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First shipment of fresh US beef to Brazil in 13 years

The first shipment of fresh US beef has arrived in Brazil after a 13 year hiatus.  The US Department of Foreign Ag Service (FAS) and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) have been working with Brazilian officials to reopen the market after Brazil closed it to US beef over BSE concerns in 2003.

Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue says access to Brazil’s large market puts US beef exports in a position for new growth.  He says once Brazilians taste American beef “they’ll want more of it”.

Brazil officially reopened the market August 1 of last year based on the US classification by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) as a negligible risk country for BSE.