Lebanon Calls Halt on Parana Beef Imports
LEBANON - Government sanctions have restricted imports from the state of Parana, Brazil, days after Egypt and Chile joined the growing list of countries who have banned Brazilian beef.
4 January 2013
1 minute read
The move comes as a reaction to an atypical bovine spongiform ecephalopathy (BSE) case that was confirmed in an 13 year old animal that died in 2010 in the state of Parana.
The Lebanon Daily Star has reported that Hussein Hajj, Agriculture Minister, confirmed the ban of all Parana livestock; chilled and frozen meat on Wednesday 2 January.
The impact of this is not expected to be great. According to the Brazil Arab News Agency, Brazilian beef does enter Lebanon but the Brazilian Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade have said that from January to November last year, no Parana beef was imported to Lebanon.
Peru has also imposed a ban on beef products from Brazil as a whole, who like Lebanon, the Brazil Arab News Agency has reported, have placed restrictions indefinitely.
The atypical BSE case has not effected Brazil's longer term BSE status of 'negligible' after inspection by the World Organisation for Animal Health.
The Brazilian government are expected to formally appeal to the World Trade Organisation if bans are not lifted by March.
TheCattleSite News Desk
