Brazilian agriculture minister Blairo Maggi has told a delegation of MEPs from the European Parliament that, post-Brexit, the UK is “an interesting market” for Brazil, and they are looking forward to having future conversations with the UK.

The comments were made in response to a question from NI MEP Jim Nicholson, who is part of a European Parliament delegation that has travelled to the country this week to investigate food safety standards, with a particular focus on meat.

That is partly in response to a food safety scandal in Brazil last year (Operation Weak Flesh) and also set against on-going negotiations on a trade deal between the EU and Mercosur countries (Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay). It has become a trade-off between Mercosur wanting to sell beef to the EU, and in return, the EU wanting to sell cars and machinery. The EU originally offered access to 70,000t of beef, and later upped this to 99,000t. Mercosur want access for 200,000t. Either way, it is potentially very damaging for Europe’s beef industry.

Elections

It had been hoped that a deal might be concluded last month. However, with Brazilian presidential elections due this October, and all political candidates due to step down from this Saturday 7 April, it looks like further talks will be pushed back to the autumn. Trade talks were tricky, but progressing, Minister Maggi told the group of MEPs.

With European Parliament elections in 2019, some commentators suggest that it could actually be 2020 before a deal is concluded.