Date of Issue: 20 September 2012
Date of Effect: Immediate
Country: Brazil
The information in this Market Access Advice (MAA) replaces previous market access advice for detailing the establishment listing and labelling requirements for seafood exports to Brazil (MAA FISH 12/02 and 12/09)
Establishment listing
Export registered establishments wishing to prepare seafood products for export to Brazil are required to be listed with Brazilian authorities prior to preparing and exporting seafood products. The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) has received information from Australian Embassy officials in Brazil that seafood establishments are not required to undergo an on-site inspection by the Brazilian authorities to become listed.
To become listed with Brazilian authorities, the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (MAPA) requires a formal letter from DAFF. Seafood establishments wishing to be listed for Brazil must send their request to Email DAFF Fish with the following information:
- official name of the establishment
- establishment registration number
- address (both physical establishment address and office address if applicable)
- specific type of products to be exported and species names (i.e. fish, mollusc, crustacean, and scientific name); and
- method of preservation (e.g. salted, chilled or frozen etc.)
Prawn export suspension
MAPA has placed a temporary suspension on all prawn/shrimp imports while the Brazilian Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture (MPA) conducts an Import Risk Analysis (IRA) for six genera of prawns/shrimp including Penaeus, Metapenaeus, Macrobrachium, Pandalus, Pleoticus and Acetes. Following the conclusion of the IRA, MPA will confirm the approval process for the importation of prawns/shrimp into Brazil.
Please note that seafood establishments wishing to be listed for prawn/shrimp products can still request export approval by sending an establishment listing request to DAFF Fish. However these requests will not be processed by MAPA until the conclusion of MPA’s IRA. In addition to the information above, seafood establishments intending to export prawn/shrimp species that are not a part of Brazil’s current IRA process should include the following information with their establishment listing request:
- Product Identification
-
- Scientific name of each species of prawn/shrimp intended for export to Brazil
- Type of cultivation - (aquaculture, extractive fishing)
- Origin (country where the species was cultivated)
- End use (human consumption, animal consumption, etc.)
Product labelling
In addition to obtaining establishment listing, seafood establishments must submit their product labels in accordance with Instruction 22/05, Technical Regulations for the Labelling of packaged Animal Products2 to MAPA for approval prior to preparing and exporting seafood products. Product labels must also be accompanied by a completed Registration form for labels of imported products of animal origin2. After completing the form, please contact the DAFF regional office and organise to present the completed form and product labels to DAFF. DAFF will review the listing and documentation and if accurate will authenticate the form.
Establishments can send their product labels along with the completed label registration forms to MAPA directly or through a Brazilian representative. Please note that it is mandatory for labels to be provided in Portuguese, however a certified translation of the label may be required upon request by DAFF auditors.
MICoR will be updated to incorporate the market access requirements for Brazil as outlined above.
Alexandra McLaran
Export Standards Branch
1 Attachment 1 - Instruction 22/05, Technical Regulations for the Labelling of packaged Animal Products
2 Attachment 2 - Registration form for labels of imported products of animal origin
The information provided above is current at the time of writing and is intended for use as guidance only and should not be taken as definitive or exhaustive. The Commonwealth endeavours to keep information current and accurate, however, it may be subject to change without notice. Exporters are encouraged to verify these details with their importers prior to undertaking production/exports. The Commonwealth will not accept liability for any loss resulting from reliance on information contained in this notice.