Saudi Arabia: Suspension of Brazil meatpackers a technical decision
The Embassy in Saudi Arabia denied “political reasons” behind the decision to suspend the import of chicken from five Brazilian companies of the 30 selling the good to the country. According to a note released today (Jan. 25), it was “an exclusively technical, everyday decision,” in which “non-compliant” firms have been “disqualified.”
The Saudi Arabian government is now expected to provide the exact technical explanation as to why the decision was made. Diplomats from the Arab country will then schedule meetings with Brazilians officials and representatives from relevant corporations.
Saudi authorities argue that the suspension was based on a procedure in upgrading the list of Brazilian companies qualified to export. The Saudi Arabian government had sent a technical mission to assess chicken slaughter conditions.
The experts are expected to return to their country and draw up an in-depth document with complying Brazilian meatpackers. As a result, Saudi Arabia licensed 25 Brazilian establishments across the country as chicken exporters. Only five failed the test.
Last year, the 25 approved firms accounted for 63 percent of all Brazilian exports of chicken—437 thousand tons—to Saudi Arabia.
Phytosanitary guidelines
“The phytosanitary guidelines and requirements set forth by the [Arab food and drugs commission] are applicable to all countries exporting food products to Saudi Arabia,” an official note released by the Saudi Arabian government reads.
The embassy denied that the decision was based on the possible transfer of the Brazilian Embassy to Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
