Notification regarding non-conformities detected in soybean shipments by five Brazilian companies

The Brazilian government received two notifications from the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) regarding the detection of non-conformities in soybean shipments exported by units of five Brazilian companies, one unit from each of the notified companies.

It is important to emphasize that other units of the notified companies continue to export normally to China, with the suspensions applying only to the five officially notified units.

Therefore, the volumes traded by Brazil will not be affected by this temporary suspension of the five notified units.

As in Brazil, China conducts routine monitoring of imported products, during which the presence of soybeans with pesticide coatings and quarantine pests was detected in the shipments evaluated by Chinese authorities.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock [Ministério da Agricultura e Pecuária/MAPA] states that the exchange of information regarding the results of monitoring imported products between Brazil and China is part of routine inspection activities, highlighting the solid channels of communication, transparency, and trust that exist between the two countries.

To facilitate a swift and effective investigation by the companies involved and by MAPA, the five units in question have been temporarily suspended, and actions to evaluate these cases are already underway. The temporary suspension of the companies' units was communicated by GACC to Brazil in advance, reflecting confidence in Brazil’s inspection system and in the diligence of both the government and Brazilian exporters.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAPA) expects to receive, as soon as possible, action plans from the companies involved to demonstrate the measures being implemented to prevent further occurrences of the non-conformities detected by the Chinese authorities. Similarly, MAPA will intensify inspection activities for soybean shipments from Brazil to China.

Based on these actions, MAPA will provide all relevant information to the Chinese authorities for evaluation and will request the immediate revocation of the temporary suspension currently in effect for the five units of the companies involved.

MAPA also notes that this matter is being handled as routine, considering that non-conformities, such as those indicated by the Chinese side, can occur in the context of exports. Actions to address any deviations are always important for strengthening the trust and confidence between the two countries.