EU to suspend Brazilian meat imports from September 3, citing antimicrobial rules

The European Union will suspend meat imports from Brazil from September 3 after the ​South American country failed to guarantee its compliance ‌with EU rules on the use of antimicrobial substances, an EU Commission spokesperson said on Tuesday.

The EU had announced ​in May that Brazil was set to be removed ​from a list of compliant countries exporting ⁠certain animal products to the bloc. The Commission spokesperson ​told reporters that the EU had not received guarantees ​of Brazil’s compliance with the bloc’s requirement that antimicrobials not be used for animal growth.

For poultry and honey, an audit ​of Brazilian production is due to be completed ​at the end of this week, though results will not be ‌available ⁠immediately, the spokesperson said. For beef, of which Brazil was the EU’s second-largest supplier in 2025, the EU was seeking guarantees covering the whole life cycle ​of animals, the ​spokesperson added. The ⁠Commission did not give a timeline for a possible lifting of the ban.

The ​EU also prohibits giving animals antimicrobials that ​are ⁠used to treat humans, including antibiotics.
Overuse of antibiotics in animals can create resistant bacteria that spread to ⁠people through ​food, contact or the environment, ​making some human infections harder to treat.

Source: Reuters