The European Union will suspend imports of Brazilian poultry and beef from Thursday while it waits for assurances from Brazil that its sanitary rules meet EU standards.
The European Commission said the move was prompted by concerns over compliance with EU health requirements.
In May, Brazil was removed from an EU list of countries viewed as complying with the union’s rules aimed at preventing the misuse of antibiotics in livestock farming.
Audit covering poultry underway
Brazil is an important EU partner and talks with its authorities are continuing in a constructive and positive way, a European Commission spokeswoman told French news agency AFP on Monday evening.
She said exports to the EU could resume once Brazil demonstrates compliance with the bloc’s requirements.
Brussels has not given a timetable for when imports might restart.
An audit covering poultry and honey is under way and is due to finish on Friday.
Beef imports may take longer to resume
If the findings are positive and EU Member States approve them, Brazilian poultry exports to the EU could be authorised again within the coming weeks.
Beef imports, however, may take longer to resume.
The Commission said the date from which Brazil may be able to certify compliance with EU requirements varies by sector because production cycles differ between animal species.
The EU is keen to show it is enforcing its standards after facing sharp criticism from the farming sector and from France following the signing in January 2026 of a free trade agreement with the Mercosur countries: Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay.
EU's second-largest beef supplier
In 2025, Brazil was the EU’s second-largest supplier of beef, exporting more than 92,000 tonnes of bovine products worth over €713 million to the bloc.
Under EU rules, antimicrobials cannot be used in farming to promote growth or increase yields. Animals also cannot be treated with antimicrobials reserved for human infections.
These measures form part of the EU’s wider effort to combat antimicrobial resistance by reducing unnecessary antibiotic use.
Drug-resistant infections have risen sharply worldwide in recent years.
According to the World Health Organization, antimicrobial-resistant superbugs are directly responsible for more than one million deaths a year and contribute to nearly five million more.
