Brazil - September 2017
USDA’s next Agricultural Trade Mission – to Brazil, September 25-29, 2017 – will seek to expand export opportunities for U.S. agriculture in Brazil. Participating agribusiness and state government leaders will have a unique opportunity to forge relationships with potential customers, interact with government officials, and gather market intelligence that will help them develop or expand sales to the world’s fifth-largest country.
The itinerary includes stops in the cities Recife, in northeastern Brazil, and São Paulo, in the southeastern part of the country. Recife is one of the country’s major business hubs, where population and income growth have led to significant growth in wholesale and retail trade. The upgrading of ports and other infrastructure in the region has made exporting to northeastern Brazil more logistically and financially feasible in recent years. Sao Paulo, Brazil’s financial and business center, is the most populous city in the Southern Hemisphere and home to many well-established importers.
Why Brazil?
While Brazil is a major competitor to the United States in the production and export of commodities such as soybeans, poultry, beef, and corn, it is also a major importer. In 2016, Brazil purchased $10 billion in food and farm products from the rest of the world, most notably wheat, corn, fruits and vegetables, and dairy. Nearly 50 percent of Brazil’s agricultural imports were supplied its MERCOSUR partners – Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Venezuela – while eight percent of came from the United States.
Since 1997, U.S. agricultural exports to Brazil have grown 64 percent, from $533 million to $872 million in 2016. Top agricultural exports from the United States last year included wheat, prepared foods, cotton, dairy products, and feeds and fodder. Products showing the largest export growth since 1997 include wheat, roasted coffee, tea, and eggs/egg products.
Brazil’s growing population and rising per-capita income, coupled with the fact that Brazilian consumers have a high regard for U.S. products and brands, make this a market worth well worth exploring for American exporters.
For additional information, please email trademissions@fas.usda.gov.