Hong Kong, in first place, followed by mainland China, in second, are together the largest importer of meat from Brazil, buying chickens, pigs and cattle in the amount of 1 billion reais (US$308 million) every month, Brazilian newspaper Gazeta do Povo reported.

The newspaper, citing data from the Ministry of Agriculture, also said that since the beginning of the year Hong Kong has spent 6.2 billion reais on 687,000 tonnes of Brazilian meat, with shipments directly to China totalling 4.73 billion reais and 539,000 tonnes.

Paul Rossi, coordinator of the Bovine Cattle Research Laboratory of the Federal University of Paraná, told the newspaper that this high concentration, approximately one-third, to practically a single customer is not good, but said that the Chinese are helping Brazilian companies at a time when former clients have disappeared, including Venezuela, or have reduced imports, in Russia’s case.

Rossi also told Gazeta do Povo that “what settles Brazil’s mind is the fact that there is no better supplier in the market for China, as Brazilian companies still sell some of the cheapest and highest quality meat.”

“If the Chinese, both in Hong Kong and the mainland, were to buy meat from the United States they would have to pay much more,” said Rossi.

Hong Kong, with 7.3 million inhabitants, acts as a platform for exports to mainland China as well as to other Asian countries. (macauhub)