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The world’s top poultry exporter Brazil said on Friday it had detected avian flu on a commercial farm for the first time, leading its biggest customer China to suspend chicken imports.
Brazil, which makes up about a quarter of global poultry exports, was the last big exporter unaffected by the outbreak. The virus began in the US and then swept into Europe, leading to sharp rises in egg and poultry prices and straining household budgets.
Brazil’s agriculture minister Carlos Fávaro said the Chinese trade ban would last 60 days, but the government was working to contain the virus and hoped the restrictions would be lifted sooner.
“If we manage to eliminate the outbreak, we think it is possible to re-establish a normal trade flow before the 60 days are up,” Fávaro told CNN Brasil.
Brazil had been enjoying “a distinct advantage” in reaching markets that had restricted trade with countries affected by the disease, USA Poultry and Egg Export Council chief executive Greg Tyler said last week. Bird flu had had “a devastating impact” on global exports as a whole, he said.
Brazil exported $9.46bn of poultry in the year to March, with about 14 per cent going to China, according to The Observatory of Economic Complexity. Other destinations include the UAE, Japan, Saudi Arabia and Mexico.
The virus was identified on a breeding facility in the southernmost state of Rio Grande do Sul, where state authorities said an investigation would take place within a 10km radius of the property.
The US has been forced to cull 31mn birds, incurring multibillion-dollar losses, while leading European producer Poland has killed more than 10mn.
Latin America’s largest nation found cases of avian flu among wild birds in 2023. Its agriculture ministry stressed that the disease was not transmitted by the consumption of poultry, meat or eggs.
“The risk of human infection by the avian influenza virus is low and, in most cases, occurs among handlers or professionals who have intense contact with infected birds,” it added.
China had stricter protocols for such cases compared with other countries, Fávaro said, adding that the likes of Japan and Saudi Arabia only ban produce from the state or municipality hit by the virus, not the whole country. Shipments of chicken already in transit would not be affected, he said.
Globally, the number of new bird flu outbreaks surged by 91 per cent from January to February 2025, reaching 980.
China’s import restriction occurs just days after a state visit to Beijing by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, during which Brazilian authorities announced R$27bn ($4.7bn) of investments by Chinese companies.
The country is Brazil’s largest trading partner and a voracious consumer of its commodities, from crude oil and iron ore to soyabeans and beef.
BRF, the world’s largest poultry exporter, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Protein company JBS referred the Financial Times to the Brazilian Animal Protein Association, which said the situation was “under control”.