The surcharges imposed by the United States on Brazilian products have had a broad and negative impact on the country's exports. A study by the American Chamber of Commerce for Brazil (Amcham Brasil) shows that only six of the 21 exporting sectors managed to compensate, in other markets, for the losses recorded in sales to the American market.<\/p>\n
Between August and November 2025, all sectors analyzed sold less to the United States compared to the same period in 2024. The combined drop reached US$1.5 billion. In practically all segments, the decline in exports to the US was more intense than the variation in global sales, highlighting the weight of the American market for the Brazilian export agenda.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\nPhoto: Vosmar Rosa\/MPOR<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
The attempt to redirect exports to other countries was not enough for most sectors. In 15 of the 21 segments evaluated, growth in sales to the rest of the world failed to offset losses in the United States. Together, these areas accumulated a reduction of US$1.2 billion.<\/p>\n
The most significant impacts were recorded in the food sector, such as honey and fish, as well as plastics and rubber, wood, metals, and transportation equipment. Only six sectors managed to offset the losses with sales in other markets: vegetable products; fats and oils; chemicals; precious stones; electrical machinery and equipment; and mechanical machinery and instruments.<\/p>\n
Even in these cases, compensation was limited. The study points out that, often, the products exported to other destinations are not the same as those that traditionally have the United States as their main market. This indicates that the substitution of the American market occurs incompletely, both in value and in product profile.<\/p>\n
In the electrical machinery and equipment sector, for example, exports to the United States fell by US$104.5 million during the period analyzed. Meanwhile, sales to other markets grew by US$150 million. Despite the positive balance, specific items with higher added value, such as transformers and generators, also performed poorly outside the US. Exports of transformers fell both to the American market and to the rest of the world, while generators registered a sharp decline in the US and modest growth in other destinations.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\nPhoto: Claudio Neves\/Ports of Paran\u00e1<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
The survey reinforces that the United States market remains difficult to replace. In addition to volume, the country imports more diversified products with higher added value, which limits the ability to redirect Brazilian exports in the short term.<\/p>\n
According to Amcham, the data shows that market diversification helps, but doesn't solve the problem. The organization believes that, for a large part of Brazilian industry, the losses caused by the surcharges cannot be fully reversed without progress in trade negotiations with the United States.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n