China expands market access for Brazilian pork offal

The agreement covers items such as pork liver, heart, and esophagus. Brazil already sells certain exterior pork offal items to China, such as ears, tails, and snouts.

The preliminary protocol for the sale of internal offal had already been signed during a recent Ministry of Agriculture mission to China in May.

Estimates from the Brazilian Animal Protein Association (ABPA) indicate that more than 100,000 tonnes of Brazilian pork offal per year could be exported to the Chinese market following the signing of the new protocol. “The expectation is that directing these products to a higher-value market could represent an increase of more than $100 million in revenue for the sector,” the association said in a statement.

The primary states to benefit are expected to be Santa Catarina, which could export an additional 65,900 tonnes, and Rio Grande do Sul, with the potential to ship an additional 40,000 tonnes, ABPA estimated.

Until recently, plants in Santa Catarina were already exporting exterior offal to China. The state has held recognition as foot-and-mouth disease-free without vaccination for the longest period. Since June 2026, meatpacking plants in Rio Grande do Sul and Paraná have also been authorized to access this market in China.

With the signing of the new protocol with China, 19 facilities, including storage depots, will now be able to ship the product: nine in Santa Catarina, eight in Rio Grande do Sul, one in Mato Grosso, and one in Goiás.

“We are talking about products that already hold value and find destinations in other markets, but which enjoy particularly strong demand in China. The gain lies precisely in upgrading where these products are sent,” said Ricardo Santin, president of ABPA, in a statement.

The agriculture minister emphasized that the signing represents a significant milestone in the relationship between the two countries. “This marks an important chapter for Brazilian swine farming, granting access to a market worth over $2.5 billion a year, adding value to our production, and generating more income and jobs in rural areas and industry,” De Paula stated in a release.

“This signing opens new opportunities for Brazilian exports to the Chinese market. It is yet another concrete result of our joint efforts and a clear demonstration of the dynamism and vitality of agricultural cooperation between our two countries,” Qingqiao said in a statement.

The opening of China’s pork offal market to Brazil follows the conclusion of a Chinese audit of Brazilian meatpacking plants that began on the 20th. During this period, Chinese inspectors visited production facilities, farms, slaughterhouses, and official laboratories across six states focusing on beef, pork, and poultry. No announcements were made regarding the approval of new production facilities or the lifting of suspensions on beef and poultry establishments.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the expanded protocol creates new commercial opportunities for approved facilities.

Source: Valor International