China’s customs authorities said on Tuesday (23) that they will accept import orders for Brazilian beef that has received a health certificate before Sept. 4, potentially allowing shipments held at Chinese ports to finally be cleared through customs.
Brazil suspended beef exports to China on Sept. 4 after detecting two unusual cases of mad cow disease, but beef that was already in ports continued to be exported, with most failing to clear customs on arrival at China.
The cases were considered “atypical” because they were of a spontaneous type rather than by herd transmission.
According to the International Organization for Animal Health (OIE), “atypical” cases pose no risk to human and animal health, and are generally detected in older cattle.
Chinese customs updated its website this Tuesday (23) to inform that it is now accepting certified beef import orders before the suspension.
It was unclear how long these procedures would take, or the amount of product stuck in limbo since the suspension.
Brazil is China’s main beef supplier, supplying around 40% of its imports, and buyers initially expected trade to resume in a few weeks.
Since the cases in cattle were announced, Brazil has also reported two cases of neurodegenerative disorder in people, although authorities said they were not related to beef consumption.
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