EU suspends Brazilian beef, poultry, and honey imports over antibiotic misuse

The European Union has suspended imports of Brazilian beef, poultry, eggs, honey, and aquaculture products due to excessive antibiotic use in Brazilian farms. The ban took effect on September 3 and will remain until Brazil demonstrates compliance with EU sanitary standards. The suspension was confirmed on September 1, following Brazil's removal from the EU's list of approved third-country exporters in May. The EU prohibits antibiotic growth promoters, a practice banned in Europe for 20 years due to antimicrobial resistance risks. An audit on poultry and honey is underway, with results expected soon. Brazilian meat imports are marginal in France, with only about 1,800 tonnes of beef and 4,000 tonnes of poultry sourced from Brazil in 2025. However, Brazil supplies roughly a quarter of all EU poultry imports, totaling about 280,000 tonnes.