Paraguay seeks new meat and dairy export access in Taiwan, Mexico and Turkey
Paraguay is negotiating wider market access for beef, pork and dairy products in Taiwan while advancing beef approvals in Mexico and Turkey. Senacsa also expects foreign inspections covering Paraguay’s meat-processing plants.
Taiwan negotiations cover dairy, beef and pork
Paraguay’s National Animal Quality and Health Service, Senacsa, is pursuing additional export access for meat and dairy products, with Taiwan, Mexico and Turkey at different stages of negotiation. Senacsa’s president said in an interview with ABC that the country must identify dairy products that can compete under the portion of the European Union quota available to the sector, while also developing opportunities in Taiwan.
Taiwan already occupies an important position in Paraguay’s meat trade. According to the Senacsa president, the market is expected to become the leading destination for Paraguayan pork this year and currently ranks fourth among buyers of Paraguayan beef. Negotiations involving beef and pork continue through prelisting procedures and audits, although he said bilateral relations had cooled in recent weeks.
The dairy talks have been under way for several years. Taiwanese authorities have requested requirements that Paraguay still needs to complete, but Senacsa says progress is being made. Taiwan’s market is currently supplied almost entirely by New Zealand, including both milk powder and fresh products. Paraguay considers milk powder the more realistic opening because of the distance involved: the sea journey from New Zealand takes five days, compared with 65 days from Paraguay.
Mexico approval could come by early 2027
Mexico recently audited Paraguay’s beef system, and Senacsa believes the country performed well in the inspections. The agency estimates that the market could become operational toward the end of this year or at the beginning of 2027, subject to the Mexican authorities’ review and administrative timetable.
The Senacsa president said Mexico follows an orderly approval process similar to that of the United States. The remaining schedule therefore depends on the importing country rather than Paraguay. Access would give Paraguayan beef exporters another North American destination and could reduce dependence on their established markets, although ABC reported no expected shipment volume or trade value.
Paraguay has already achieved a separate opening for poultry products in Taiwan after a lengthy process, and the first shipment has been completed. That precedent shows that sanitary negotiations can translate into trade, but dairy products face an additional commercial obstacle: Paraguayan suppliers must absorb a much longer delivery time than their dominant New Zealand competitors.
Turkey prepares inspections of the meat industry
Three Turkish delegations are scheduled to arrive during the first week of August and spend one week verifying the safety of Paraguay’s meat complex. Turkey has already authorized imports of live animals from Paraguay, and the relevant health certificate and negotiated procedure are in place.
Beef access to Turkey is not yet complete. Senacsa said the outstanding issues are mainly religious requirements rather than sanitary conditions. Resolving them would extend the range of Paraguayan livestock products eligible for the Turkish market beyond live-animal exports.
Other inspections remain on the agenda. Egypt wants to conduct an audit in the second week of August, while Paraguayan industry requested that it be postponed until September. South Korea’s review is advancing more slowly than expected. Chile, meanwhile, plans to revisit all approved plants and consider new establishments, including the Los Lazos slaughterhouse. These processes leave Paraguay with several potential market openings, but actual trade will depend on foreign approvals, plant eligibility and exporters’ ability to compete on logistics and price.
