According to the latest news from the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC), Brazil voluntarily suspended beef exports to China on February 23, 2023, four weeks after an atypical case of "mad cow disease" was found in Para state. After risk assessment and rounds of technical consultations, the GACC has confirmed that Brazil's mad cow disease prevention and control system meets China's quarantine and hygiene requirements, and decided to allow Brazil to resume exports of boneless beef under 30 months old to China from March 23, 2023. When related products enter the country, customs will carry out inspection and quarantine in accordance with regulations to ensure that they meet our health and safety requirements.

Simon Quilty of Global AgriTrends said China not only lifted its ban on Brazilian beef imports, but also allowed an additional six Brazilian slaughterhouses to export beef to China, bringing the total number of Brazilian plants able to export to China to 40. He also said there was growing trade dependence between China and Brazil. "I believe this is a step in the growing progress Brazil is making in terms of plant certification and export opportunities for Brazilian livestock," Carlos Favaro said in a statement.

Brazil's president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, is due to visit China later this month, which may be a catalyst for a change in entry rules. There is speculation that Brazil will next week propose changes to its trade deal with China, which currently stops nationwide exports if a case of mad cow disease is found. Brazil is expected to propose a revision that would ease the regulations and narrow the scope of the export ban to specific states or regions where diseased cattle have been found.

The Brazilian restrictions made China Australia's third largest beef customer in 2023, importing more than 23,000 tonnes of Australian beef in January and February, according to Meat and Livestock Australia. An Australian export trade source said the re-import of Brazilian beef had come quickly enough to avoid "panic" buying by China from alternative suppliers such as Australia and the US, thanks to reduced stocks.