MPs have warned that cheaper Brazilian beef could be diverted into the UK market if EU restrictions tighten
British beef producers could face greater competition from cheaper Brazilian imports if planned EU restrictions divert supplies towards the UK market, MPs have warned.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee (EFRA) chair Alistair Carmichael has raised the issue with the prime minister, arguing that British farmers could be undercut while competing against beef produced under different antimicrobial-use standards.
The committee says the concern follows moves by the European Union to restrict Brazilian beef imports over antimicrobial resistance issues linked to farming practices.
Carmichael warned that, without similar UK measures, discounted Brazilian beef could be redirected into the British market in greater volumes.
The issue has both an economic and standards dimension, with MPs concerned about potential pressure on domestic beef prices as well as differences in approaches to antimicrobial use.
Responding in the Commons, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said “all of these issues are on the table”.
He also suggested British produce should be used more widely in public-sector catering, including schools and prisons.
Carmichael’s intervention follows a letter from the EFRA Committee to Defra raising concerns about Brazilian beef imports and the potential impact on UK livestock producers.
The committee argues that British farmers have made significant progress in reducing antimicrobial use and that this work should not be undermined by imports produced under different conditions.
The NFU has also raised concerns, saying Brazil has so far been unable to demonstrate that it meets the relevant requirements.
NFU president Tom Bradshaw warned that allowing imports into Britain while restrictions apply elsewhere could damage consumer confidence.
“There’s a real risk that public confidence in our food system will be undermined if consumers believe GB is importing beef or poultry meat that both EU and non-EU countries have deemed unsafe,” he said.
The union is also concerned about the potential effect on British producers if Brazilian meat previously destined for the European market is redirected to the UK.
Brazil supplied 92,363 tonnes of beef to the EU in 2025, including 24,381 tonnes of fresh beef, making it the bloc’s second-largest supplier.
Without equivalent UK restrictions, the NFU fears some of that product could seek alternative markets in Britain, potentially increasing competitive pressure on domestic producers.
Bradshaw said: “At the same time, it would distort trade flows with Brazilian meat being diverted onto our market, putting additional pressure on producers in Britain, where the use of antimicrobials for growth promotion has rightly been outlawed for over two decades.”
Speaking after the Commons exchange, Carmichael said the prime minister’s response had not gone far enough.
“The prime minister’s response was concerning in some respects in that he seemed to grasp only the economic aspect of this issue rather than the paramount need to protect livestock from disease,” he said.
He added: “This is not just about food that is cheap but about food that is up to the same standards our British farmers work hard to achieve.”
Carmichael said the committee was still awaiting a formal response from Defra and called for ministers to act quickly.
“The UK is a world leader in tackling the risks posed by antimicrobial resistance, an achievement only made possible by the hard work and professionalism of UK farmers,” he said.
He also warned that British producers could be left at a competitive disadvantage if cheaper imports enter the market without additional safeguards.
“But our government risks undoing that work and seeing our farmers undercut by dumping of cheaper imports if it stays asleep at the wheel and doesn’t impose restrictions or take additional measures to ensure safety,” Carmichael said.
The EFRA Committee is now waiting for Defra’s formal response, with Carmichael pressing ministers to consider restrictions or other safeguards before any increase in Brazilian beef imports reaches the UK market.