Brazilian pet food gains access to UAE market

The Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Itamaraty) announced on 1 September that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) had authorized imports of Brazilian pet food.

According to Itamaraty, the authorization creates “new prospects for the export” of complete pet food, complementary pet food (miscellaneous preparations used in animal feeding), specific-purpose pet food, and chewable products for dogs and cats, under 5 different Harmonized System (HS) codes, which form part of the global system used by customs authorities to classify traded products.

The authorization followed technical and sanitary negotiations between the two countries’ authorities. The dialogue began in 2019 and progressed more quickly after the Brazilian Agricultural Attaché Office was established in Abu Dhabi last year.

Brazil-UAE pet food trade

The Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (CCAB) says the authorization comes as the UAE becomes an increasingly relevant market for Brazil.

“Today, the UAE ranks 18th among destination markets for Brazilian animal feed, with exports totaling $5.69M (€4.95M), or approximately 4,752 metric tons in 2025. This represented a 12.9% increase in revenue compared with the previous year,” Mohamad Mourad, Secretary-General of the CCAB, tells GlobalPETS.

Of this total, pet food accounted for the largest share (86.5%), with revenue in the category growing 5.8% year-over-year to $4.9M (€4.3M). The remaining $0.77M (€0.67M) came from farm animal feed sales.

“In this market, Brazil is in a position to provide technologies, equipment, inputs and solutions for animal production,” Mourad says. “Therefore, the UAE could become not only a more relevant market for Brazilian animal feed, but also for other products related to the animal protein supply chain.”

Gulf opportunities

Brazil has developed specialized pet retail networks that rank among the largest in Latin America by store count and revenue. One example is Grupo Petz-Cobasi, with quarterly revenue of R$2.1 billion ($0.4B/€0.3B) in Q2, and a portfolio of 520 stores. 

“These networks have also made an important contribution to the development and professionalization of Brazil’s pet market, encouraging the expansion of product portfolios and service offerings,” Itamaraty tells GlobalPETS.

“If the suppliers of these retail networks also come to view the UAE as a potential market, consumers in the Arab country will certainly benefit from all of this expertise,” it adds.

The ministry also highlights the UAE’s position as a regional trade and logistics hub, saying its infrastructure and connectivity with other markets could create opportunities for Brazilian companies to develop commercial partnerships and distribution channels in the region.

Brazil already exports pet products under the same 5 tariff classifications to several Middle Eastern countries, and negotiations are underway with Kuwait and Iran. 

Turning access into trade

While the UAE’s approval indicates that eligible Brazilian products can meet applicable sanitary and regulatory requirements, the next step is establishing a regular, competitive supply to the market.

Mourad says that Brazilian exporters can leverage agricultural commodity trading companies that already have experience with the UAE market, including its commercial channels and logistics infrastructure.

He notes that the approval is an initial step, and Brazilian manufacturers now need to build relationships with importers, distributors and other buyers in the UAE to turn regulatory access into commercial opportunities.

Ongoing negotiations

According to Itamaraty, the two economies will maintain an ongoing dialogue on agricultural and sanitary matters.

Separately, Mercosur (Southern Common Market) and the UAE launched negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement in 2024, covering tariffs and other trade-related issues. 

If concluded and brought into force, the agreement is expected to create further opportunities for Brazilian exporters, the ministry concludes.