Brasilia, June 2, 2026 (Lusa) - China on Tuesday recognised the whole of Brazil as free from foot-and-mouth disease without vaccination, following more than 20 years of negotiations between the two countries, Brazil's government has announced.

This health recognition expands the possibilities for exporting Brazilian beef and pork products to the Chinese market, including offal and bone-in meat, according to a statement from the Brazilian Foreign Ministry.

The decision comes a year after the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) recognised Brazil as a country free from foot-and-mouth disease without vaccination, “consolidating decades of work by official veterinary services, rural producers and state governments to strengthen animal health”, its Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock said in a statement.

China is the main destination for Brazilian agribusiness exports, including animal protein.

In 2025, Brazil exported around 3.5 million tonnes of beef, of which around 1.7 million tonnes went to China.

This volume represented $8.8 billion in revenue (around €7.56 billion).

The Secretary for Agricultural Defence at the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, Carlos Goulart, stated in a note that this year, China also recognised Brazil’s bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE)-free status for Brazilian beef.

“And now, we welcome with great satisfaction the news of the recognition of our ‘foot-and-mouth disease-free without vaccination’ status,” he highlighted.

“This health recognition is fundamental for us to move forward in technical discussions related to various products in the beef and pork sectors, allowing for the diversification of our export portfolio,” he said.

The Brazilian government said that, during President Lula da Silva’s mission to China in May 2025, the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding on sanitary and phytosanitary measures.

“The agreement strengthens bilateral cooperation and broadens dialogue between the two countries on issues related to animal and plant health,” the statement said.

MYMA/ADB // ADB.

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