Brazil suspends beef shipments to China due to BSE

The Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture confirmed an outbreak of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), after which the supply of beef to China was suspended. This may lead to an increase in prices in the domestic market of China, according to the Chinese edition of Global Times. According to the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China, in 2022, China imported 2.688 million tons of beef, of which 1.105 million tons (41%) came from Brazil, which is the largest supplier of this meat to China. Following the cut in Brazilian supplies, some traders reportedly changed prices for a number of products. “The unit price of some beef products has risen by more than 10,000 yuan ($1,450),” Tony Zeng, co-founder of Rui Sheng Da Consulting, was quoted as saying. However, experts argue that the impact of halting beef imports from Brazil will be temporary and could be mitigated through alternative options and supply diversification. China also buys beef from ...