New inspection rules delay animal-origin food imports

A recent change in inspection rules for animal-origin food imports has delayed the entry into Brazil of items such as fish, powdered milk, inputs, and feed.

The delays – which, in some cases, can reach up to a month – are already creating supply problems and can make these products more expensive, especially fish such as salmon and hake from Argentina and Chile.

There are reports of trailers stopped for 30 days in the dry ports of São Borja and Uruguaiana (RS) and of the formation of truck queues, according to Valor Econômico. 
The vehicles must wait until VIGIAGRO, an agricultural defense agency linked to the Ministry of Agriculture, releases the passage of cargo. Entrepreneurs in the food sector blame the delays on the long-standing and chronic lack of agricultural inspectors and the difficulties these civil servants have in adapting to the new rules, which have been in effect since August.

Until then, the inspection took place only in factories, slaughterhouses, or establishments registered by the SIF (federal inspection service). However, since August 18th, the analysis of documents must go through a virtual center before the products enter Brazil.

Cargo can only enter the country after re-inspection in the primary zone (customs, ports, dry ports, or airports).

The changes were foreseen in a 2017 presidential decree by the Michel Temer administration. According to agribusiness sectors, the problem is that with the new rule, the government has strangled the flow of imports. Currently, the country has 64 warehouses, terminals, and customs facilities authorized to carry out reinspection work.

Source: Valor Econômico

To read the full original article, visit the link:

https://valor.globo.com/agronegocios/noticia/2021/10/04/cresce-lentidao-para-importar-alimentos.ghtml

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