STORY-TRÅD·politik

Brazil opens 700 agricultural markets since 2023

The trade agreement between Mercosur and the European Union boosted Brazilian exports to the European bloc by 30.7 percent from May to September of this year, compared with the same period last year. The data were released on Tuesday (Oct. 13) by the Minister of Development, Industry, Trade, and Services, Márcio Elias Rosa, during an event in Brasília. He also reported that Brazil has opened 700 international markets for agricultural products since 2023. Notícias relacionadas:Brazil Congress approves Mercosur-EU trade agreement.Brazil launches BRL 130M export diversification plan.Ban on Brazilian meat and honey exports to Europe takes effect.From January through September, Brazilian exports to the EU totaled USD 44.17 billion, up 20 percent from the same period in 2025. At the same event, Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira highlighted the results of the agreement and confirmed that bilateral trade between Mercosur countries and the European Union has increased by more than USD 6 billion since the treaty was approved and entered into force. “Brazilian exports rose by 10.4 percent in 2026. The Mercosur-European Union agreement alone has accounted for a 30 percent increase in our exports from May to the present,” Vieira stated. The agreement provisionally entered into force on May 1, after nearly 27 years of negotiations between the two blocs. Expansion Elias Rosa also stated that the growth in Brazilian exports is not limited to agribusiness. According to the minister, the country’s foreign trade grew by an average of 10.5 percent amid an international landscape marked by geopolitical tensions and rising trade barriers. The minister also highlighted the expansion of Brazil’s trade relations with various markets and attributed the results to the growth potential of domestic companies and the government’s efforts to promote foreign trade. When commenting on relations with the United States, Elias Rosa described the current situation as “delicate,” but advocated for the continuation of diplomatic negotiations. “We will not abandon dialogue or negotiation,” he said. New markets The trade results were announced at a ceremony at the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock marking the opening of 700 international markets for Brazilian agricultural products since early 2023. These openings span 99 destinations, including countries and economic blocs, following sanitary approvals for imports of Brazilian products. Agriculture Minister André de Paula contrasted the results with those achieved by the previous administration. “There were 700 market openings, compared with 241 under the previous government,” he noted. De Paula also highlighted the performance of the agribusiness sector and the outlook for domestic production. “We plan to account for 29 percent of agricultural GDP this year. The 2026/27 harvest is expected to reach 366 million metric tons,” the minister added. Target According to estimates from the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil), the country has exported USD 5.8 billion to new markets opened since 2023. The agency projects that sales to these destinations will reach USD 80 billion over the next four years. André de Paula also stated that Brazil intends to end the year as the world’s largest food exporter. “We have exported USD 169 billion so far this year, USD 2 billion less than the United States, but we will end the year as the largest food exporter,” he pointed out. The minister also highlighted the Brazilian government’s investments in financing rural production, including funds allocated to corporate and family farming through the Safra Plan. “This government has invested more than BRL 610 billion in the current Safra Plan for corporate and family farming. Over the four years of the Lula administration, more than BRL 1 trillion was allocated. This demonstrates the importance we place on Brazilian agriculture,” André de Paula said. The minister also mentioned China’s approval of Brazilian pork offal exports and expressed hope for further openings of foreign markets to Brazilian agricultural products.