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An outbreak of avian flu has occurred on a large chicken farm in Brazil. The farm supplies major customers. Now, significant export restrictions are looming.
Brazil, the world's leading poultry exporter, confirmed its first outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) on May 16, 2025, in a commercial poultry farm (broiler chickens) in Montenegro, Rio Grande do Sul state in the south of the country. The affected breeding facility supplies, among others, Vibra Foods, a company connected to Tyson Foods.
The Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture (MAPA) promptly activated national emergency plans to contain the outbreak and initiate eradication. Measures include the culling of affected animals (17,000) and monitoring a 10-kilometer radius around the affected farm.
Trade restrictions have economic implications. According to existing trade agreements, countries like China, the European Union, and South Korea now have the right to suspend poultry exports from Brazil for 60 days. Other key trading partners such as Japan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates have agreed on regionalization concepts limited to the affected state.
Brazil exported poultry meat worth around $10 billion in 2024, accounting for approximately 35% of global trade. The main export markets are China, Japan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
In May 2023, Brazil detected its first cases of HPAI in wild birds. Up to that point, Brazilian authorities had successfully prevented the virus from spreading to commercial poultry operations. The Brazilian poultry industry now faces significant challenges as the outbreak could potentially have far-reaching impacts on international trade.
