Sharp increase in Brazilian meat imports

In the first four months of 2007, Dutch meat imports totalled a value of 959 million euro. One fifth was imported from Brazil. Dutch imports of Brazilian meat have increased sixfold since 1996. Last year, the Netherlands imported 438 million euro worth of Brazilian meat, as against 72 million euro in 1996.

The strong upward trend also continued in the first months of 2007. In the period January–April 2007, Dutch imports of Brazilian meat amounted to 188 million euro, more than one and a half times as much as in the same period last year.

Brazil is currently one of the most prominent suppliers of meat for the Dutch market. Early 2007, Germany (245 million euro) and Belgium (203 million euro) were the only countries to export more meat to the Netherlands. Approximately one third of meat imported into the Netherlands is beef.

Brazilian meat imports