Moroccan livestock and meat industry stakeholders met with Brazilian exporters this week at the headquarters of the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce to explore new avenues for direct imports of live cattle and frozen meat.
The talks aimed at reducing reliance on intermediaries and addressing growing domestic supply challenges in Morocco.
According to the Chamber’s press service, Moroccan delegates presented the structural difficulties facing Morocco’s livestock sector, particularly the high cost of imported animals and the heavy dependence on third-party negotiators.
Rising domestic demand and price volatility have also prompted the need for more efficient sourcing mechanisms.
Led by Mohamed Jebli, president of the Moroccan Federation of Livestock Stakeholders, the delegation visited several cattle ranches and companies in the Brazilian state of São Paulo, including operations in Presidente Prudente and Barretos.
Jebli emphasized Brazil’s global leadership in livestock production and exports, praising the quality of its products and their alignment with Moroccan market needs.
“Our importers have historically worked through intermediaries to source Brazilian cattle,” Jebli said in comments to the Arab-Brazilian Chamber’s news agency. “Now, we want to engage directly with exporters and earn their trust to conclude transactions more efficiently.”
Brazilian officials highlighted the state of Pará, in northern Brazil, as a key opportunity for Moroccan importers. Currently, Pará exports large volumes of live cattle to Egypt and Oman, two destinations farther from Brazil than Morocco. Officials noted that the shorter shipping distance to Moroccan ports could offer cost and logistics advantages.
To build on the discussions, the Chamber proposed organizing a Moroccan business mission to Brazil in September. The visit would include tours of livestock farms and meetings with major exporters in Pará, which ranks as the country’s second-largest producer of live cattle.
Trade between Morocco and Brazil reached $1.395 billion in Brazilian exports to the kingdom in 2024, a 12% increasecompared to 2023. Sugar, grains, and live cattle were among the top exports, according to figures shared during the meeting. Moroccan exports to Brazil, by contrast, totaled approximately $1.387 billion, reflecting a 1.7% decline year-over-year.
Despite Brazil’s global dominance in beef exports, Moroccan imports of Brazilian beef remain modest. According to data from the Brazilian Beef Exporters Association (ABIEC), Morocco imported just 716 tons of Brazilian beef between January and May 2025, down from 1,558 tons in 2024 and 2,800 tons in 2023.
The Moroccan delegation expressed hopes that direct relationships and better logistics planning, particularly via Pará’s ports, could reverse this downward trend. Strengthening trade ties with Brazil is part of Morocco’s broader strategy to diversify food supply chains and reinforce food security amid global market instability.
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