Mexico has expanded the opening of the market for Brazilian pork. From now on, Brazil will be able to export the product in natura, without the need to go through thermal processing before being sold to consumers.
Article continues below
With the sanitary requirements and the International Sanitary Certificate (CSI) agreed between the two countries, on the last 10th, the commercialization will be for raw pork meat, whole or in pieces, including MSM (Mechanically Separated Meat) and bacon, not with restrictions on its direct trade, without the need for processing.
"This is yet another great piece of news from the start of the Lula government, showing that the world is opening up opportunities for Brazilian agribusiness. Let's take advantage of this good moment and seek to expand even more the markets for Brazilian products. Mexico is a market of around 1.5 million tons per year, which represents an important gain for pork production in our country", highlighted Minister Carlos Fávaro.
According to the Secretariat of Commerce and International Relations (SCRI), of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Mapa), the sanitary requirements and the CSI negotiated last November restricted the destination of pork meat exported to Mexico only for thermal processing product, the importer needed to be a SIF type establishment (Federal Inspection Service) and would have to have the entire process tracked for commercialization.
This restriction allowed only a small group of companies in the meat processing sector to import Brazilian pork, an operation that, from now on, can be carried out by any supermarket chain, trading company or direct importer .
According to SCRI's perspectives, the expansion of the Mexican market for Brazilian pork represents significant potential for animal protein in Brazil, and the demand meets the Mexican need to increase supply volumes to the country's population.
Six slaughter and processing plants were already qualified, and the forecast is that three more will be qualified. The qualifications are from plants that are already qualified to export to the USA and Canada.
According to data from SCRI, Mexico was the world's second largest importer of fresh pork in 2021, with 917 thousand tons, behind only China. ■