Decision takes immediate effect and crowns months of negotiations led by Brazil’s Agriculture Ministry
11/07/2025
China announced on Friday (7) that it would lift its ban on poultry imports from Brazil, a measure put in place after an avian flu outbreak was detected in May this year. China’s General Administration of Customs made the announcement.
The ban was implemented after confirming a case of avian flu on May 15 at a commercial farm in the municipality of Montenegro, Rio Grande do Sul. Even after Brazil declared itself free of the disease in early June, Chinese restrictions remained in place.
According to the official statement, the decision to lift the ban takes effect immediately and was made “based on the results of the risk analysis” conducted by China’s sanitary authorities. In September, a Chinese technical mission visited Brazil to audit the federal inspection system and verify the country’s sanitary control measures.
Brazil is the world’s largest exporter of chicken meat, shipping to 151 countries, with China as its leading destination. In 2024, the Asian country imported 353,400 tonnes of the product, generating $786.9 million in revenue. From January to May, before the outbreak, exports to China had already reached 228,000 tonnes, worth $547 million.
“Brazil has become a reliable food supplier in terms of quality, delivery safety, competitive pricing, and sanitary standards. This is evidenced by the full reopening of markets after the avian flu case,” said Agriculture Minister Carlos Fávaro.
Industry celebrates
The Brazilian Association of Animal Protein (ABPA) said the reopening of China’s market to Brazilian chicken was the result of “a broad and professional negotiation effort,” emphasizing the roles of the Ministry of Agriculture, the Vice Presidency, the Foreign Affairs Ministry (Itamaraty), and the private sector.
“There was an extensive and highly professional negotiation process, which included the renegotiation of sanitary certificates to prevent total suspensions in case of new outbreaks. Alongside that, there was an intense diplomatic effort led by the Brazilian government and private entities under ABPA’s leadership to resume exports to suspended markets. The reopening of China crowns the success of this major coordinated effort under Minister Fávaro and his team,” said ABPA president Ricardo Santin in a statement.
The association also mentioned that the process involved control and eradication measures against avian influenza, the restoration of Brazil’s sanitary status with the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH), and diplomatic negotiations led by the Agriculture Ministry.
Following China’s decision, all major importers of Brazilian chicken meat have now resumed purchases. Recently, the European Union also announced the reopening of its market.
*By Gabriela Weiss, Globo Rural — São Paulo
Source: Valor International