The Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Edipo Araújo, stated this Friday (June 12th) that the European Union's technical audit of the Brazilian sanitary control system for fish exports will continue until June 18th. The statement was made in an interview with CNN Agro News. Brazilian fish exports to the European bloc have been suspended since 2018. “At this moment we are receiving the European mission, the fully technical audit that should take place until June 18th. And then, we hope that, with the result of this mission, we can bring good news that the European Union will open the market, once again, to the Brazilian market,” said the minister. According to Araújo, the European Union continues to be a strategic market for the national fishing sector. The minister highlighted that Brazil has the capacity to supply quality fish, meeting the sanitary and environmental requirements demanded by international buyers. In addition to the possible reopening of the European market, the government seeks to expand the presence of Brazilian fish in new commercial destinations. According to the minister, diversifying markets is fundamental to reducing dependence on a few partners and increasing the competitiveness of Brazilian exports. Commenting on the recent tariff measures adopted by the United States, Araújo stated that the episode reinforces the need to expand trade relations with other countries. "The American tariff hike proves to us that Brazil is a sovereign country and should not be held hostage by any country," he said. The minister added that the government has intensified its work on opening markets and prospecting for new buyers for fishery and aquaculture products.
This text was translated by machine from Brazilian Portuguese.