Brazil meat import ban hits poultry hardest

For nearly a month, Switzerland has no longer imported meat or meat products from Brazil. The measure has been in force since 3 September; it was decided by the European Union and immediately adopted by Switzerland. The reason concerns the use of antibiotics on Brazilian farms, which is less strictly regulated than under European standards.

Poultry is the product most affected. 13% of the chicken consumed in Switzerland comes from Brazil, and in Italian-speaking Switzerland alone, weekly consumption of Brazilian chicken runs to about one tonne. Brazilian beef, by contrast, has not reached Ticino's tables for 7 or 8 years: importers already source it from Switzerland, Ticino, Argentina, Uruguay and Chile.

Stocks are sufficient, but prices are set to rise

The ban had been expected since June, so importers, in Switzerland as elsewhere in Europe, built up larger stocks than usual. Brazilian poultry travels frozen and takes 5 to 6 weeks from slaughter to arrival, so availability is not currently a concern. A price increase is nonetheless expected, though for a frozen product the market effects will only show up later, according to the Swiss meat industry association.

The impact on end consumers remains limited, since Brazilian meat mostly goes to large-scale caterers and canteens, where price matters more. An importer such as Terrani SA notes that, out of around 200 chicken items in its range, only 2 or 3 come from Brazil.

What remains open is the question of Swiss production capacity. Demand for chicken has been growing faster than domestic supply for years, and in 2025 consumption rose by 5% compared with the previous year. Brazil has said it intends to align with European standards to reopen exports, possibly as early as November. If it does not, a supplier that today covers a far from marginal share of the market would disappear, in a sector where Swiss poultry farming is already struggling to keep pace with demand.