United States removes barriers to importation of Brazilian pork

Brazil’s minister of Agriculture, Mendes Ribeiro Filho, has confirmed
that the US Department of Agriculture has agreed to certify that
slaughterhouses and meatpacking industries in the state of Santa
Catarina comply with American sanitary standards. This was possible
after the USDA recognized Brazilian inspectors as capable of approving
pork for export. However, the US has called for more federal meat
inspectors (“Serviço de Inspeção Federal – SIF”) in the pork industry.

The USDA decision means that raw pork (in natura), along with cooked
and canned pork, can all be exported as long as they go through federal
inspection.

Santa Catarina is the only Brazilian state that is officially free of
foot and mouth disease (the ministry says it has been so since 2001).
Next week a list of approved slaughterhouses and meatpackers in the
state will be published.

As the US exports as well as imports pork, it is not expected to be a
big market for Brazilian exporters. However, the US seal of approval
will make it easier for Brazil to export pork to the really big
importers: Japan and Korea.

“The opening of the US market is good news. Now the next step will be
Japan and Korea,” declared the minister. “The Russian embargo made
things difficult for us. With a US stamp of approval we move on to a new
stage.”