Santa Catarina, Brazil's primary apple-producing state, has appealed to the Ministry of Agriculture to exclude Chinese apples from ongoing government negotiations with China, citing the potential for its local apple industry to become unprofitable and the risk of introducing harmful apple diseases from China. As the state's apple industry contributes significantly to Brazil's economy and global export numbers, with a value of R$ 570 million from the 2021/22 harvest, local officials and the Brazilian Association of Apple Producers express concerns over the threat to Brazil's apple production and the potential job loss for farmers if the negotiations proceed without restrictions on Chinese apple imports.