EU halts Brazilian poultry imports over antimicrobial rules; USDA assumes the ban runs through 2027

The EU has stopped accepting Brazilian chicken meat since 3 September 2026 over antimicrobial-use compliance, and USDA's latest outlook assumes the suspension stays in place through 2027 - pushing Brazilian volumes towards Africa and the Middle East.

The measure follows a vote by the European Commission's Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed (SCoPAFF) to remove Brazil from the list of countries authorised to export animal-origin products to the EU. An EU inspection mission that audited Brazilian facilities in late August 2026 concluded that Brazil's control system provides a basis for certifying compliance and recommended no corrective actions, but trade remains suspended until Brazil is relisted in Annex XVIa - a decision reserved for SCoPAFF at its Controls and Import Conditions committee. The next meeting is scheduled for 20-21 October 2026.

In Livestock and Poultry: World Markets and Trade, published on 9 October 2026, USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service assumed Brazil cannot ship chicken meat to the EU from 3 September 2026 through calendar year 2027. The EU took 5 percent of Brazil's chicken meat exports in 2025 and nearly 8 percent during January-September 2026, so the loss is material even though Europe is not Brazil's largest market.

• Brazil: exports forecast up only 1 percent in 2027 to nearly 5.5 million tonnes, constrained by the loss of EU access.
• Backfill: USDA says the restriction lifts competitor exports - Thailand, China, the UK and Ukraine - which may partially replace Brazilian product in the EU.
• Redirection: Brazil is expected to shift more product into third-country markets, particularly in Africa, partly displacing other suppliers there.
• EU production: forecast 2 percent higher at 13.0 million tonnes as reduced import competition supports domestic output.
• Next decision point: SCoPAFF meets on 20-21 October 2026; relisting Brazil would reopen the trade.

The practical read-across for importers is that Brazilian origin will be looking for outlets outside Europe over the coming quarters. That increases competition for volume in Africa, the Middle East and Asia, and it makes documentary discipline on antimicrobial and residue controls more, not less, important when qualifying new suppliers.

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Sources: USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, Livestock and Poultry: World Markets and Trade, 9 October 2026; European Commission SCoPAFF agenda for the meeting of 20-21 October 2026.