Brazil's beef exports meet the sanitary standards applied in the European Union and in more than 160 countries worldwide, and in some cases Brazilian legislation is even stricter than EU rules, Brazil's ambassador to Romania, Ricardo Guerra de Araujo, said at a specialist conference on Friday.

He argued that EU sanitary and phytosanitary regulations are 'so complex' and 'so bureaucratic' that even Romanian farmers struggle to comply with them. In his view, the real issue are not the opportunities or challenges of Brazilian beef exports, but the need to address the growing bureaucratic complexity imposed by Brussels on member states, particularly on the agricultural sector. The diplomat also noted that failure to meet EU standards can result in the loss of cohesion funds or other financial support, which he described as a significant constraint.

The ambassador warned that there is 'a lot of misinformation' surrounding beef exports under the Mercosur agreement, and said that very few people have actually read the document. He also rejected claims that beef from Brazil or other Mercosur countries would 'flood the European market with low-standard products', saying this narrative had been promoted by parts of the media and some unions and was heard not only in Romania but also in countries such as France. He insisted that public debate often relied on rhetoric rather than on the factual provisions of the biregional agreement.

According to Araujo, the tariff quota for beef established under the agreement represents only 1.5% of the EU's total beef consumption, equivalent to roughly 'one steak per capita per year'. He explained that once the agreement enters into force, customs duties will apply to 99,000 tonnes of beef, with a 7.5% tariff. Only 15% of this quota will consist of refrigerated beef, which would compete with Angus beef. He reminded participants that the EU consumes around 6.5 million tonnes of beef annually, of which only 5% is imported from outside the bloc, and that the EU exports more beef than it imports. The 1.5% quota, he said, corresponds to about 220 grams of beef per person per year, which he described as the real scale of the sector's exposure under the agreement.

The ambassador recalled that the EU - Mercosur free trade agreement was signed in December 2024 after 25 years of negotiations and is expected to enter into force temporarily at the beginning of May 2026. The European Parliament has sent the agreement to the Court of Justice of the European Union to assess its compatibility with EU law, which is why the initial application will be provisional. On the Mercosur side, three of the four member states, including Brazil, have already ratified the agreement.

Ricardo Guerra de Araujo underlined that the EU is Brazil's second-largest trading partner after China and its most important partner for foreign investment. While China became Brazil's top trading partner 15 - 20 years ago and bilateral trade exceeds USD 150 billion annually, he noted that China is 'not a relevant investor' in Brazil, whereas the EU remains the leading source of foreign investment. He said the agreement will create one of the world's largest free-trade areas, covering 720 million people and a combined GDP of USD 23 trillion.

He explained that the main Brazilian products that will benefit from tariff elimination in the EU include exotic and tropical fruits, coffee, fish and orange juice - goods that Romania does not produce. Other products such as beef, ethanol and sugar will gain improved, though not fully free, access. Among these, he said, the beef sector is the most controversial and subject to many misunderstandings.

The ambassador added that Brazil and other Mercosur countries will import more high value-added products from the EU and will improve local conditions to better integrate value chains, which he described as one of the advantages of the agreement. He noted that trade will be subject to safeguard provisions, export taxes, and rules on lithium and intellectual property rights for EU products exported to Mercosur states. The agreement also includes political cooperation and aims to reinforce commitments to democracy and environmental sustainability. The diplomat highlighted the importance of protecting European geographical indications for EU companies exporting to Brazil and Mercosur markets, and stressed that Brazilian agricultural products are highly competitive, as Brazil maintains 'very strict quality standards' aligned with EU sanitary regulations.

Ambassador Araujo referred as well to the Romania - Brazil bilateral business forum scheduled for May in Bucharest, Cluj and Timisoara. Since his arrival in Romania in 2023, he said he has worked with the Bucharest Chamber of Commerce and the National Chamber of Commerce to organise annual bilateral business forums bringing together companies from both countries. The 2026 edition will be decentralized to allow business communities outside the capital to participate, as he argued that discussions should not be concentrated solely in Bucharest.

Decision-makers from the agricultural sector, government representatives and economic policy experts attended on Friday the conference 'Romania in the new global context - Economic, agricultural and commercial opportunities and risks', organised by G4Food.ro and Economedia.ro. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Oana Tilica; EN - writing by: Simona Klodnischi)