Brazil takes “decisive step” to open beef market in Japan

Brazil is set to take a “decisive step” toward opening the Japanese market to Brazilian beef during this week’s official visit to Japan, Agriculture Minister Carlos Fávaro said in a statement from the ministry.

Mr. Fávaro, who is part of President Lula’s delegation to the Asian country, confirmed expectations that the Japanese government will announce the dispatch of a technical mission to Brazil to inspect beef processing plants and assess the country’s sanitary systems—an initiative previously reported by Valor.

The mission would mark a milestone in the 130-year commercial relationship between Brazil and Japan and could be the final stage before Japan officially opens its market to Brazilian beef. Japan already imports poultry from Brazil.

One of Japan’s key requirements is that exporting countries must be recognized as free of foot-and-mouth disease without vaccination. The World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) is expected to grant Brazil this status in May.

“We already expect progress from this visit. We hope Japanese authorities will announce a visit by specialized technicians to Brazil to learn about our production system, including meatpacking plants and sanitary measures,” Mr. Fávaro said in the statement.

“We are on the verge of receiving, from the World Organization for Animal Health, a certificate recognizing the entire Brazilian territory as free of foot-and-mouth disease without vaccination—one of Japan’s fundamental requirements. That recognition should come in May, and with the Japanese specialists’ visit, we will be taking a decisive step toward opening the Japanese market to Brazilian beef,” he added.

Japan imports 700,000 tonnes of beef annually, mainly from the United States and Australia. Brazil aims to claim a share of that market. Alongside the official government agenda, a group of Brazilian business leaders is in Tokyo this week for meetings with importers.

On Monday, the Brazilian Beef Exporters Association (ABIEC) met with the Japan Meat Traders Association. Roberto Perosa, president of ABIEC, told Valor he reaffirmed Brazil’s commitment to supplying “high-quality, affordable beef that meets strict sanitary standards,” as recognized by markets such as the United States, China, and the European Union. Paulo Mustefaga, president of the Brazilian Meatpackers Association (ABRAFRIGO), is also part of the delegation.

The chart below reveals Brazil’s top beef export markets in the year 2024 and January 2025, according to information from Datamar’s DataLiner intelligence service.

Top Beef Export Markets | Brazil | Jan 2024 – Jan 2025 | TEUs

Source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

The Brazilian business group is scheduled to meet with President Lula on Tuesday (March 25), after Mr. Lula’s meeting with Japanese Emperor Naruhito. “We’re going to thank him [Lula] for his efforts to open new markets for Brazilian beef and to highlight the importance of the Japanese market,” said Mr. Perosa.

Also on Tuesday, Mr. Fávaro is scheduled to meet with Japan’s minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Taku Eto. The agenda includes signing a revised sanitary protocol to allow for regionalized trade restrictions in the event of an avian flu outbreak.

Announcements are expected on Wednesday (March 26) during the Brazil-Japan Business Forum, which will be attended by President Lula and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. There are also expectations for the signing of bilateral agreements in the biofuels sector and new Japanese investments in Brazil’s program to restore degraded pastureland.

By Rafael Walendorff

Source: Valor International

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