Brazil faces the risk of a suspension of EU meat and poultry shipments if compliance with the bloc’s antimicrobial import requirements is not demonstrated by the 3 September 2026 deadline. On one side, the country is tightening export controls to show full compliance with EU antimicrobial rules; on the other, officials and industry stakeholders are debating whether restrictions on some feed additives, including ionophores such as monensin, could facilitate compliance discussions with the EU.
According to RaboResearch, the EU has already tightened its stance: as of January 28, 2022, antimicrobials may not be used for growth promotion or production enhancement in food-producing animals, and Brazil must prove compliance if it wants to remain eligible to export. Brazil has aligned more closely with EU rules in recent years, including a 2020 ban on several antimicrobials used as growth promoters and a broader April 2026 ban on the use of antimicrobials for that purpose. However, analysts say the challenge remains the ability to provide the level of auditability, traceability and documentary evidence expected by EU authorities.
The immediate response has been administrative. A July 1 circular from Brazil’s Agriculture Ministry requires EU-authorized facilities to use auditable control systems, maintain traceability, and keep documentary evidence proving that EU-bound batches meet bloc requirements. Reuters likewise reported that Brazil has adjusted export controls for meat and derivatives to avoid a suspension of shipments to the EU starting in September.
Rabobank warns that the possible fallout would be significant on both sides. The EU is Brazil’s second-largest beef market and its largest chicken market, importing about 211,000 tons of chicken and 92,000 tons of beef from Brazil, roughly 25% of total imports in both categories. If imports were suspended, EU beef and poultry prices would likely rise, while Brazilian exporters would face downward pressure at home and would need to redirect volumes to markets such as the UK, Mexico, the Middle East and Asia.
The broader feed-additive debate adds another layer. Brazilian producers warn that a nationwide restriction could raise costs and hurt competitiveness, especially in beef exports to China, where Brazil sold nearly 1.7 million tons worth about US$8.8 billion in 2025, compared with about 128,000 tons worth roughly US$1 billion to the EU. Fourteen livestock organizations have already urged the government not to impose a sweeping rule just to satisfy a single export market.
