In this article
The short answer
Match the exact plant and operating entity, check the product-destination conditions at the relevant date, then connect the seller to the proposed goods. A valid SIF reference is not a seller mandate or an allocation.
Start with four identities, not one plant number.
Request the legal identities of the contractual seller, Brazilian producer, proposed exporter and payment beneficiary. Then request the establishment identifier and plant address used to support the offer. A CNPJ identifies an entity or establishment in the corporate-registration system; a SIF number serves a different inspection context. Do not substitute one for the other.
Compare these fields across the quotation, mandate and draft agreement. An overseas trader can legitimately sell goods produced by another entity, but its producer relationship remains a separate claim. Ask who will issue the commercial invoice, arrange export and authorize any intermediary. Record differences before looking at shipment certificates.
Use MAPA’s official SIF routes to resolve the plant.
Open MAPA’s Federal Inspection Service page and follow its links to registered establishments or the national establishment record. Search with the supplied identifier and reconcile the operating name, address and activity with the offer. If the group operates several plants, establish which one would supply the product rather than accepting a group-level match.
Save the result and consultation date. If a system is unavailable or the result is ambiguous, record that fact and seek clarification through an appropriate authority channel. A screenshot from a broker is not a replacement for the official result, and a failed query is not proof that a plant is fictitious.
Check species, product and destination together.
Use the country-specific export-eligibility routes on MAPA’s SIF page, then check the importing authority’s current requirements. Define the exact product and relevant dates with a sanitary or customs specialist. A broad assertion that a plant is “approved for export” does not establish eligibility for every species, product, destination or dispatch period.
For China-facing food transactions, the GACC CIFER query provides fields for country, overseas registration, China registration, enterprise name, category and status. Its displayed category should not be treated as proof that every product is authorized; inspect the relevant product information and current conditions. This article makes no eligibility assertion about any particular establishment.
On a small screen, scroll the table horizontally to compare columns.
| Check | Match these details | Not established |
|---|---|---|
| Corporate identity | Legal entity, CNPJ and role in the agreement. | Destination approval or seller control of a lot. |
| Plant record | SIF identifier, operator, address and relevant activity. | A foreign trader’s authority to sell. |
| Destination eligibility | Plant, species or product, destination, status and relevant dates. | Allocation of the proposed volume. |
| Consignment certificate | Certificate reference, goods, parties, dates and destination. | All title, quality and payment questions. |
Connect the trader to the named plant’s output.
Request the commercial basis for the seller’s access: purchase arrangement, allocation, agency or other supported relationship. Extract product, quantity, delivery period, parties and conditions. A letter allowing introductions is not a commitment by the plant to supply a specified shipment.
Where contact is authorized, establish a producer channel independently and ask whether the relevant entity and transaction can be confirmed. Do not rely only on the phone number printed in the disputed letter. Private inventory and allocation records may not be accessible; if the producer confirms only a general relationship, keep the lot-specific claim unresolved.
Check the certificate against this consignment.
MAPA provides an official route to international sanitary certificate consultation. Where a certificate is relevant and available, compare its reference, subject, dates, destination and identifiable shipment details with the current proposal. Use the official route rather than following an unexplained QR code or link supplied in a scan.
A certificate from a past export can be genuine but irrelevant to the present goods. Also distinguish planned from completed events: some consignment documents will not exist at the initial quotation stage. Their absence at that stage is not automatically adverse, but a promised future document cannot be described as current proof.
Leave technical and regulatory decisions with the right specialists.
Give the decision-maker a record separating company identity, representative authority, plant match, current eligibility research and supply support. Identify any unresolved conflict between sources instead of choosing the most favorable entry. A customs or sanitary professional should assess the applicable conditions; an inspector should address the defined physical or cold-chain questions.
Temperature records, product conformity, title and delivery are not implied by a corporate or document review. State which were not examined and who needs to address them. If the plant, product, destination or intended shipment date changes, revisit the relevant checks rather than reusing the original assessment unchanged.
Sources & editorial notes
Official and professional references for the relevant sections. The workflows, comparisons and fictional examples are editorial analysis, not instructions issued by the cited institutions.
- Consult a Brazilian corporate registration (CNPJ)Brazilian Federal Revenue Service (opens in a new tab)
- SIF: establishment records and export-eligibility lists by countryBrazilian Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (opens in a new tab)
- CIFER: registration of overseas manufacturers of imported foodGeneral Administration of Customs of China (opens in a new tab)
- Official route to international sanitary certificate consultationBrazilian Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (opens in a new tab)
Reference pages checked 22 September 2026. Consult current records for your transaction; status, requirements and access can change. Some resources are in Portuguese or another source language.
General investigative information, not legal, banking, investment, credit, sanitary or technical advice. Examples are fictional, not client results. Official records do not verify a particular counterparty or transaction beyond their stated scope.
A genuine plant is only one part of the offer.
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