Countries that export to Brazil more than US$1 billion in agribusiness products

By Vera Ondei

Brazil is a major food, fiber, and bioenergy exporter, but it also imports agro products from other countries.

In the first quarter of 2023, Brazil has already bought products from abroad totaling US$4.47 billion, a record for the period, according to data from Mapa (Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock).

Between January and March, the most recent data available, the increase was 18.5% compared to the quarter of 2022.

Brazilian imports are much lower than exports (US$159 billion in 2022), but they also set a record in the first quarter of 2023, totaling US$36 billion.

But they are important because they establish a two-way commercial relationship in trade negotiations, in addition to Brazil being a large consumer market of 200 million people.

Among the markets that most sell agro products to Brazil, seven countries – taking the European Union as a single block – stand out with values above US$1 billion.

Brazilian imports of agro products come from about 110 countries.

Last year, Brazilian imports of agro products had also broken records, with a total of US$17.24 billion, against a range of purchases that oscillated between US$13 billion and US$15 billion, per year, in the last decade.

Brazilian imports are also diverse, ranging from grains, such as wheat, to beverages, forest products, oilseeds, fish, fruit, and dairy products.

But there are unusual products in this list of purchases, such as mineral water, with expenses of US$2.5 million, and even tomatoes, a fruit Brazil has invested a lot in the last decade.

Among tomato preparations and preserves, 23,900 tonnes were imported for US$22.3 million in 2022.

Forbes separated the markets with sales to Brazil between US$1 billion and US$4.2 billion last year.

Check out which countries export the most to Brazil:

1 – ARGENTINA

In the first three months of 2023, Brazil has already imported US$1 billion in Argentine agricultural products.

Historically, the expense account with products from that country has been above US$3 billion, per year, with a record last year, when US$4.249 billion were spent, corresponding to 24.6% of Brazilian imports of agro products.

In 2022, as in previous years, the largest Brazilian expenditures in Argentina were grains, flour, and preparations.

Last year it was US$2.343 billion, with wheat standing out.

Brazil is the largest customer of this country’s grains, with purchases of 4.5 million tonnes for US$991.1 million in 2022.

The second largest purchase comprises vegetables, legumes, and roots, especially potatoes.

In 2022, there was US$181.4 million in vegetable preparations.

Dairy products also stand out in Brazilian purchases.

The country imported US$228.3 million, of which US$124.3 million were in fluid milk purchases.

2 – EUROPEAN UNION

The 27 countries that make up the European Union, treated as a single purchasing block, exported US$953.1 million to Brazil in the first quarter of 2023 in agri-products.

As with Argentina, Brazilian purchases in Europe were a record for the period.

They grew 29.8% in relation to the first quarter of last year.

In 2022, Brazil imported from Europe US$3.193 billion, 18.5% of the total in the period.

With oleaginous products, US$483.3 million were spent, especially olive oil, which totaled US$439.4 million.

Alcoholic beverages represent the second largest purchase in Europe. US$415.3 million were spent, especially on wines (US$165.8 million).

With import values of around US$402.5 million are forest products.

Brazil buys a series of products from this sector, including cork and laminated wood, fiberboard, furniture, and joinery.

3 – PARAGUAY

In the first quarter of 2023, Brazil imported US$283.3 million in agribusiness products from Paraguay.

Last year, the country closed US$1.563 billion in purchases from the neighbor, representing 9.1% of total imports.

2022 was the second consecutive year in which imports from this country exceeded US$1 billion.

Corn was purchased mainly by Paraná, Santa Catarina, and Rio Grande do Sul poultry producers.

The price of the freight, compared to corn grown in the Brazilian Midwest, is the main reason for the choice.

Brazil has also been buying soy in Paraguay, mostly in grains.

Of the oilseed complex (meal, oil, and grains), with values of US$203.3 million in 2022, grains accounted for US$178.1 million.

The largest clients are grain crushers in Brazil.

Meat purchases have also increased due to large investments by Brazilian meatpacking plants in the country.

From the total of US$218.7 million bought in meat by Brazil, US$217.2 million was unprocessed bovine meat, most of it already deboned.

4 – CHILE

In the first quarter of 2023, products worth US$349.8 million were imported from Chile, a value higher than the same period of the previous year.

Last year, Chile sold US$1.380 billion in products to Brazil, equivalent to 8% of Brazilian agro imports.

Since 2013, imports of products from Chile have been above US$1 billion per year.

In this period, the country became a major buyer of fish.

Last year it was US$811.8 million, with fresh or chilled salmon totaling US$368.7 million.

The second sector with the largest purchases was fruits, including nuts and chestnuts.

Last year, Brazil bought from Chile US$52.5 million in nuts and chestnuts, US$44.6 million in grapes, US$36 million in apples, and US$24 million in cherries.

5 – CHINA

From China, Brazil imported in the first quarter of this year US$296.4 million, mostly from its agribusiness.

It was not the highest value in the history of purchases from the Asian country, but the current acquisitions show an upturn.

The first year Brazil imported more than US$1 billion from China was 2010, a rhythm that continued until 2019, with almost US$2 billion peaks.

But in 2020 and 2021, sales fell below this amount.

Last year, they grew again, with imports of around US$1.113 billion, equivalent to 6.5% of the year’s total.

The biggest purchase is forest products. In 2022, the total was US$346.8 million, mostly paper, mainly cardboard, kraft, carbon, and adhesives.

The second largest imported products from China are fibers and textiles, valued at around US$224.6 million last year.

Brazil imported US$151.8 million in cotton clothing only.

Brazil is a large exporter of cellulose to China; in the case of cotton, sales are rising.

6 – URUGUAY

Brazil imported from Uruguay agribusiness products worth US$371.9 million in the first quarter of this year, a historical record for the period.

Since 2010, Brazil has imported values above US$1 billion from Uruguay.

Last year it was exactly US$1.030 billion, equivalent to 5.98% of Brazilian imports of agricultural products.

Two sectors account for most of the purchases: grains and dairy products.

Grains were US$430.7 million, of which US$232.8 million was in by-products of the milling industry.

Malt represented the largest part: US$232.5 million.

Dairy products represent the second largest group of imported products, totaling US$219.2 million, US$ 175.8 million of which was fluid or powdered milk.

With information from Forbes