ABPA described the signing of the protocol as one of the most significant recent steps in expanding access for Brazilian pig products to international markets.
The agreement is the result of lengthy negotiations between Brazil’s Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAPA) and the Chinese authorities.
According to ABPA President Ricardo Santin, the new protocol not only expands trade opportunities but also allows products to be directed to a higher-value market.
“This is an extremely important achievement for Brazilian pig production. It adds value to production and creates new opportunities throughout the entire supply chain,” Santin said.
Potential Exceeds 100,000 Tonnes per Year
According to ABPA estimates, the new access to the Chinese market could enable Brazil to export more than 100,000 tonnes of pork offal annually.
For the state of Santa Catarina alone, the export potential for internal pork offal is estimated at 65,900 tonnes per year.
The state had already been authorised to export certain external pork by-products to China, including feet, ears and tails, but internal offal had not previously been included among the authorised products.
For Rio Grande do Sul, the potential for pork offal exports to China is estimated at more than 40,000 tonnes per year. The new opportunities also extend to bone-in pork.
Combined, the export potential of the two states exceeds 100,000 tonnes of pork offal annually.
Sector Expects More Than $100 Million in Additional Revenue
ABPA stresses that these products already had commercial value and were sold in other markets. However, demand for them is particularly strong in China.
According to Santin, differences in consumer preferences between Brazil and China create a beneficial complementarity, allowing better utilisation of the entire carcase and increasing production returns.
The association estimates that opening the Chinese market to a broader range of pork offal could generate more than $100 million in additional revenue for Brazil’s pork sector.
China Remains One of Brazil’s Key Markets
Brazil already has extensive experience in pork trade with China. Between 2013 and 2024, the country exported 2.7 million tonnes of pork to China, making the Chinese market one of the main destinations for Brazilian suppliers.
Technical negotiations on updating the protocol continued for several years. In May 2026, during an official Brazilian mission to Beijing, the two sides confirmed the technical conditions of the revised protocol covering pork and offal, paving the way for its current signing.
ABPA also links the expansion of export opportunities to the strengthening of Brazil’s animal health status. In May 2025, the entire country received international recognition as free from foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) without vaccination.
“The Brazilian sector is ready to turn this new market access into real trade, added value and additional revenue,” Santin concluded.
PigUA.info, based on materials from euromeatnews.com