By Jeffrey T. Lewis

SÃO PAULO--Minerva SA shares were up 8.1% in mid-morning trading Wednesday after the Chinese government reopened its market to unrestricted imports of Brazilian beef.

The São Paulo-based meatpacker's shares reached their highest point in a month earlier after the news came out. Shares of rival Brazilian meat processors also rose, with JBS SA up 3.3% and BRF SA up 3.2%. The benchmark Ibovespa stocks index was up 0.1% at the same time.

Minerva said Wednesday it had received notification from Brazilian officials that exports to China could resume, and the company said it would start shipping to the Asian country immediately.

Brazil's government suspended exports of beef to China in September after the discovery of two cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or Mad Cow disease, were discovered in the South American country. The cases were later classified as "atypical," meaning they were spontaneous and not transmitted in the herd.

Write to Jeffrey T. Lewis at jeffrey.lewis@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

12-15-21 0925ET