Japan is one step closer to allowing Brazilian beef imports

Tuesday, November 4th 2025 – 09:41 UTC

A Japanese team is due in Brazil this month to check the States of Santa Catarina, Paraná, and Rio Grande do Sul, Fávaro confirmed

The opening of the Japanese market to Brazilian beef appears imminent, as a Japanese government delegation is scheduled to visit Brazil this month to conduct a final audit of local meatpacking plants. Negotiations gained significant momentum following President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s visit to Tokyo in March.

Brazilian Minister of Agriculture Carlos Fávaro confirmed the news, stating, They are coming now to conduct an audit in November, and with this final audit of the meatpacking plants, I think the protocol will be ready, and we should have an announcement later this year.

Gaining access to the Japanese market is considered a long-standing dream for Brazilian agribusiness, with the government pursuing approval for over 20 years. Japan is the world’s third-largest global importer of beef, consuming more than 700,000 tons annually. This market is viewed as a key opportunity for Brazil to diversify its export destinations, particularly after recent trade tensions involving US tariffs.

The initial approval is expected to target Brazil’s southern states: Santa Catarina, Paraná, and Rio Grande do Sul, which were the first to achieve the highly sought-after status of a foot-and-mouth disease-free area without vaccination, a stringent health requirement that Japan demands.

While the entire Brazilian territory has now achieved this disease-free status, the strategy is to secure certification for these three initial states first. Japan is known for having some of the most rigorous health requirements globally, and its approval process, which has 12 steps, is meticulous. A request covering all of Brazil at once could risk delaying the already slow, two-decade-long process.

The plan is to gain certification for the three southern states and then sequentially request the inclusion of the rest of the country, thus accommodating Japan’s strict procedure of inspecting state by state. Currently, 80% of Japan’s beef imports originate from the United States and Australia.