Brazil seeks stable US beef market access amid tight cattle supply: MAPA

Brazil is seeking more predictable access to the US beef market as tight American cattle supplies boost demand for imported lean beef, Augusto Billi, secretary at Brazil's Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, or MAPA, said during a Nov. 3 presentation at the Meat Import Council of America conference in Arizona.

"The complementarity between Brazilian and US beef production creates a natural trade partnership," Billi said, noting that Brazilian lean trimmings can be blended with fattier US beef trimmings to produce ground beef.

Brazil exported 3.5 million metric tons of beef in 2025, and Billi said the country has the scale, certifications and infrastructure to expand shipments to the US in the near future.

US demand has been strong, with the existing 52,000 mt import quota for Brazilian beef exhausted within six days in early 2026, according to Billi, after which shipments became subject to a 26.4% tariff.

"So there is strong demand, we can fill this demand and we can help with more trade," he said.

The US subsequently introduced an additional 300,000-mt out-of-quota allocation for lean trimmings, effective Sept. 1-Nov. 30. Billi said the measure benefited Brazil but did not provide the longer-term predictability exporters needed.

"It helps Brazil, but it is temporary demand," he said.

The US became the leading destination for Brazilian beef in September, receiving 48,333 mt, or 21.6% of total exports, compared with a 2.8% share a year earlier, according to S&P Global Energy CERA's Brazil Beef & Cattle Short-Term Outlook.

Billi said recent US trade-policy changes had complicated planning for exporters and importers, reinforcing the need for a more stable bilateral trade framework.

MAPA's priorities include predictable long-term market access, regulatory cooperation with the US Department of Agriculture on eligibility and certification requirements, and greater sharing of supply-and-demand data between the two countries' industries.

"It's a win-win relationship," Billi said, noting that Brazilian beef supplies key raw material to the US processing industry.