President Lula Announces Vietnam’s Market Opening to Brazilian Beef

On Friday (28), Brazil’s Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Carlos Fávaro, accompanied President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on a state visit to Vietnam. During the visit, President Lula announced the opening of the Vietnamese market to beef produced in Brazil.

The decision followed a series of meetings with key leaders of Vietnam’s political system: President Luong Cuong, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man, Communist Party General Secretary Tô Lâm, and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chính.

“We have been working intensively on expanding trade relations for agricultural products with Vietnam. President Lula’s presence was crucial for this long-awaited reopening, granting Brazilian beef access to Vietnamese consumers,” explained Minister Carlos Fávaro.

Since the beginning of the current administration, four new market access openings have been secured in Vietnam, along with the facilitation of Brazilian leather trade in the country. As of 2025, Vietnam is already the fourth-largest destination for Brazilian agricultural exports, accounting for 3.2% of sales up to February—behind only China, the European Union, and the United States.

“After many years of negotiations, the Prime Minister has finally announced that Vietnam will buy Brazilian beef. This is extraordinary news—it’s essential for Vietnam and Brazil,” said Lula in a video posted on his social media, emphasizing that Brazil had pursued this agreement for over 20 years.

Vietnam imports around 300,000 tons of beef annually and considers Brazil its main trading partner in Latin America, presenting a significant opportunity for Brazilian producers. Fávaro also pointed out that Vietnamese consumers prefer less traditional cuts in Brazil, which could enhance the competitiveness of Brazilian beef in the domestic market.

“The opening of Vietnam’s market to Brazilian beef will attract investments from Brazilian meat processors, turning the country into an export hub for Southeast Asia,” Lula stated in a press briefing following the state visit.

Strategic Partnership for the Coffee Sector

Another key topic in strengthening Brazil-Vietnam relations was establishing a strategic partnership focused on the coffee sector. As the world’s two largest coffee producers, Brazil and Vietnam committed to intensifying joint research to develop more climate-resilient coffee varieties.

“Vietnam and Brazil are the two largest coffee producers globally, and both have recently suffered harvest losses due to climate change. We are determined to expand technical exchanges to strengthen the resilience of coffee cultivation,” Lula stated.

Signing of Bilateral Agreements in Vietnam

The agenda in Vietnam included a bilateral agreement signing ceremony formalizing the Action Plan for implementing the Strategic Partnership. In addition to this document, two agreements and two memorandums of understanding were signed, expanding bilateral cooperation in various areas.

The official signing occurred in Hanoi after a meeting between President Lula and President Luong Cuong. In a statement to the press, the Brazilian leader highlighted the agreement’s broad scope. “We have adopted a comprehensive action plan for the 2025-2030, which will help us advance in multiple areas,” Lula emphasized.

The Action Plan outlines bilateral priorities in key areas such as defense, economy, trade and investment, agriculture and food security, science and technology, environmental sustainability, energy transition, and sociocultural and consular cooperation. The Strategic Partnership aims to deepen political dialogue, strengthen economic cooperation, boost trade and investment flows, enhance coordination on multilateral issues, and promote new initiatives.

With these developments, Brazil and Vietnam reaffirm their commitment to expanding cooperation and strengthening commercial and diplomatic ties in the coming years.

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