JBS SA expects Brazil to overcome a dispute with the European Union over meat-export requirements, Chief Executive Officer Gilberto Tomazoni said, as the government and industry groups work to reverse measures that could eventually shut the country out of the bloc’s market.
Tomazoni spoke on Tuesday at AGRO 360º, an event organized through a partnership between The AgriBiz and Brazil Journal.
According to the executive, the Brazilian government last Friday submitted documentation requested by the EU to demonstrate that the use of antimicrobials in the country complies with European regulations. Under EU law, antibiotics cannot be used as growth promoters.
Brazil was removed from a list of suppliers recognized as meeting the bloc’s sanitary requirements for antibiotic use in animal products. If the country fails to prove by September that it has a system capable of ensuring compliance with those rules, its meat exports to the EU could be banned.
“What the EU is asking for are official guarantees that products arriving there are audited by the Brazilian government,” Tomazoni said. “The industry already complies with the legislation, but they are asking for formal certification from the government.”
Brazil must now engage more effectively with European authorities to reverse the measure, he told reporters after the event.
“We cannot accept not supplying the EU, given that we already produce in accordance with EU regulations,” Tomazoni said. “Brazil has to do whatever is necessary to avoid losing a premium market like the European Union.”
The country has every chance of reversing the restrictions because producers are already operating within the required standards, he added.
“It is a matter of providing an official guarantee that we comply with the legislation,” Tomazoni said. “For me, this is an issue that will be resolved.”
Earlier, during the conference panel, Tomazoni said the EU’s decision could be interpreted as a non-tariff barrier, though he stressed that the requirements imposed on Brazil are the same as those applied to European producers.
“They simply want to create a level playing field,” he said.
Brazil has until September to demonstrate that it can meet the bloc’s demands, he said, adding that the urgency of the issue has been recognized by all institutions involved in the sector.
“We will clearly have to live with this reality,” Tomazoni said. “This will not be the last time. We need to build systems for traceability and transparency to ensure Brazil can continue accessing demanding markets, as well as those that seek greater protection in the name of food security.”
Full coverage of AGRO 360º will be published on The AgriBiz and Brazil Journal websites in the coming days.
This story was translated with the assistance of artificial intelligence.
