The interim president of Brazil, Geraldo Alckmin, expressed concern to the vice-president of the People’s Republic of China, Han Zheng, regarding the safeguards applied by the Asian country to beef produced in Brazil. The two had a telephone conversation lasting approximately 30 minutes this Wednesday (28).
Since January 1st, Chinese safeguards have been in place on its beef imports, which includes products from Brazil and other countries, such as Australia and the United States. The measure is expected to last three years. In the relationship with Brazil, the initial forecast is to apply a 55% surcharge to meat that exceeds the annual quota of 1.1 million tons.
Safeguards are trade defense instruments, applied in specific situations to imported products. In general, with the objective of protecting or preserving some sector of the economy.
Relevance of livestock
In the conversation, Alckmin, who is also Minister of Development, Industry, Commerce and Services, highlighted the relevance of livestock farming for the Brazilian economy, as well as the importance of the sector in the eyes of the federal government.
According to Planalto, the two also spoke about investments, especially in the areas of infrastructure, technology, innovation and sustainability.
During the telephone call, Alckmin and Zheng highlighted the 8.2% growth in bilateral trade in 2025, “which reached a new annual record of US$171 billion, and reaffirmed their mutual commitment to preserving dialogue with a view to expanding and diversifying commercial relations between Brazil and China”.
At the end of the conversation, the interim president invited Han Zheng to visit Brazil during the next meeting of the Sino-Brazilian High-Level Commission for Concertation and Cooperation (COSBAN), on a date yet to be confirmed.
