JBS begins exporting beef to Vietnam
Brazilian meat processor ships first 27-ton beef consignment to Southeast Asian nation as market access expands.
VIETNAM – JBS has launched beef exports to Vietnam, dispatching an initial 27-ton shipment processed at its Friboi facility in Mozarlândia, Goiás.
This follows recent approval by Vietnamese authorities for the Mozarlândia and Goiânia units to supply meat to the country.
The first consignment was marked with a formal send-off event in Rio de Janeiro, attended by Vietnamese Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính and Brazil’s Agriculture Minister Carlos Fávaro.
Vietnam, with a population surpassing 101 million, imported approximately 300,000 tons of beef and buffalo meat in 2024, largely to meet domestic demand driven by its expanding middle class.
Economic data from Vietnam’s General Statistics Office indicates a 7.6% year-on-year rise in GDP for the second quarter of 2025, supporting the country’s growing consumption of animal proteins.
With this shipment, Brazil joins the list of countries serving a market that continues to urbanize and increase its appetite for beef products.
JBS officials said the move opens opportunities not only for the company but also for farmers, processing workers, and suppliers across Brazil’s agricultural sector.
Speaking during the ceremony, Marcela Rocha, Executive Director of Corporate Affairs at JBS, noted that this development benefits a sector responsible for around 20% of Brazil’s GDP and regional employment.
The company has had a presence in Vietnam since 2014, although not previously in meat processing.
That earlier entry into the Vietnamese market came through the leather industry, where JBS operates a finishing plant in the Dong Nai district.
The facility, which employs over 600 people, supplies leather primarily for footwear manufacturing, with 60% of production sold locally.
The latest expansion reflects JBS’s broader strategy to strengthen its foothold in Asia, a region where rising incomes are contributing to increased consumption of animal proteins.
While the Mozarlândia unit handled the initial beef shipment, the Goiânia facility is also prepared to begin exports following regulatory approval.
JBS has not disclosed the financial value of the first shipment, but similar volumes of Brazilian beef typically trade around US$5,000 per ton, suggesting a shipment value near US$135,000.
The Vietnamese market is now viewed by Brazilian exporters as one of Southeast Asia’s most dynamic destinations for meat, following several years of negotiations and inspections.
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