Brazil exported a record 352,000 tonnes (t) of beef in September a jump of 31% compared with September last year when they exported 268,000t. 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 9,900t, a huge decline from the 25,319t exported in September last year.

China is Brazil’s main market for beef exports and was the destination for 190,500t in September, more than half of all its exports.

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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 15,400t to the EU making it the second highest volume market.

This is significantly higher than the 11,947t 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.