Brazilian Beef: Abrafrigo fears trade restrictions studied by other countries

UK, European Union and United States officials discuss legislative proposals that may impose restrictions on the purchase of agricultural products due to environmental problems, such as deforestation. Fearing damage to Brazilian agribusiness, the Brazilian Refrigerators Association (Abrafrigo) asked the federal government to intensify diplomatic efforts, including with the World Trade Organization, to demonstrate that these measures would be wrong.

According to the entity, which brings together companies responsible for more than 50% of Brazilian beef production, the initiatives in these countries against deforestation in Brazil “have been causing great apprehension in several Brazilian agro-exporting sectors, and especially in the beef segment, since, if the aforementioned legislation is approved, the companies that buy the Brazilian product will start to demand stricter controls and certifications, inevitably raising compliance costs, which may even make the production of several industries and agricultural producers unfeasible ”.

"It is necessary to emphasize that Brazil has one of the most restrictive and strict environmental legislation in the world, which puts Brazilian agricultural production at a higher level in terms of environmental requirements compared to our main international competitors", points out the entity.