 2014 and suggests that, without the country’s deep economic crisis, Venezuela could currently be among Brazil’s five largest beef buyers. The column reports that a delegation of several Brazilian meatpacking companies, accompanied by Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was in Caracas discussing the potential resumption of this trade. The text also provides broader context on Brazil’s beef export markets, mentioning uncertainty over China, which had reportedly already purchased around 80% of the annual quota established by the Chinese government, doubts over whether the current 12% tariff would remain or whether a 55% tariff could be applied, the reduced cattle herd and high beef prices in the United States, and the European Union’s announced restrictions on Brazilian meats from September due to sanitary requirements. The resource identifies China, the United States, Chile and the European Union as Brazil’s main beef buyers and notes that, although the European Union purchases lower volumes, it tends to import higher-value cuts.