Brazil suspends beef exports to China after discovery of mad cow disease

Brazil has suspended beef exports to China following the discovery of two separate cases of 'atypical' Bovine Spongy Encephalopathy (BSE) or mad cow disease in the country.

Key points:

• The world's largest beef exporter Brazil has halted exports to China after confirming two cases of mad cow disease
• China and Hong Kong take more than half of Brazil's beef exports
• Brazil's last case of mad cow disease in 2019 resulted in a 10-day ban on exports to China

Brazil's Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, confirmed the two cases of the disease in abattoirs in Brazil in two separate states of the country,  Minas Gerais and Mato Grosso.

The discovery of mad cow disease is a blow to Brazil and will restrict beef movements around the world.

"It will make the supply of beef around the world very tight as we come into the strongest period of demand for the year globally," meat industry analyst Simon Quilty said.

It means the world’s biggest beef exporter won’t be selling beef to the world’s biggest beef buyer, China.