Freight rates for meat exports more than doubled last month amid Middle East conflict

The war in the Middle East has hit logistics costs for meat exports broadly. In the case of beef shipments bound for the region, ocean freight for each refrigerated container more than doubled, rising from about $2,800 to as much as $7,000 per container, according to data from the Brazilian Beef Exporters Association, or Abiec.

The increase reflects the heavy dependence on maritime trade and temporary restrictions on key routes such as the Strait of Hormuz, in addition to cargo disruptions and rerouting episodes that have raised risks and added pressure to the export sector.

Beyond freight costs, the conflict also reduced Brazilian beef sales to the region in March. Total beef shipments to the Middle East came to 18,220 tonnes in the month, down from 22,919 tonnes in February, a decline of 4,699 tonnes, or 20.5%.

In value terms, shipments fell from $137.5 million to $115.6 million, a drop of 15.9%. The decline was driven mainly by the United Arab Emirates, down 49.5%, Jordan, down 44.8%, Qatar, down 55.3%, Iraq, down 42.5%, and Saudi Arabia, down 7.6%.

In export volume terms, data from Datamar shows that beef shipments to the United Arab Emirates reached 854 TEUs. The chart below shows the trend in containerized beef exports to the UAE.

Beef Exports | Jan 2023 – Feb 2026 | TEUs

Source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

Chicken meat

Chicken shipments to the Middle East fell 19% from February. Even so, 100,000 tonnes of the product were sent to the region, including to countries directly affected by the disruption.

In total, Brazilian chicken exports, including both fresh and processed products, reached 504,300 tonnes last month, according to the Brazilian Animal Protein Association, or ABPA. That was 6% above the volume shipped in the same month last year, when exports totaled 476,000 tonnes.

“Even with the decline, more than 100,000 tonnes were sent to Middle Eastern markets in March, with more than 45,000 tonnes destined for countries directly affected by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. In the rest of the markets, demand remains on the rise, especially in Asia’s main destinations,” ABPA President Ricardo Santin said in a statement.

Monthly revenue from chicken exports also hit a record. Total export earnings reached $944.7 million in March, up 6.2% from $889.9 million in the same month of 2025.

China resumed the pace of imports from Brazil seen before May 2025, when the country recorded an outbreak of avian influenza in Brazil’s commercial production, a situation that has since been resolved. Chinese purchases reached 51,800 tonnes in March, up 11.6% from the same month a year earlier.

Among the main destinations for Brazilian chicken in March were Japan, with 42,100 tonnes, up 41.3%, Saudi Arabia, with 38,700 tonnes, down 5.3%, South Africa, with 33,100 tonnes, up 21.4%, and the European Union, with 30,700 tonnes, up 33.7%.

Source: O Globo

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