Brazil's Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, André de Paula, began an official mission to China on 17 May in Shanghai. The delegation's first activity was participation in the Brazil-China Agribusiness Seminar, which brought together businesspeople and representatives from the public and private sectors of both countries to discuss business opportunities, trade co-operation and the strengthening of agricultural and livestock exchange.

During the event, the Minister highlighted the priority nature of the mission, emphasising the strategic importance of China as Brazil's main trading partner and the role of the meeting in bringing together Chinese importers and Brazilian companies.

The Secretary of Trade and International Relations of the Ministry of Agriculture, Luís Rua, underlined the competitive advantages of the Brazilian agricultural and livestock sector, particularly in terms of quality, production capacity, sustainability and supply stability – factors that reinforce Brazil's position in the global market.

Also present at the seminar, the President of the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil), Laudemir Muller, highlighted the evolution of trade relations between the two countries over the past two decades. He noted that bilateral trade grew from approximately 8 billion USD in 2003 to around 170 billion USD in the last year, accompanying the significant increase in Brazilian exports of animal proteins to the Chinese market.

(Source: Agrolink, on 18 May)