EN 
PT_BR 
The year 2025 was marked by the resizing of US import tariffs in relation to its international partners, which became known as the "tariff hike," and Brazil, of course, was not left out. Initially, the country appeared at the bottom of the tariff table, with its products suffering an additional percentage for entry into the US market of 10%. But, as most of our competitors in that market suffered higher taxation, Brazilian products gained competitiveness there.
Article written by Andréia Adami, researcher in the area of Macroeconomics at Cepea.
However, the relief was short-lived, as in June, political noise and disputes were added to the trade disputes, leading the US government to announce an increase in this additional tariff on Brazilian products to 50%, a new blow to Brazilian exporters, including those in agribusiness.
As a result of this new, more adverse scenario in US trade policy, the total value of Brazilian exports to the country in October 2025 was 401% lower than in July 2025. In the case of agribusiness, revenue in dollars fell by 35% and the volume exported decreased by 41% in the same comparison. Important products in our export portfolio such as coffee, wood, beef, fruits and juices were severely affected.
Data from the Brazilian Coffee Exporters Council (Cecafé) shows that US purchases of Brazilian coffee fell by 50% between August and November 2025, when compared to the same period in 2024. The scenario was not very different for exporters of wood, beef, fruits and orange juice; as well as fish and products such as honey, which, despite having a small representation in terms of value, were heavily dependent on the US market.
The Brazilian government rushed to support the affected sectors, mainly by making credit available so that they could have time to store their products while seeking new markets, with the support of Brazilian institutions such as the Ministry of Agriculture and the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex).
Faced with the protectionist actions of the US government, not only Brazil, but all countries affected by its new trade policy had to apply a negotiation strategy long used in financial markets: "don't put all your eggs in one basket," that is, use diversification of destinations as a risk reduction strategy, now in the commercial area.
The pursuit of opening new markets and free trade agreements with Mexico, Canada, India, Japan, and especially the European Union, has come to be seen as more than essential to fill the gap left by the North American market.
In the case of agribusiness, the result of this effort to conquer new markets can be seen in the growth of the sector's foreign sales in 2025, which were 11% to China, 9% to the European Union, 7% to Mexico, 13% to the United Kingdom and 38% to Argentina; while they fell 6% to the United States.
And, despite the "chemistry" between our leaders and the recent overturning of the tariff increase by the US Supreme Court, the most important thing is that increased trade relations between countries can be a key element in boosting the growth of their economies, leading to more demand, especially for food.
