On July 18, 2014, AQSIQ and Ministry of Agriculture of China announced that the ban on Brazilian bovine blood products and boned beef under 30 months old was over. It was a measure implemented in 2012 following an atypical case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in Brazil’s Paraná state. The visit to Brazil by China’s Chairman Mr. Xi Jinping opens the door for a return of Brazilian beef to the Chinese market.
The market potential in China for beef has been increasing. Brazil had exported beef to China since 2009. At the end of 2012 when exportation was banned, the total amount of beef exportation to China had reached USD 37.7 million. At present, there have been 8 processing plants in Brazil approved to supply beef for the Chinese market. Another 9 enterprises are still waiting for exportation approval.