The 2020 Decision to Lift the Brazilian Beef Suspension

In February 2020, the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) officially lifted the suspension on imports of raw intact beef from Brazil, concluding that the country’s food safety system was equivalent to that of the United States. This decision followed multiple audits and a three-year ban that was originally triggered by significant safety and sanitary concerns. While the government moved to reopen the border to these imports, the move was met with stiff opposition from American cattlemen and food safety advocacy groups who remained skeptical of Brazil's regulatory consistency. This policy shift marked a major turning point for the American meat market, allowing large volumes of foreign beef to re-enter the supply chain for processors and retailers.

The original ban in 2017 was not a minor regulatory hiccup. It was a direct response to recurring concerns about the safety of Brazilian products. For months, the FSIS had been inspecting every single shipment of Brazilian meat, refusing entry to 11% of their fresh beef products. To put that in perspective, the rejection rate for the rest of the world is typically around 1%. Over 100 lots, totaling nearly 2 million pounds, were turned away for public health concerns and animal health issues before the total suspension was put in place. Even though the USDA stated that these rejected lots never entered the US market, the sheer volume of failures raised a red flag for anyone paying attention to where their food originates.

The 2020 decision to lift the ban was based on the premise that Brazil had corrected its systemic failures. According to the FSIS, the Brazilian government provided documentation and allowed audits that satisfied American inspectors. However, the American cattle industry, represented by groups like the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, pointed out that Brazil has a history of failing to report animal diseases in a timely manner. In later years, reports would show that Brazil waited 35 days to confirm a case of BSE (mad cow disease) in 2023, despite international standards suggesting notification within 24 hours. The 2020 reopening happened despite these lingering doubts about the transparency of the Brazilian inspection system.

Part of the complexity of the global beef market involves the use of additives that are viewed differently by various governments. For example, ractopamine is a feed additive used to promote lean muscle growth in cattle. While it is legal in the US within certain residue limits, it is banned or restricted in roughly 168 other nations, including the European Union and China. The US actually maintains a verification program for beef never fed beta-agonists specifically so American producers can sell to those foreign markets. When beef is imported from countries with less transparency, it becomes difficult for the average person to know exactly what standards were applied to the animal during its life.

Hormone use is another area where international standards diverge sharply. Since 1989, the European Union has banned imports of beef from cattle given growth-promoting hormones like estradiol and testosterone. These hormones are approved for use in the United States and are common in many large-scale commercial operations. The US and Canada even fought this ban at the World Trade Organization, but the EU has held firm. This creates a global market where different countries are playing by different rules, yet their products often end up side-by-side in the same processing facilities once they reach American soil.

What this means for your table: When you walk into a typical grocery store, the beef you buy doesn't have a passport. Because Congress repealed mandatory country-of-origin labeling (COOL) in 2015, the USDA does not require muscle cuts or ground beef to state which country the animal was born or raised in. This means that after the 2020 suspension was lifted, Brazilian beef could be imported, blended with American beef, and sold without any clear indication to the family buying it. You could be eating a burger that is a mix of cattle from three different continents, each raised under vastly different health and safety regulations.

The volume of these imports is not small. By 2025, Brazilian beef shipments to the US reached $1.75 billion, a significant increase over previous years. This surge in imports comes at a time when the US cattle herd is at its lowest level since the 1950s. Large meatpackers often prefer these imports because they provide lean beef that can be mixed with fattier American trimmings to create cheap ground meat. While the government may view this as an economic necessity to keep grocery prices down, it removes the link between the rancher and the consumer, making the supply chain opaque and difficult to trace.

New regulations are slowly being introduced to address some of these labeling gaps, but they are not a complete fix. Starting in January 2026, a voluntary 'Product of USA' label will be restricted to meat from animals born, raised, slaughtered, and processed in the United States. Before this change, imported beef could be labeled 'Product of USA' just by being repackaged here. However, because the label remains voluntary, many companies may simply choose not to use it, leaving consumers in the dark about the origin of their meat. The 2020 decision to allow Brazilian beef back into the country only heightened the need for better transparency.

At Long Road Ranch in Georgetown, we don't worry about international trade disputes or the shifting rules of the FSIS because our fences are the only borders that matter to us. We raise 100% Wagyu genetics right here on Central Texas pasture. Our cattle are 100% grass-fed and grass-finished without the use of added hormones or grain finishing. When you buy from us, you aren't getting a blend of beef from a global supply chain; you are getting beef from a single steer raised on our family ranch. We believe that knowing exactly where your food comes from is the only way to ensure the quality and safety that your family deserves.

We sell our beef by the share, ranging from an eighth to a whole steer. This isn't a subscription service or a mystery box from a massive warehouse. It is a one-time purchase of high-quality, local beef that is processed at a USDA-inspected facility and delivered by hand in the Austin and Dallas-Fort Worth areas. We provide a custom cut sheet so you can decide how your share is butchered. By cutting out the middleman and the international shipping routes, we keep things simple and direct. You know the rancher, you know the pasture, and you know exactly what is going on your table.

Want beef you can trace to one animal? Claim a share of a real steer — one-time purchase, cut to your spec, raised on grass here in Georgetown.