São Paulo – Beef exports from Brazil fetched USD 518 million in March this year, up 7.8% from March 2015. Sales amounted to 140,000 tons, up 21.4%, the Brazilian Meat Exporters Association (Abiec) reported this Wednesday (13th).
The association highlighted the performance in exports to Egypt, China and Saudi Arabia. Sales to Egypt reached 23,000 tons, up 126.8% from March 2015. China imported 15,000 tons, worth USD 62 million.
Saudi Arabia bought 3,000 tons, amounting to USD 11 million. The Middle Eastern country has just resumed buying from Brazil after a three-year hiatus. Egypt and Saudi Arabia were respectively the 2nd and 9th leading buyers of beef from Brazil in March.
In quarter one, Brazilian beef exports reached USD 1.384 billion, up 1.24% from Q1 2015, at 367,000 tons, up 16%. Egypt was the second leading buyer, at 59,400 tons and USD 183 million.
Abiec chairman Antônio Jorge Camardelli believes Brazil is poised to export 1.76 million tons this year, grossing USD 7.5 billion in the process, according to a press release.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
