The government of Egypt announced the suspension of tariffs on chicken meat imports last week, which should directly impact the flow of shipments of Brazilian products to the North African market, according to the Brazilian Association of Animal Protein (ABPA).

According to a statement released by the Egyptian government, the suspension of the MFN tariff, which is valid for all countries, was zeroed for a period of six months for whole chicken. The tariff used to be 30%. 

Whole chicken is the main product sent by Brazil to this market, and Brazil is the main supplier of chicken meat to the Egyptian market, with more than 90% share of imports from the North African country.

"With the suspension of the tariff, the expectation is that the Brazilian product will be more competitive, complementing the local offer, which has been impacted by the effects of Avian Influenza in its territory and the increases in production costs," said Ricardo Santin, president of ABPA.

Egypt is among the 20 largest importers of chicken meat in Brazil. Between January and September, the market imported 50,000 tons of the product, generating revenue of US$ 107.7 million in the period.

"Historically, the Egyptian market is a relevant buyer of whole chicken from Brazil, especially the heavier tracks," said ABPA's market director, Luís Rua. "This improvement in the tariff conditions for access to the Egyptian market adds to the recent opening for exports of chicken meat to Algeria, which has a similar consumption profile, enabling new opportunities for Brazilian exporters."