LatinNews Daily - 04 September 2026

*Brazil’s government has released a statement to criticise the ban imposed by the European Union (EU) on meat from Brazil, which was announced in May and took effect yesterday (3 September). The EU has suspended shipments of Brazilian animal products such as beef, pork, chicken, fish, and eggs on the grounds of non-compliance with food safety standards. The EU prohibits the use of antibiotics that stimulate animal growth and alleges that Brazil has failed to demonstrate compliance with this rule. Yesterday the Brazilian government expressed “deep concern” over the implementation of the ban and highlighted that in recent months it has submitted all relevant information regarding animal products to European authorities and has carried out audits of Brazilian supply chains. The government statement also warned that the meat ban “negates a significant part of the gains obtained by Brazil” in the free trade agreement between the EU and the Mercosur regional trade bloc, which was signed in January and took provisional effect in early May this year. The statement ended by suggesting potential avenues for enacting reciprocal measures, such as Brazil’s 2025 reciprocity law, as well as highlighting the mechanisms included in the EU-Mercosur deal aimed at addressing trade disputes.