Beef import, fat from Uruguay causes misinterpretation

Published May 18, 2021

Tridge summary

EU beef imports saw a 19.0% increase in the first two months of the year, with Uruguay becoming the main supplier, which is a significant shift as other major suppliers like Brazil, Argentina, Australia, and the USA exported less beef. However, the increase is largely attributed to beef fat imports from Uruguay, which were non-existent in the previous year. The Association of the Meat Industry (VDF) clarified that the data from the EU Commission is misleading and stated that Uruguay is not the largest beef supplier to the EU, with Brazil still holding that position. The large-scale import of beef tallow from Uruguay at the beginning of the year, primarily used in the food industry, also played a role in the increased imports.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

In the first two months of the current year there was an apparent surprise in the European Union's foreign trade in beef, reported the press and information service Agra Europe. According to data from the Brussels Commission, beef imports into the EU in January and February increased by 19.0% to 51,530 t compared to the previous year. The special thing about it: The increase was almost exclusively due to Uruguay, which became the most important third country supplier of beef. The amount purchased from there has more than quadrupled compared to the previous year to 27,140 t. However, a large part of the deliveries came from 20,400 tons of beef fat. A product that did not even make it into the community from there in 2020. All other large beef suppliers, including Brazil, Argentina, Australia and the USA, exported between a quarter and a half less beef to the Member States during the period under review. Data is a fallacy The Association of the Meat Industry (VDF) made it clear that ...

Source: Top Agrar Online