Brazil Opens Market to U.S. Wheat

March 19, 2001

Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman says Brazil's decision to reopen its market to U.S. hard red winter, hard red spring and soft red winter wheat imports is the result of more than five years of negotiations between USDA and Brazilian officials on phytosanitary concerns. "We are encouraged by the latest development. Brazil is expected to be the world's largest wheat importer this year and with trade so vital to our agricultural economy, it is important that U.S. farmers have access to this market," she said.

Earlier this month, a Brazilian technical team conducted an extensive survey and analyzed wheat samples in the United States from the major production areas. They found no signs of the wheat gall nematode, Anguina tritici, and agreed to officially recognize these areas as free of this pest. "Brazil's Ministry of Agriculture and Food Supply has notified officials at all Brazilian points of entry that they now may accept these three types of U.S. wheat from Gulf and eastern U.S. ports." according to Veneman.

This year, Brazil is expected to import nearly 8 million tons of wheat from all sources. In 1996, before Brazil imposed import restrictions on U.S. wheat, it purchased roughly 760,000 tons of U.S. wheat, worth $174 million."