Brazil exported a record 352,000 tonnes of beef in September, a jump of 31% compared with September last year when they exported 268,000 tonnes. This was the highest monthly total for Brazilian beef exports since records began in 1997, according to ABIEC, the trade association that represents meat processors and the publishers of the data. It represents 47 companies who between them account for 98% of the country’s beef exports.
September was the first full month in which the US tariff increase of 50% was applied to Brazilian beef. As a result, its exports to the US slumped to 9,900 tonnes, a huge decline from the 25,319 tonnes exported in September last year. China is Brazil’s main market for beef exports and was the destination for 190,500 tonnes in September, more than half of all their exports.
Exports to EU increase
What will be of interest to Irish and EU beef producers given the current Mercosur trade deal ratification process is their trade with the EU. The EU has always been a market for high value steak meat cuts from South American countries despite the high import tariffs. In September, Brazil exported 15,400 tonnes to the EU, making it the second highest volume market. This is significantly higher than the 11,947 tonnes exported to the EU in the same month in 2024 and is a similar percentage increase to the overall increase of Brazilian beef exports for the period.
Brazil’s beef export performance has been strong throughout 2025. In the first nine months, it has exported 2.44m tonnes, which is more than was ever exported for an entire year with the exception of last year when they exported almost 2.9m tonnes. Exports to China for the year to date have reached 1.15m tonnes and despite the slump in August and September, the volume exported to the US so far in 2025 is 218,900 tonnes, 64.6% higher than in the same period last year. There has also been a striking increase in export volumes to the EU in 2025 with the volume more than doubling compared with the same period last year to 105,895 tonnes.
Comment – Brazil is the key player in the international beef market
Brazil’s beef export volumes passed 1m tonnes product weight for the first time in 2004 and by 2020 had doubled passing 2m tonnes for the first time. In 2025 with three months of data still to come, they sit at almost 2.5m tonnes, so unless there is a major drop-off, 3m tonnes will be passed this year. ABIEC forecasts that beef exports will continue to increase over the next date though the rate of increase is expected to slow down.
Brazil is now and will continue to be the main exporting county and their volume is more than double the combined total of Australia and the US, who are the second and third largest exporting countries.
Despite the volumes doubling over the last year, Brazil is much less dependent on the EU market than they were 20 years ago when 403,000 tonnes were exported to the EU which was one third of their total exports.
Of course if the Mercosur trade deal is approved by the EU, then the EU will again become a more attractive market for Brazil and the other Mercosur countries as tariffs for the new 99,000 tonnes quota will be reduced to 7.5% and tariffs on the existing Hilton quota will drop to zero.
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Brazil exported a record 352,000 tonnes of beef in September, a jump of 31% compared with September last year when they exported 268,000 tonnes. This was the highest monthly total for Brazilian beef exports since records began in 1997, according to ABIEC, the trade association that represents meat processors and the publishers of the data. It represents 47 companies who between them account for 98% of the country’s beef exports.
September was the first full month in which the US tariff increase of 50% was applied to Brazilian beef. As a result, its exports to the US slumped to 9,900 tonnes, a huge decline from the 25,319 tonnes exported in September last year. China is Brazil’s main market for beef exports and was the destination for 190,500 tonnes in September, more than half of all their exports.
Exports to EU increase
What will be of interest to Irish and EU beef producers given the current Mercosur trade deal ratification process is their trade with the EU. The EU has always been a market for high value steak meat cuts from South American countries despite the high import tariffs. In September, Brazil exported 15,400 tonnes to the EU, making it the second highest volume market. This is significantly higher than the 11,947 tonnes exported to the EU in the same month in 2024 and is a similar percentage increase to the overall increase of Brazilian beef exports for the period.
Brazil’s beef export performance has been strong throughout 2025. In the first nine months, it has exported 2.44m tonnes, which is more than was ever exported for an entire year with the exception of last year when they exported almost 2.9m tonnes. Exports to China for the year to date have reached 1.15m tonnes and despite the slump in August and September, the volume exported to the US so far in 2025 is 218,900 tonnes, 64.6% higher than in the same period last year. There has also been a striking increase in export volumes to the EU in 2025 with the volume more than doubling compared with the same period last year to 105,895 tonnes.
Comment – Brazil is the key player in the international beef market
Brazil’s beef export volumes passed 1m tonnes product weight for the first time in 2004 and by 2020 had doubled passing 2m tonnes for the first time. In 2025 with three months of data still to come, they sit at almost 2.5m tonnes, so unless there is a major drop-off, 3m tonnes will be passed this year. ABIEC forecasts that beef exports will continue to increase over the next date though the rate of increase is expected to slow down.
Brazil is now and will continue to be the main exporting county and their volume is more than double the combined total of Australia and the US, who are the second and third largest exporting countries.
Despite the volumes doubling over the last year, Brazil is much less dependent on the EU market than they were 20 years ago when 403,000 tonnes were exported to the EU which was one third of their total exports.
Of course if the Mercosur trade deal is approved by the EU, then the EU will again become a more attractive market for Brazil and the other Mercosur countries as tariffs for the new 99,000 tonnes quota will be reduced to 7.5% and tariffs on the existing Hilton quota will drop to zero.
Read more
Cattle production set to increase in Brazil and the US
Mercosur beef hits 15-year high for EU imports
Decision time on Mercosur trade deal
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