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That dollar amount reflects a 17.5% gain year over year since 2016, however is still -10% less than the $242 billion in Brazilian exports five years earlier during 2013.
As of June 2018, Brazil’s exported goods were valued at $113.6 billion up 5.5% compared to the first 6 months of 2017.
Based on estimates from the Central Intelligence Agency’s World Factbook, Brazil’s exported goods plus services represent 11.8% of total Brazilian economic output or Gross Domestic Product. The analysis below focuses on exported products only.
From a continental perspective, some 40% of Brazilian exports by value is delivered to Asian countries while about 21% is sold to European importers. Brazil ships another 18% worth of goods to Latin America (excluding Mexico) plus Caribbean nations. Brazilian exports to North American clients totaled 16% with roughly 4% delivered in Africa.
Given Brazil’s population of 207.4 million people, its total $217.7 billion during 2017 exports translates to roughly $1,050 for every resident in South America’s largest country.
Brazil’s unemployment rate was 11.8% as of December 2017 according to Trading Economics.
Brazil’s Top 10 Exports
Top 10
The following export product groups represent the highest dollar value in Brazilian global shipments during 2017. Also shown is the percentage share each export category represents in terms of overall exports from Brazil.
At the more granular four-digit Harmonized Tariff System code level, Brazil’s most valuable exported product are soya beans followed by iron ores and concentrates, sugar, crude oil then poultry meat.
- Oil seeds: US$26 billion (11.9% of total exports)
- Ores, slag, ash: $22.4 billion (10.3%)
- Mineral fuels including oil: $18.7 billion (8.6%)
- Vehicles : $14.7 billion (6.8%)
- Meat: $14 billion (6.4%)
- Machinery including computers: $13.8 billion (6.4%)
- Sugar, sugar confectionery: $11.6 billion (5.3%)
- Iron, steel: $10.8 billion (4.9%)
- Woodpulp: $6.4 billion (2.9%)
- Food industry waste, animal fodder: $5.4 billion (2.5%)
Brazil’s top 10 exports accounted for about two-thirds (66%) of the overall value of its global shipments.
Mineral fuels including oil was the fastest-growing export category via a 61.7% increase over 2016, followed by ores, slag and ash’s 41.6% gain.
In third place were Brazilian exports of oil seeds which posted a 36.4% boost in value year over year. Close behind were Brazilian shipments of iron and steel (up 36.4%) and vehicles (up 34.2%).
There was one decline among Brazil’s top 10 export categories, specifically a -2.6% drop for food industry waste and animal fodder.
Note that the results listed above are at the categorized two-digit Harmonized Tariff System (HTS) code level. For a more granular view of exported goods at the four-digit HTS code level, see the section Searchable List of Brazil’s Most Valuable Export Products further down below.
Advantages
Overall, Brazil achieved a $67 billion trade surplus during 2017 up by 40.5% from its positive trade balance in 2016.
As of June 2018, Brazil’s trade surplus stood at $29.9 billion down -17.6% compared to the first 6 months of 2017.
The following types of Brazilian product shipments represent positive net exports or a trade balance surplus. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports. In a nutshell, net exports is the amount by which foreign spending on a home country’s goods or services exceeds or lags the home country’s spending on foreign goods or services.
- Oil seeds: US$25.7 billion (Up by 33.6% since 2016)
- Ores, slag, ash: $21.2 billion (Up by 42.4%)
- Meat: $13.6 billion (Up by 10.3%)
- Sugar, sugar confectionery: $11.5 billion (Up by 9.2%)
- Iron, steel: $8.8 billion (Up by 35.4%)
- Woodpulp: $6.2 billion (Up by 16.6%)
- Food industry waste, animal fodder: $5.1 billion (Down by -3.1%)
- Coffee, tea, spices: $4.9 billion (Down by -4.8%)
- Vehicles : $3.5 billion (Up by 243.5%)
- Cereals: $3.1 billion (Up by 74.4%)
Brazil has highly positive net exports in the international trade of oil seeds which is often used for vegetable oil and related products. In turn, these cashflows indicate Brazil’s strong competitive advantages under the oil seed product category.
Opportunities
Below are exports from Brazil that result in negative net exports or product trade balance deficits. These negative net exports reveal product categories where foreign spending on home country Brazil’s goods trail Brazilian importer spending on foreign products.
- Electrical machinery, equipment: -US$17.3 billion (Up by 26.2% since 2016)
- Fertilizers: -$7.1 billion (Up by 22.9%)
- Organic chemicals: -$6.1 billion (Down by -6.2%)
- Pharmaceuticals: -$5.3 billion (Up by 2.3%)
- Optical, technical, medical apparatus: -$3.9 billion (Up by 0.7%)
- Machinery including computers: -$3.6 billion (Down by -62.5%)
- Other chemical goods: -$3.2 billion (Up by 6.6%)
- Plastics, plastic articles: -$2.9 billion (Up by 19.2%)
- Mineral fuels including oil: -$2.8 billion (Down by -20.6%)
- Rubber, rubber articles: -$1.3 billion (Up by 47.3%)
Brazil has highly negative net exports and therefore deep international trade deficits for assembled electronic equipment including consumer electronics.
These cashflow deficiencies clearly indicate Brazil’s competitive disadvantages in the international electronics market, but also represent key opportunities for Brazil to improve its position in the global economy through focused innovations.
Companies
Brazilian Export Companies
Twenty-five Brazilian corporations rank among Forbes Global 2000. Below is a sample of the major Brazilian companies that Forbes included:
- Braskem (specialized chemicals)
- BRF-Brasil Foods (food processing)
- Cosan (food processing)
- CSN (iron, steel)
- Embraer (aerospace)
- Itaúsa (industrials conglomerate)
- JBS (food processing)
- Metalurgica Gerdau (iron, steel)
- Petrobras (oil, gas)
- Vale (iron, steel)
- WEG (electrical equipment)
Wikipedia lists many of the larger international trade players from Brazil, plus:
- Grupo Pão de Açúcar (retail including online)
- Oi (telecommunications)
According to global trade intelligence firm Zepol, the following smaller companies are also examples of Brazilian exporters:
- Afil Import Export E Comercio (garlic, flaxseed, corn)
- American Safety Razor Brazil (razor blades, adipic acid)
- Hapag Lloyd Brazil (containers, siliceous earths, white cement)
- Inergy Automotive Systems Do Brazil (combustion engine internal pumps, gas station external pumps)
- Vanguard Logistics Services Do Brazil (transmission belts, rubber/plastic molds, malt beer)
Brazil’s capital city is Brasilia, although many tourists still assume flamboyant Rio de Janeiro is the country’s capital–at least for entertainment purposes.
Searchable List of Brazil’s Most Valuable Export Products
At the more granular four-digit HTS code level, Brazil’s top export products are soya beans followed by iron, crude oil then sugar.
The following searchable table displays 200 of the most in-demand goods shipped from Brazil during 2017. Shown beside each product label is its total export value then the percentage increase or decrease since 2016.
| Rank | Brazil Export Product | 2017 Value (US$) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Soya beans | $25.7 billion | +33% |
| 2 | Iron ores, concentrates | $19.2 billion | +44.5% |
| 3 | Crude oil | $16.6 billion | +65% |
| 4 | Sugar (cane or beet) | $11.4 billion | +9.4% |
| 5 | Cars | $6.7 billion | +42.8% |
| 6 | Poultry meat | $6.6 billion | +7.3% |
| 7 | Chemical woodpulp (non-dissolving) | $5.9 billion | +13.6% |
| 8 | Soya-bean oil-cake, other solid residues | $5 billion | -4.2% |
| 9 | Corn | $4.6 billion | +23.8% |
| 10 | Coffee | $4.6 billion | -5% |
| 11 | Frozen beef | $4.4 billion | +22.2% |
| 12 | Aircraft, spacecraft | $3.6 billion | -17.9% |
| 13 | Turbo-jets | $3.2 billion | +28.9% |
| 14 | Iron or non-alloy steel products (semi-finished) | $3.2 billion | +67.8% |
| 15 | Aluminum oxide/hydroxide | $2.8 billion | +17.2% |
| 16 | Trucks | $2.8 billion | +36.3% |
| 17 | Gold (unwrought) | $2.8 billion | -3.2% |
| 18 | Copper ores, concentrates | $2.5 billion | +28.9% |
| 19 | Iron ferroalloys | $2.5 billion | +17.2% |
| 20 | Heavy machinery (bulldozers, excavators, road rollers) | $2.2 billion | +65.5% |
| 21 | Automobile parts/accessories | $2.2 billion | +15.7% |
| 22 | Fruit and vegetable juices | $2.1 billion | +1.8% |
| 23 | Unmanufactured tobacco, tobacco waste | $2 billion | -2.6% |
| 24 | Processed petroleum oils | $1.8 billion | +54.5% |
| 25 | Swine meat | $1.5 billion | +8.6% |
| 26 | Tractors | $1.4 billion | +48.2% |
| 27 | Cotton (uncarded, uncombed) | $1.4 billion | +11.7% |
| 28 | Piston engine parts | $1.3 billion | +15.1% |
| 29 | Rubber tires (new) | $1.2 billion | +10.2% |
| 30 | Ethylene polymers | $1.1 billion | -6.5% |
| 31 | Flexible base metal tubing | $1.1 billion | -13.7% |
| 32 | Other animal leather | $1.1 billion | -11.4% |
| 33 | Miscellaneous meat (preserved/prepared) | $1 billion | -11.4% |
| 34 | Soya-bean oil | $1 billion | +14.8% |
| 35 | Alloy steel ingots | $938.7 million | +21.6% |
| 36 | Hot-rolled iron or non-alloy steel products | $927.5 million | +52.9% |
| 37 | Light vessels, fire boats, floating docks | $903.9 million | -75.2% |
| 38 | Medication mixes in dosage | $902.1 million | +2.3% |
| 39 | Taps, valves, similar appliances | $858.5 million | +5.9% |
| 40 | Monument/building stones, art | $843.3 million | -2.3% |
| 41 | Ethyl alcohol | $806.9 million | -10% |
| 42 | Bovine/equine leather | $795.2 million | +0.7% |
| 43 | Pig iron | $764.9 million | +46.1% |
| 44 | Chassis fitted with engine | $728.4 million | +11.8% |
| 45 | Uncoated paper for writing/printing | $707.7 million | +0.9% |
| 46 | Fresh or chilled beef | $684.4 million | -9.6% |
| 47 | Sawn wood | $665.3 million | +23.8% |
| 48 | Flat-rolled iron or non-alloy steel products (plated/coated) | $663 million | +35.5% |
| 49 | Coffee/tea extracts, concentrates | $660.1 million | +7.1% |
| 50 | Propylene/olefin polymers | $650.4 million | +13% |
| 51 | Laminated wood (including plywood, veneer panels) | $620.6 million | +29.8% |
| 52 | Air or vacuum pumps | $591.3 million | -5.5% |
| 53 | Electric motors, generators | $583 million | +23.7% |
| 54 | Miscellaneous furniture | $511.1 million | +10.7% |
| 55 | Transmission shafts, gears, clutches | $509.4 million | +12.8% |
| 56 | Footwear (rubber or plastic) | $503.3 million | +22.3% |
| 57 | Shaped wood | $482.1 million | +7% |
| 58 | Harvest/threshing machinery | $480.6 million | +77.5% |
| 59 | Red meat offal | $473 million | +18.3% |
| 60 | Liquid pumps and elevators | $448.7 million | +2.4% |
| 61 | Acyclic hydrocarbons | $445.7 million | +59.2% |
| 62 | Footwear (leather) | $445.2 million | -5.6% |
| 63 | Iron or steel tubes, pipes | $442.2 million | +38.4% |
| 64 | Essential oils | $431.2 million | +27.2% |
| 65 | Chemical woodpulp (dissolving) | $420.8 million | +18.2% |
| 66 | Aircraft parts | $406.5 million | +12.8% |
| 67 | Aluminum (unwrought) | $405.7 million | -21.1% |
| 68 | Centrifuges, filters and purifiers | $404.3 million | +10.1% |
| 69 | Insulated wire/cable | $399.1 million | +26.4% |
| 70 | Coated paper | $388 million | +3.4% |
| 71 | Animal guts, bladders, stomachs | $377.2 million | +30% |
| 72 | Manganese ores, concentrates | $365.6 million | +81.2% |
| 73 | Electrical converters/power units | $359.9 million | +17.8% |
| 74 | Salted/dried/smoked meat | $356.7 million | -15.2% |
| 75 | Other food preparations | $353.7 million | -0.01% |
| 76 | Hydrogen, rare gases | $346.3 million | -10.4% |
| 77 | Automobile bodies | $345.2 million | +35.5% |
| 78 | Unglazed ceramic flags, paving, wall tiles | $339.6 million | +2,177% |
| 79 | Cyclic hydrocarbons | $338.3 million | +33.1% |
| 80 | Bombs, grenades, ammunition | $320.9 million | +47% |
| 81 | Piston engines | $320.8 million | -5.2% |
| 82 | Wood carpentry, builders' joinery | $320.6 million | +11.1% |
| 83 | Polyacetal/ether/carbonates | $305.4 million | +5.8% |
| 84 | Iron or non-alloy steel bars, rods | $304.7 million | +3.1% |
| 85 | Packaged insecticides/fungicides/herbicides | $303.9 million | +12.9% |
| 86 | Refined copper, unwrought alloys | $302.9 million | -37.9% |
| 87 | Amino-compounds (oxygen) | $302.6 million | +15.4% |
| 88 | Public-transport vehicles | $282.5 million | +21.4% |
| 89 | Pepper (dried/crushed/ground) | $278.6 million | +12% |
| 90 | Live bovine cattle | $276 million | +32.2% |
| 91 | Miscellaneous animal feed preparations | $267 million | +18.6% |
| 92 | Gelatin | $266.8 million | -3.8% |
| 93 | Cellulose fiber paper | $262.6 million | +8.4% |
| 94 | Miscellaneous iron or steel items | $260.5 million | +19% |
| 95 | Ethers | $257.2 million | +24.3% |
| 96 | Hydrazine, inorganic salts | $255.7 million | +141.1% |
| 97 | Phone system devices | $253.8 million | +17.9% |
| 98 | Aluminum plates, sheets, strips | $249.8 million | +30.1% |
| 99 | Spray/dispersing mechanical appliances | $248.9 million | +47.1% |
| 100 | Coiled iron or non-alloy steel bars, rods | $248 million | +31.0% |
| 101 | Uncoated kraft paper | $247.6 million | -1% |
| 102 | Plastic tubes, pipes, fittings | $245.7 million | -5.8% |
| 103 | Rice | $244.6 million | -2.9% |
| 104 | Melons, watermelons, papayas | $240.6 million | +7.7% |
| 105 | Aluminum ores, concentrates | $237.8 million | -10.4% |
| 106 | Regulate/control instruments | $230.9 million | +23.6% |
| 107 | Plastic plates, sheets, film, tape, strips | $225.4 million | +10.1% |
| 108 | Dates/figs/pineapples/mangoes/avocadoes/guavas | $225 million | +15.3% |
| 109 | Flat-rolled other alloy steel products | $222.2 million | +29.2% |
| 110 | Zinc (unwrought) | $219.7 million | +40.5% |
| 111 | Plastic packing goods, lids, caps | $215.6 million | +12.9% |
| 112 | Wood fiberboard, other ligneous materials | $212.4 million | +7.9% |
| 113 | Synthetic rubber | $210.6 million | +23.4% |
| 114 | Lower-voltage switches, fuses | $210.4 million | +0.6% |
| 115 | Copper wire | $209.1 million | -15.9% |
| 116 | Miscellaneous machinery | $208.9 million | -22.3% |
| 117 | Petroleum oil residues | $203.3 million | +14.9% |
| 118 | Unroasted ground-nuts | $194.9 million | +61.7% |
| 119 | Sort/screen/washing machinery | $191 million | +28% |
| 120 | Electric motor parts | $190.5 million | -52.7% |
| 121 | Insoles, heel cushions | $187.5 million | +12.4% |
| 122 | Iron or steel scrap | $184.5 million | +28.1% |
| 123 | Kaolinic clays | $181.8 million | +0.9% |
| 124 | Unsaturated acyclic mono acids | $178.7 million | +109.6% |
| 125 | Cold-rolled iron or non-alloy steel products | $178.3 million | +101% |
| 126 | Granite, basalt, sandstone building stone | $177.7 million | -5.8% |
| 127 | Flat-rolled stainless steel items | $177 million | -14.5% |
| 128 | Electric ignition/start equipment | $176.6 million | +20.1% |
| 129 | Cocoa butter, fat, oil | $175.6 million | -12% |
| 130 | Precious metal waste, scrap | $173.9 million | +8.2% |
| 131 | Other organic cleaning preparations | $173.8 million | +6.1% |
| 132 | Tin (unwrought) | $173.6 million | +32.2% |
| 133 | Lifting/loading machinery | $166.8 million | +11.9% |
| 134 | Fuel wood, wood chips, sawdust | $161.8 million | +9.6% |
| 135 | Refrigerators, freezers | $159.2 million | +8.7% |
| 136 | Motorcycles | $156.7 million | +40.8% |
| 137 | Chemical industry products/residuals | $156 million | +18.4% |
| 138 | Explosive-charge weapons | $154 million | +833.9% |
| 139 | Fertilizer mixes | $149.7 million | -4% |
| 140 | Electro-medical equip (e.g. xrays) | $148.7 million | +20.9% |
| 141 | Precious/semi-precious stones (unstrung) | $147.4 million | -3.7% |
| 142 | Engines (diesel) | $146.1 million | +9.4% |
| 143 | Interchangeable hand/machine tools | $144 million | +25.6% |
| 144 | Alloy steel bars, rods | $142.4 million | +42.2% |
| 145 | Electric storage batteries | $142.3 million | +9.2% |
| 146 | Vulcanized rubber items | $141.5 million | +10.4% |
| 147 | Sugar confectionery (no cocoa) | $140.2 million | +1.4% |
| 148 | Miscellaneous plastic items | $140.1 million | +25.8% |
| 149 | Electrical/optical circuit boards, panels | $139.6 million | -31.9% |
| 150 | Orthopedic appliances | $137.8 million | +17.2% |
| 151 | Pneumatic hand tool | $137.2 million | +13.2% |
| 152 | Footwear (textile) | $134.6 million | +25.1% |
| 153 | Machine-tool for metal | $133.2 million | +69.4% |
| 154 | Ball, roller bearings | $132.8 million | +5.6% |
| 155 | Electrical capacitators | $130.6 million | +18.6% |
| 156 | Sutures, special pharmaceutical goods | $130.3 million | -1.8% |
| 157 | Machinery parts | $129.8 million | +28% |
| 158 | Agricultural/forestry machinery | $129.7 million | +32.7% |
| 159 | Coconuts, Brazil nuts, cashews | $127.1 million | -12.5% |
| 160 | Vinyl chloride polymers | $123.7 million | +3.1% |
| 161 | Unrecorded sound media | $122.9 million | +8.7% |
| 162 | Hair preparations | $122.8 million | +5% |
| 163 | Natural honey | $121.3 million | +31.8% |
| 164 | Miscellaneous iron or steel tubes, pipes | $121 million | +141.2% |
| 165 | Hand-drawn paintings, drawings | $120.1 million | -9.8% |
| 166 | Rosin/resin acids, run gums | $119.1 million | +11% |
| 167 | Bread, biscuits, cakes, pastries | $119.1 million | +23.3% |
| 168 | Iron and steel screws, bolts, nuts, washers | $115.2 million | +18.5% |
| 169 | Coated/laminated non-wovens | $114.3 million | +15.8% |
| 170 | Particle board, other ligneous materials | $114.0 million | +40.6% |
| 171 | Beryllium | $113.2 million | +10.6% |
| 172 | Temperature-change machines | $113.1 million | -48.8% |
| 173 | Miscellaneous animal products | $113 million | +39.9% |
| 174 | Nitrile-function compounds | $112.8 million | +39.5% |
| 175 | Seats (excluding barber/dentist chairs) | $111.1 million | -4.7% |
| 176 | Natural magnesium carbonate, magnesia | $111 million | +53.1% |
| 177 | Carboxylic acids | $110.9 million | +22.3% |
| 178 | Vegetable/bees/insect waxes | $108.8 million | +4.8% |
| 179 | Sausages | $107.2 million | +12.5% |
| 180 | Friction materials, articles including sheets | $106.8 million | -5.4% |
| 181 | Soap, organics surface-active cleaners | $106.7 million | +16.8% |
| 182 | Printing machinery | $106.1 million | -21.1% |
| 183 | Iron or non-alloy steel angles, shapes, sections | $105.8 million | +0.5% |
| 184 | Acyclic alcohols | $105.1 million | +4% |
| 185 | Paper containers, cellulose wadding | $104.8 million | -6% |
| 186 | Vegetable saps, extracts | $103.8 million | +1.1% |
| 187 | Miscellaneous iron and steel structures | $103.4 million | -23.9% |
| 188 | Trailers | $103.3 million | -2.3% |
| 189 | Wheat | $102.8 million | -10.9% |
| 190 | Malt beer | $98.8 million | +26.6% |
| 191 | Dishwashing, clean/dry/fill machines | $98.8 million | +7.1% |
| 192 | Yeasts, prepared baking powders | $98.2 million | +10.7% |
| 193 | Fresh or dried citrus fruit | $97.5 million | -4.6% |
| 194 | Plastic plates, sheets, film, tape, strips | $97.5 million | +6.4% |
| 195 | Chocolate, other cocoa preparations | $97 million | +4.4% |
| 196 | Grapes (fresh or dried) | $96.2 million | +47.4% |
| 197 | Cellulose/chemical derivatives | $95.5 million | -1.5% |
| 198 | Blood fractions (including antisera) | $93.9 million | +34% |
| 199 | Beauty/makeup/skin care preparations | $92.5 million | +15% |
| 200 | Heterocyclics, nucleic acids | $92.5 million | -1.6% |
These 200 exported goods were worth a subtotal of US$200.1 billion or 91.9% by value for all products exported from Brazil during 2017.
See also Brazil’s Top 10 Imports, Brazil’s Top Trade Partners, Top Brazilian Trade Balances and Brazil’s Top 10 Major Export Companies
Research Sources:
International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database (GDP based on Purchasing Power Parity). Accessed on August 31, 2018
Forbes 2015 Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on August 31, 2018
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on August 31, 2018
The World Factbook, Country Profiles, Central Intelligence Agency. Accessed on August 31, 2018
Trade Map, International Trade Centre. Accessed on August 31, 2018
Wikipedia, Brazil. Accessed on August 31, 2018
Wikipedia, List of Companies of Brazil. Accessed on August 31, 2018
Forbes 2015 Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on August 31, 2018
Zepol’s company summary highlights by country. Accessed on August 31, 2018
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