Russia limited beef and pork imports from 10 Brazilian suppliers in early October, based on unspecified breach of rules. One of Brazil's largest meat export markets, Russia planned to buy more meat from Brazil after Moscow banned imports from most US, Canadian and Mexican suppliers over fears about feed additives.
The suspensions had hit six JBS plants, two units of local meat packer Minerva, one unit of Marfrig and one from Pamplona, the Brazilian Agriculture Ministry said in October. It was not clear as to when the limits were introduced on shipments from Mataboi. JBS has since relayed it does not expect sales to be affected by the restrictions and that it would reroute beef from other plants to Russia.
During the first nine months of 2013, Russia imported 825,200 tonnes of red meat worth $3.2 billion from countries outside the Commonwealth of Independent States, according to data.
