The resumption of purchases of Brazilian beef by China comes a month after the suspension due to an isolated case of “mad cow disease”.| Photo: Wenderson Araújo/CNA

Minister Carlos Fávaro, of Agriculture, announced to the government that China will resume imports of Brazilian beef, according to information from the newspaper O Globo published this Thursday (23). The suspension of the embargo in force for over a month was decided at a meeting between Fávaro and representatives of the country’s health authority, the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC).

“The big audience of the day was at the GACC, where we had the minister and they made the big announcement of lifting the suspension of embargoes on Brazilian beef. This was expected a few days ago”, said Fávaro.

The export of Brazilian meat to China had been suspended since mid-February after the discovery of an atypical case of an animal with “mad cow disease” in the state of Pará. Tests carried out by the reference laboratory of the World Organization for Animal Health (WHOA) proved that it was an isolated and atypical occurrence, that is, of natural causes.

China’s decision comes just three days before the start of the Brazilian government’s official visit to the country, with a large entourage of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT), ministers and businessmen. The Asian country is responsible for purchasing more than 60% of the beef exported by Brazil, with a volume of US$ 8 billion in negotiations.