Brazilian beef and poultry have emerged as leading export items to the 22 countries of the Arab League during the first four months of the year, according to data compiled by the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce.
Revenue from these products rose by 29.9% from January to April, compared to the same period last year, reaching USD 1.83 billion. The average price increased by 2.97%, reaching USD 2,451.83 per ton.
Among the Arab League countries, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) stands out as a major importer of Brazilian meat. In April, the UAE was the second-largest destination for Brazilian beef, purchasing 23,719 tons, according to data from the Brazilian Beef Exporters Association (Abiec).
The UAE was also the third-largest importer of Brazilian poultry in April, with 41,000 tons, marking a 32% year-on-year increase, as reported by the Brazilian Animal Protein Association (ABPA).
In total, the country generated USD 1.68 billion in revenue for Brazilian exporters in the first four months of the year, an 81% increase over the same period last year.
“The country has 46 free zones, export processing zones, making it a major re-exporter of food to the entire Islamic world. Brazilian exports to Oman also increased, as, like its neighbor, it uses its strategic position to enhance the triangulation of goods,” said Tamer Mansour, Secretary-General of the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce.
He anticipates that Brazilian trade with the Arab League will maintain its pace in the next four months, a period when Arab countries typically bolster their food stocks for local consumption and re-export. The last quadrimester of the year is also expected to be another period of stockpiling, in preparation for Ramadan 2025.
China lifts ban on Australian beef exporters
China has lifted bans on imports from five major Australian beef processing plants, the Australian government announced, marking the latest improvement in relations between the two nations. Beijing has now removed restrictions from eight abattoirs but two remain subject to import bans.
China imposed the bans between 2020 and 2022, around the same time it barred imports of a swathe of commodities including coal, timber and wine from Australia after Canberra called for an independent investigation into the origin of COVID-19.
The bans applied to certain abattoirs but did not affect others, which meant Australia was still able to ship beef to China.
The removal of the restrictions should still boost Australian shipments to China, according to Matt Dalgleish, an analyst at agricultural consultancy Episode 3, Shipments have already risen to their highest level since 2020 as a shrinking cattle herd in the United States, Australia’s main competitor, reduces US exports.
Lower US supply may have been one reason for China’s action, Dalgleish said to CNN.
China was Australia’s second-largest beef export market last year, receiving 240,000 tons worth around USD 1.6 billion, according to Australian trade data.
Beijing has lifted most of the barriers it imposed on Australian goods since a change of government in Canberra two years ago. A ban on imports of Australian lobsters remains in place.
“We continue to press China to remove the remaining trade impediments, including for Australia’s rock lobster industry,” Australian foreign minister Penny Wong, trade minister Don Farrell and agriculture minister Murray Watt said in a joint statement.
They said China’s trade impediments at their height impacted Australian exports worth 20.6 billion Australian dollars (USD 13.6 billion).
The reasons China gave for suspending the Australian beef processors were issues over labeling or contamination or cases of COVID-19 among their workers.