Brazilian Labor Court Halts New Glyphosate Registrations for 90 Days
11 September 2026, Brasília: A Brazilian labor court has ordered a 90 day nationwide suspension on the registration of new glyphosate based herbicides, stopping short of the total ban that federal prosecutors had sought but opening a formal review of the country’s most widely used weed killer.
The ruling came from the 7th Labor Court of Brasília, part of the 10th Regional Labor Tribunal (TRT-10), in a civil public action filed on May 22, 2026 by Brazil’s Ministério Público do Trabalho (MPT, the federal labor prosecutor’s office) against the health regulator ANVISA and the federal government. The MPT had asked the court to impose an immediate, total ban on glyphosate nationwide, citing occupational health and safety risks to farm and industrial workers exposed to the chemical.
Judge Gustavo Carvalho Chehab denied that broader request on September 4, 2026, in case number 0000883-90.2026.5.10.0014, writing that a full and immediate prohibition was not justified given the evidence on record. Instead, he ordered what he called the least burdensome measure available: a 90 day freeze on new glyphosate product registrations, new formulations, use pattern extensions and equivalence registrations across the country. Products already registered and on the market are not affected and remain legal to sell and use during the suspension period.
The order also directs two other agencies to act. ANVISA must review and address irregularities identified in the labeling and package inserts (bulas) of glyphosate products currently on the market. Ibama, Brazil’s environmental protection agency, must submit environmental risk assessments and a report analyzing the practical and logistical impact of a potential future market withdrawal of glyphosate, covering issues such as product recall, storage and disposal. The judge grounded the decision in Brazil’s pesticide law, Lei 14.785 of 2023, which sets re-evaluation deadlines for active ingredients already on the market.
No specific glyphosate products or manufacturers were named as directly affected by the order, since the freeze applies to the registration pipeline rather than to any single company’s portfolio. Brazil remains the largest agricultural market for glyphosate in the world, using it extensively across its soybean, corn and sugarcane programs, and the country has become increasingly reliant on technical grade glyphosate imported from China to supply its formulators. A 90 day pause on new registrations is unlikely to disrupt current supply, since it does not touch products already on the register, but it does freeze the pipeline of new entrants, expanded use claims and equivalence filings that Chinese and domestic technical suppliers have been pushing through ANVISA in recent years.
The case is part of a longer running legal and political fight over glyphosate in Brazil. Health and environmental groups have pressed for years for tighter controls or an outright ban, pointing to international disagreement over the chemical’s carcinogenicity, while agribusiness groups argue there is no registered alternative that matches its cost and effectiveness at this scale. The MPT’s petition framed the case around worker exposure risk specifically, rather than consumer residue concerns, which is a narrower and in some ways harder claim to dismiss procedurally, and may explain why the judge was willing to grant a partial measure rather than reject the case outright.
Also Read: Corteva and Globachem to Form Joint Venture for New Crop Protection Solutions
Global Agriculture is an independent international media platform covering agri-business, policy, technology, and sustainability. For editorial collaborations, thought leadership, and strategic communications, write to pr@global-agriculture.com
