Brazil Eyes More Permissions to Export Beef to China

(Bloomberg) --

Brazil’s beef exports reached a record last month on soaring shipments to China, which has been opening doors for foreign meat in the wake of the African swine fever outbreak. More sales may be ahead.

The world’s largest beef exporter expects to have more plants allowed to export to the Asian nation after winning approvals for 17 facilities in September, according to Antonio Camardelli, head of the exporter group Abiec.

Some companies are answering queries to demonstrate they meet Chinese requirements, and documentation requesting permissions for exports will be sent to Asian authorities soon, he said without mentioning companies’ names.

In October, Brazil shipped 65,827 metric tons of beef to China, rising 62% from a month earlier, according to figures from the Trade Ministry. It was the first complete month with the additional 17 plants allowed to export to China from the previous 15, including two facilities from Marfrig Global Foods SA and two from Minerva SA.

Brazil should keep up similar export volumes to China in the coming months amid strong demand, income improvements and diet habit changes in the Asian nation, Camardelli said.

To contact the reporters on this story: Tatiana Freitas in São Paulo at tfreitas4@bloomberg.net;Dominic Carey in Washington at dcarey5@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: James Attwood at jattwood3@bloomberg.net

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