Uruguay launches EU beef campaign targeting Germany and the Netherlands

Uruguay's National Meat Institute (INAC) has launched a promotional campaign on the European market designed to strengthen the “Uruguay Beef” brand, with Germany and the Netherlands as its first two targets, topagrar.com reported.

The campaign is built around origin, traceability and sustainability — attributes that INAC says weigh increasingly heavily in European purchasing decisions. Both markets were selected because Uruguayan beef already has an established presence there, supported by networks of importers, traders, retailers and foodservice operators.

The message used to promote the product — “This meat is produced on the natural pastures of Uruguay” — puts pasture-based production at the centre of the pitch, aimed at both consumers and the trade buyers who decide which origins reach retail shelves and restaurant menus.

Germany: 3.5 million people reached

In Germany the campaign has already reached more than 3.5 million people across the country's ten largest cities, including Berlin, Hamburg and Munich, according to topagrar.com. The media mix combines digital advertising with out-of-home placements:

• digital advertising on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube;
• 150 digital screens in major railway stations;
• two large-format billboards.

One of the campaign's most prominent placements is “The Whale”, described as Germany's largest LED screen, at Hamburg's main railway station, which is passed by more than 500,000 travellers a day. The station-based placements concentrate the campaign on high-traffic urban locations rather than on point-of-sale advertising.

The Netherlands: Rotterdam as the entry point

The Netherlands was chosen for its strategic role as the principal gateway for Uruguayan beef exports to Europe. Around 40% of Uruguayan beef shipments to the EU arrive through the port of Rotterdam before being distributed to other markets on the continent, topagrar.com reported.

That concentration makes Dutch importers and distributors a decisive link in the chain: they handle both chilled and frozen product and set the terms on which Uruguayan cuts move into Germany and other member states.

The campaign follows a strong trade year. In 2025 Uruguayan beef exports to the EU rose by almost 50% compared with the previous year, to a total of 52,000 tonnes — the highest volume of the past decade.

Deforestation rules and the Mercosur factor

INAC also highlighted Uruguay's competitive position under the European Union's new anti-deforestation regulation. The country is among the small group of suppliers classified by the EU as “low risk” for deforestation, a status that, according to INAC, increases the appeal of Uruguayan beef compared with other international suppliers.

The advertising push also coincides with moves by Mercosur and the European Union toward deeper trade integration. The agreement between the two blocs is expected to improve access for Uruguayan beef to one of the world's most demanding and most valuable import markets.

What it means for the supply chain

For exporters, meat processors and logistics companies, the campaign underlines the weight of the European destination in Uruguay's beef trade and the role of Rotterdam as a distribution hub for chilled and frozen meat, topagrar.com noted.

It also illustrates the growing importance of branding, traceability, compliance with hygiene standards and sustainability documentation in the global trade in animal protein — factors that increasingly determine which origins secure listings with European retailers and foodservice groups, alongside price and specification.