EEC opens tariff-free import quote for beef in 2023, mostly for Russia

On the 3rd, the Council of the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) opened a quota for the import of up to 125,000 tons of beef from trading partners to five countries in the bloc without tariffs throughout 2023.

Most of the quota, 100 thousand tons, is for Russia. The decision also foresees up to 10 thousand tons for Armenia, up to 7.5 thousand tons for Belarus, up to 5 thousand tons for Kazakhstan, and up to 2.5 thousand tons for Kyrgyzstan.

The Russian agricultural attaché in Brazil, Andrey Yurkov, said that qualified Brazilian slaughterhouses can benefit from the import exemption.

In 2022, the tariff-free Russian import quota was doubled, 200 thousand tons. Last year, Brazil exported 49,800 tons of beef to Russia, with revenues of US$ 197 million, according to data from the Ministry of Agriculture’s Agrostat.

Of the other countries on the list, Brazil does business with Kazakhstan, where it sold only 42 tons in 2022.

The Council’s communiqué says that “the main volume of meat imported from third countries is frozen products, which are intended for the production of preserves and sausages”.

The agency also explained that the measure aims to “provide meat producers with affordable raw materials and stabilize consumer prices”.

The decision will come into effect 10 days after the publication of the rule.

Brazil has dozens of slaughterhouses authorized to export beef to Russia. Some, however, have some restrictions on sales. In 2021, three plants that were suspended had embargoes removed.

Source: Valor Econômico

To read the original report, visit: https://valor.globo.com/agronegocios/noticia/2023/02/04/cee-abre-cota-para-importacao-de-carne-bovina-sem-tarifa-em-2023-a-maior-parte-da-russia.ghtml

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