Brazilian chilled beef exports to the countries of the European Union have been running at significantly higher volumes than in previous years.
According to Secex data, Brazil exported 15,491 tons of chilled beef to the EU during the first half of the year, a year-on-year increase of 58%. The monthly peak was recorded in April with 3,313 tons, while June shipments totaled 2,801 tons.
The high prices currently being paid by European importers for chilled beef from Argentina and Uruguay, traditionally the main suppliers in this segment, are likely one of the factors behind the increase in purchases of Brazilian product.
The same is not true for frozen beef. During the first half of the year, exports to the EU declined 5% year-on-year to 26,281 tons. Even so, the drop was much smaller than the decline recorded by frozen beef exports from Argentina and Uruguay over the same period.
