Brazil meat exporters weigh alternative routes to keep Middle East shipments flowing

Brazilian animal protein exporters are evaluating alternative shipping routes to maintain exports to the Middle East following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, industry representatives said.

According to Ricardo Santin, president of the Brazilian Animal Protein Association (ABPA), shipments that previously transited the Strait of Hormuz and the Suez Canal are expected to be rerouted via the Cape of Good Hope, at the southern tip of Africa.

“Higher costs and longer delivery times are already being anticipated,” Santin said. He added that alternative routes via Turkey and other regional ports, such as Salalah in Oman, are also under review.

“Some cargoes were already headed there, and shipowners who were close to their destinations in the Middle East are now waiting for developments in the conflict before redefining maritime logistics routes,” Santin said.

Brazil exports roughly 200,000 containers of animal protein per year, according to ABPA, with the Middle East accounting for about 25% of the sector’s total overseas shipments.

The following breakdown illustrates the monthly performance of Brazilian beef exports to the Middle East. The data covers the period from January 2023 to January 2026 and reflects Datamar’s surveyed figures obtained via its DataLiner platform:

Beef Exports to the Middle East | Jan 2023 – Jan 2026 | TEUs

Source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

On pricing, Santin downplayed the risk of immediate impacts from the conflict, drawing comparisons to last year’s avian influenza outbreak in Brazil.

“We recently went through a very difficult period, when 28 markets closed due to avian influenza, and there was no immediate impact. The sector proved resilient and was able to redirect exports,” he said.

Source: Globo Rural

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