By  Meatingplace on 9/20/2016

The three main beef producing companies in Brazil -- JBS, Marfrig and Minerva – have received authorization to start exporting fresh beef to the United States this month, the first shipments since the North American market was formally opened to Brazilian exporters in August.

JBS units in Naviraí and Campo Grande, in Mato Grosso do Sul state, in addition to plants in Andradina and Lins, São Paulo state, were authorized to export to the United States. The company said in a statement Monday that its first batch of fresh beef will be shipped next weekend.

Marfrig also said in a separate statement that it has already shipped its first container with fresh beef produced in Bataguassu plant, in Mato Grosso do Sul. The company said it has another five units authorized to sell fresh beef to the United States.

Last week, Minerva announced that two of the company's units received authorization to export fresh beef to the United States.

Brazil is allowed to export up to 64,000 metric tons of fresh beef to the United States per year, competing in a quota with other Latin American countries. The expectation is that Brazilian exporters can occupy much of this quota, since the volume was never fully reached by the other competing countries, according to Marfrig.

In addition, some of the countries currently participating in this quota will have unlimited access to the U.S. market in 2020, with the implementation of a free trade agreement between Central America, the United States and the Dominican Republic (CAFTA), freeing up more space for Brazilian beef.