UAE opens pet food market to Brazilian suppliers

UAE – The UAE has opened its market to Brazilian pet food, giving manufacturers from one of the world’s largest agrifood exporters access to the country’s growing imported pet nutrition market.

The UAE’s sanitary authorities have accepted the requirements for imports of pet food manufactured in Brazil, allowing Brazilian suppliers to begin entering the market. 

The approval was announced by Brazil’s Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on September 1.

The development comes as the UAE continues to rely significantly on imported pet food. 

The country imported Can$150.2 million (about US$109 million) worth of dog and cat food in 2025, according to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada data based on Euromonitor figures. 

Imports increased at an annual rate of 20.9% between 2021 and 2025.

Brazilian pet food therefore enters an established import market, where France, Thailand and the Netherlands were among the leading suppliers in 2025. 

Brazil was already among the UAE’s top five destinations for Brazilian dog and cat food exports in early 2024, according to US Department of Agriculture data, indicating that trade between the two markets had already been developing.

UAE expands access for Brazilian pet food

The new approval covers products intended for companion-animal nutrition manufactured in Brazil. 

It forms part of a wider set of market-access agreements announced by Brazil on September 1, with Namibia approving Brazilian chicken offal and Malaysia’s Sabah state approving frozen poultry meat.

The Brazilian government said the UAE, Namibian and Sabah authorities had formally accepted the requirements for Brazilian products to enter their respective markets.

For Brazilian pet food manufacturers, the UAE opening provides another route into the Middle East and potentially strengthens Brazil’s position in the region’s pet nutrition supply chain.

However, access remains subject to UAE import and product-approval requirements. 

The UAE’s animal-feed import system covers pet food and requires product approval before import. 

Manufacturers must provide documentation including a free-sale certificate, product labelling information and a certificate of analysis. 

Products containing animal protein are also subject to additional health requirements.

Brazil is already a major supplier of agricultural and food products to the UAE. 

Through July 2026, Brazilian exports to the UAE reached US$1.9 billion, up 2.6% from the same period in 2025, according to data cited by the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce. 

Frozen chicken, unwrought or powdered gold and sugar were among Brazil’s leading exports to the UAE during the period.

The new pet-food approval adds animal nutrition to that trade relationship, creating another channel for Brazilian agrifood companies to supply the UAE market.

Source: Brazil-Arab News Agency (ANBA)

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