São Paulo – All Arab countries in the list of ten leading importers of beef from Brazil stepped up their purchases in the first half of this year, the Brazilian Association of Meat Exporting Industries (Abiec) reported this Tuesday (14th). Egypt was the fourth leading destination for the product, after Hong Kong, the European Union and Russia. Algeria and the United Arab Emirates also imported more this year than in the last one.
Egypt bought 92.4 tons of Brazilian beef from January to June this year, up 28% from H1 2014. Export revenues totaled US$ 308.6 million, a 25% increase.
Algeria ranked 9th at 13,000 tons imported and US$ 55 million spent – an increment of 14% in volume and 4.4% in revenue for Brazil. The UAE ranked 10th at 10,000 tons and US$ 48.7 million – a 10% increase in volume and a 4.3% increase in revenue.
Beef exports from Brazil grossed a combined US$ 2.7 billion in H1, at 656,000 tons shipped. Overall export volume was down 14% and revenues declined by 18%. An Abiec press release attributed the slowdown primarily to slower sales to Hong Kong, Russia, and Venezuela, as a result of a global scenario marked by the oil crisis and exchange rate fluctuation.
But the beef industry hopes to see a rebound in H2 this year, as a result of the lifting of embargoes and the opening of the US market. Late last June, the Brazilian government announced that the United States market would no longer be closed to raw beef from Brazil, which it was due to sanitary restrictions. This enables Brazil’s Federal District and 13 other states to seek accreditation in order to sell to the country.
In June alone, beef export revenues were up 5% from May, while remaining virtually flat volume-wise, at US$ 491.1 million and 113,100 tons. During the month, sales to Russia, Venezuela and Chile all soared. Abiec pointed out that relevant developments in June included the beginning of exports to China, which announced the end of its ban on Brazilian beef.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
