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The U.S. on Tuesday dropped what should prove to be the final barriers to imports of Brazilian pork after what local producers called a "long process" of authorization.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture recognized Brazilian sanitary inspectors as capable of approving slaughterhouses in southern Santa Catarina state to export raw pork meat to the U.S., Brazil's Agriculture Ministry said in a press release Tuesday.
Pedro de Camargo Neto, president of pork-industry association Abipecs, said the USDA's decision "finalizes a long process of authorization for Brazilian exports." While Camargo Neto doesn't foresee "large volumes" of pork being shipped to the U.S., he said the measure represents an "indisputable seal of quality."
Santa Catarina, a relatively prosperous state, has been free of foot-and-mouth disease since 2001, the Agriculture Ministry said. Cooked or processed pork meat from other states may also be exported to the U.S. via Santa Catarina meat-packing plants.
Tuesday January 10, 2012/ Brazil-U.S. Business Council/ United States.
http://www.brazilcouncil.org/
