US inspection offer to Brazil ‘insufficient’
According to Reuters, Dias joined Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on a visit this week in hopes of reopening the US market to Brazilian beef.
The US has been hesitant to engage in meat trade with Brazil due to the recent turbulence in the country including the rotten meat scandal. Last year, Brazil was engulfed in controversy after police launched raids on some of the country’s meat processors. Some of them were accused of corruption and selling rotten meat and 33 Government officials were suspended.
Dias said that US Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue would provide likely visit dates for the Service auditors Inspection and Food Safety Department of the US Department of Agriculture to inspect the slaughterhouses to export beef from Brazil to the US.
She said that the Brazilian Government was considering allowing US pork exports to Brazil.
"It has not yet been granted (the authorization for the US to export meat), we are still discussing the health certificate," explained the minister.
Brazil also revealed that there would be zero import duty on wheat imports to the country. However, she explained this was not just for the US but all countries.
