Brazilian beef producers breathe a sigh of relief amid prospects of new Trump tariffs

Roberto Perosa, head of Brazil's beef exporters association ABIEC, said in an interview Wednesday that Brazilian beef exports above the annual quota of 65,000 tons are already subject to a 26.4% tariff when entering the United States .

His remarks suggest that Brazil , the world's largest beef exporter, will remain a key supplier to the US, despite any protectionist rhetoric from the Trump administration.

Last year, Brazilian companies exported $1.3 billion worth of beef products to the United States.

"I think the U.S. is in a tough spot with its livestock cycle, and (it will be) for at least the next two years," said Perosa, who heads a powerful beef lobby representing companies like JBS and Marfrig, both of which operate in the U.S.

Brazil exported about 230,000 tons of fresh and processed beef to the United States last year, up nearly 66% from 2023, much of it with a high tariff, Perosa said, citing trade data.

The cattle shortage in the United States, where stocks have reached their lowest level in seven decades, means that U.S. buyers will need to find a reliable partner for large volumes of beef. "That partner is Brazil," Perosa said.

Brazil has been trying to negotiate with the United States to increase the duty-free quota to 150,000 tons, but the state of the talks is unclear after Trump returned to the White House earlier this week, Perosa said.

The United States is Brazil's second-largest beef export destination after China , and the South American country's second-largest trading partner overall.

Brazil pays a 12% tariff on beef exports to China , which bought $5.4 billion worth of beef from the South American country last year , Perosa said, citing trade data.