Brazilian Agriculture Minister Teresa Cristina Diaz said on Tuesday June 4 that she expects China to lift the ban on Brazilian beef, which was announced on June 3, after an atypical case of mad cow disease in the state of Mato Grosso.

The ban is significant for Brazilian beef producers, because China is its largest foreign buyer.

According to the Brazilian Association of Beef Exporters Abiec, in 2018, China spent $ 1.5 billion on Brazilian beef. Diaz said the ban will be lifted when the World Animal Health Organization (OIE) officially completes its investigation.

“OIE has already completed the process; it started and ended without any additional requests. In the next few days, we are waiting for China to demand the lifting of the suspension, ”Diaz told reporters.

The minister added that the detection of an atypical case of mad cow disease occurred in more than 20 different countries last year.

“This is not contagious; it is not a danger to anyone. This is a normal situation, ”said Teresa Cristina Diaz, adding that China was the only country to ban Brazilian beef due to the current situation.