China recognises Brazil as foot-and-mouth free, boosting pork trade
Move could add 40,000 tonnes to Brazil's annual China exports
9 June 2026
1 minute read
By: The Brazilian Association of Animal Protein (ABPA) celebrated the announcement made by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAPA) regarding the recognition of Brazilian territory by Chinese authorities as free from foot-and-mouth disease, which will directly benefit the national pig farming industry, according to a press release from ABPA.
Ricardo Santin, president of ABPA, said the measure represents an important step forward in consolidating the sanitary trust built between Brazil and China over the last few decades and reinforces international recognition of the robustness of the Brazilian agricultural defence system.
“The result is the fruit of consistent technical work conducted by MAPA, consolidated by Minister André de Paula, in conjunction with the Secretary of International Relations, Luis Rua, and of Agricultural Defense, Carlos Goulart, with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ApexBrasil, the state agricultural defense services and the productive sector, culminating in another important achievement for pig farming and the entire national agricultural sector," he said. "The announcement also expands opportunities for the Brazilian pork production chain, especially in states that will now have the same sanitary recognition previously granted only to specific regions of the country."
According to ABPA estimates, expanding sanitary recognition to other states with plants authorized for export could represent an increase of over 40,000 tons annually in Brazilian shipments destined for the Chinese market, with a positive impact on income generation, jobs, and foreign exchange for the country.
Prior to this recognition, only the state of Santa Catarina, which has seven plants authorised to export to China, held the status of being free of foot-and-mouth disease without vaccination from Chinese authorities. Now, the states of Rio Grande do Sul, with eight plants, and Mato Grosso, with one plant, should also benefit immediately – with the possibility of shipping bone-in meat and external offal. And new opportunities may arise for other federative units, with potential future authorizations.
“The recognition of the entire Brazilian territory as free from foot-and-mouth disease strengthens Brazil's position as a reliable food supplier and creates new opportunities for the sustainable expansion of Brazilian exports," Santin said. "The measure reinforces the high level of sanitary trust that exists between Brazil and China and creates even more favourable conditions for deepening trade relations between the two countries, especially at a time of growing global demand for safe food produced under high sanitary standards."
