The Brazilian Association of Animal Protein (ABPA) celebrated the signing, by Chinese authorities, of the protocol that expands access for Brazilian pork to the Chinese market, with the inclusion of pork offal among the products authorized for export to the Asian country.
The formalization is the result of a long negotiation process conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAPA) with the Chinese authorities and represents one of the most significant recent expansions of market access for Brazilian pig farming.
According to estimates from ABPA (Brazilian Association of Animal Protein), more than 100,000 tons of Brazilian pork offal annually could be destined for the Chinese market thanks to the new access. The expectation is that directing these products to a higher value-added market could represent an increase of over US$100 million in revenue for the sector.
“This is a highly significant achievement for Brazilian pig farming and the result of consistent and very well-conducted technical work by Minister André de Paula and the entire team at the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, in constant dialogue with Chinese authorities. More than expanding our commercial possibilities, this protocol qualifies the destination of Brazilian products, adds value to production, and generates new opportunities for the entire chain,” highlights the president of ABPA, Ricardo Santin.
Brazil maintains a strong relationship with the Chinese pork market. Between 2013 and 2024, the country exported 2.7 million tons of the product to China, which has become one of the main destinations for Brazilian shipments in recent years.
Until then, however, Brazilian access to the Chinese offal market was limited. The state of Santa Catarina was authorized to export certain external offal, such as feet, ears, and tails, but not internal offal. For the state of Santa Catarina alone, ABPA estimates a potential for exporting 65,900 tons of internal offal annually to the Chinese market with the new protocol.
In Rio Grande do Sul, ABPA estimates indicate a potential of over 40,000 tons of pork offal annually for the Chinese market, in addition to opportunities related to bone-in pork. Combined, the identified potential for Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul exceeds 100,000 tons of offal annually.
“We are talking about products that already have value and find a destination in other markets, but which have especially strong demand in China. The gain lies precisely in the qualification of this destination. There is a very important complementarity between Brazilian and Chinese consumption habits, which allows for better use of the carcass and adds revenue to production. We estimate that this movement could represent more than US$100 million in additional revenue for the sector,” emphasizes Santin.
Technical discussions for the revision of the protocol have progressed over the past few years, in work developed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock together with the Chinese authorities.
In May of this year, during an official Brazilian mission to Beijing, Minister André de Paula participated in a bilateral meeting with Chinese authorities, where the technical terms of the revised protocol for pork and by-products were confirmed, paving the way for the formalization that has now been completed.
This progress also occurs within a context of strengthening Brazil’s sanitary status. In May 2025, Brazil received recognition from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WHO) that its entire national territory is free of foot-and-mouth disease without vaccination, expanding the possibilities for international access for Brazilian production.
“The relationship between Brazil and China was built on trust, sanitary security, and complementarity. This signing crowns a long-term effort by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock and the Chinese authorities. It is an achievement built with technical capacity, persistence, and dialogue, and which now reaches a concrete result. The Brazilian sector is prepared to transform this new access into trade, value aggregation, and income generation,” concludes Santin.
