Brazilian leaders have been pushing for beef exporters to seek more diverse global markets, calling it a critical step to protect the industry and boost global competitiveness in the wake of a sharp hike in U.S. tariffs.
The first-ever Conacarne National Meat Congress was held on Thursday and Friday in Belo Horizonte, the capital of Minas Gerais, one of the country's leading agricultural states. As the world's top beef exporter, Brazil convened government officials, industry leaders, and experts through this new platform to explore ways of enhancing international competitiveness while promoting sustainability.
The conference comes amid growing concern over a major trade development that since August, the United States has imposed an ad valorem tariff of 40 percent on Brazilian exports, pushing the total rate on many products close to 50 percent.
Officials in attendance said the new levies are already having a significant impact on Brazil's livestock and agricultural sector.
"Minas Gerais, like the rest of Brazil, is feeling the pressure of having to operate under one of the world's highest tariff systems. Our key exports, especially coffee and meat - pillars of the state economy - are being heavily affected," said Thales Fernandes, Secretary of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply for Minas Gerais.
Brazilian farmers and ranchers have long considered the U.S. a critical export destination, but now many market observers are deeply alarmed by the shift in trade policy.
"For certain agricultural products, the U.S. is an indispensable market. The current situation is deeply concerning. We've always fought to defend Brazilian agriculture's interests and to show that our global rise is based on improved competitiveness, productivity, and efficiency, not on any unfair trade practices, as some in the U.S. have claimed," said Sueme Mori Andrade, director of International Relations at the Brazilian Confederation of Agriculture and Livestock (CNA).
Despite growing challenges, some Brazilian lawmakers see strategic opportunity in adversity. Tereza Cristina, senator for the state of Mato Grosso do Suland and former Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply of Brazil, stressed the importance of expanding access to Asian markets.
"I've been informed that over the past few weeks, we've made progress in gaining access to the markets of Indonesia and Thailand. Alongside China, which remains a key destination, we must aggressively pursue market openings in Japan, South Korea, and other strategically important regions. This will be vital for Brazil moving forward," said Cristina.
Brazil urges beef market diversification after U.S. tariff hike
Brazil urges beef market diversification after U.S. tariff hike
China has made new progress in the high-quality development of its marine economy, with the ocean increasingly serving as a new driver of growth, Minister of Natural Resources Guan Zhi'ou said in Beijing on Thursday.
Guan briefed the media on China's new achievements in marine development, utilization and protection in a ministerial interview after the closing meeting of the fourth session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, in Beijing.
"In 2025, the gross ocean product exceeded 11 trillion yuan (about 1.60 trillion U.S. dollars), accounting for 7.9 percent of GDP. Industries such as shipbuilding and offshore engineering equipment, offshore wind power, and marine fisheries rank among the top in the world. Marine drugs independently developed by China accounted for 28 percent of the global market share, while output value from marine energy and seawater desalination continued to expand. In order to make our ocean more beautiful and better protect the marine environment, we have always been committed to strictly controlling new land reclamation from the sea, with the retention rate of natural coastline exceeding 35 percent. The mangrove area has reached 4.75 million mu (about 316,666.67 hectares), maintaining a continuous growth momentum. We established the Huangyan Dao national nature reserve to strengthen the protection and restoration of important ecosystems such as coral reefs," he said.
Guan said China's blue circle of friends continues to expand. The country has become one of the first signatories to the agreement on marine biodiversity conservation, and has signed blue economy cooperation agreements with more than 50 countries and international organizations, while also conducting joint polar and ocean scientific expeditions with multiple countries.
Those achievements demonstrate not only industrial expansion, but also a stronger emphasis on ecological stewardship and openness to international cooperation, and the next stage will focus on consolidating existing gains while aligning with the goals and tasks set out in the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030), the minister said.
"On the basis of consolidating the above achievements, we will, in accordance with the goals and tasks set out in the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030), accelerate the high-quality development of the marine economy. In practice, we will place greater emphasis on innovation-driven growth by launching and implementing major national science and technology programs to comprehensively enhance deep-sea sensing, exploration and development capabilities. We will pay more attention to efficient coordination by further optimizing the spatial layout of major bays through integrated land-sea planning and building new growth poles. Industrial upgrading will be stepped up by vigorously developing emerging sectors such as deep-sea equipment and the blue medicine bank and fostering new engines of growth," Guan said.
"We will also place more emphasis on harmony between people and the sea, carefully safeguard blue sea and silver beaches, and make cruise travel and sea fishing new trends in cultural tourism consumption. More attention will be paid to win-win cooperation by expanding marine cultural exchanges to build a community with a shared future for the ocean," he said.
China continues to advance high-quality development of marine economy: minister
