Brazil’s Trade Surplus Reaches $62.4 Billion Through September

Brazil’s external trade position strengthened further in the first nine months of 2026, with the country recording a cumulative trade surplus of $62.396 billion through September.

The figures, released on Tuesday, Oct. 6, by Secex, Brazil’s Foreign Trade Secretariat, show exports of $284.654 billion and imports of $222.259 billion from January to September. Secex sits within the Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade and Services, known in Brazil by the acronym MDIC, and is the government body responsible for compiling and publishing official trade data.

The year to September surplus was 34.8 percent larger than in the same period of 2025, underscoring the role of foreign trade as a stabilising force for Latin America’s largest economy. For international companies, the data also offer a useful map of where Brazilian demand and global appetite for Brazilian goods are expanding.

Exports broaden, led by extractive industries

Exports rose 10.4 percent in the first nine months of 2026 compared with the same period last year. The strongest percentage increase came from the extractive industry, which includes products such as mineral commodities and oil. That segment exported $71.150 billion, up 21.2 percent year on year.

Agriculture also continued to provide a large share of Brazil’s foreign sales. Shipments from the agricultural sector reached $64.837 billion, an 8.9 percent increase over the first nine months of 2025. Brazil remains one of the world’s leading suppliers of food and raw materials, and the sector’s performance is closely watched by trading houses, logistics providers, input suppliers and food companies with exposure to global supply chains.

Manufacturing exports grew more moderately, but from a larger base. The manufacturing industry exported $146.915 billion through September, up 6.3 percent from the same period in 2025. That category is important for investors because it captures higher value trade across areas such as processed goods, industrial inputs, machinery, chemicals and other manufactured products.

Taken together, the export numbers point to a trade performance supported both by Brazil’s commodity base and by continued participation in industrial supply chains.

Imports rise, with manufacturing demand still dominant

Imports increased 5.0 percent from January to September compared with the same nine months of 2025. The composition of those purchases is particularly relevant for foreign suppliers assessing market opportunities in Brazil.

Manufactured goods accounted for the overwhelming majority of imports, reaching $207.167 billion, a 5.8 percent increase year on year. That suggests continued demand from Brazilian companies and consumers for foreign industrial products, components, capital goods and intermediate inputs.

Imports tied to agriculture fell 10.1 percent to $4.178 billion. Purchases from the extractive industry also declined, dropping 3.9 percent to $9.476 billion. Even with those decreases, the overall import bill rose because of the weight of manufactured goods in Brazil’s purchasing from abroad.

For exporters into Brazil, this mix matters. The headline surplus can make the country look primarily like a supplier to the world, but the import data show that Brazil remains a major buyer of manufactured products. Companies selling into sectors such as industry, infrastructure, energy, transport, agribusiness technology and consumer goods will be watching whether this import growth continues in the final quarter.

What investors should take from the data

A rising trade surplus can affect several parts of the investment landscape. It can support foreign exchange inflows, shape expectations for the Brazilian real, and influence the outlook for sectors linked to ports, railways, warehousing, shipping, trade finance and customs services.

The latest data also reinforce Brazil’s dual profile in global commerce. On one side, the country is a powerhouse in agriculture and extractive industries. On the other, it has a deep domestic market that continues to import substantial volumes of manufactured goods.

For international companies, that combination creates opportunities in both directions. Brazil is a platform for sourcing food, raw materials and industrial exports, while also offering demand for imported technology, equipment and inputs that improve productivity across the economy.

Businesses looking at Brazil should read the trade figures not only as a macroeconomic indicator, but as a guide to commercial movement on the ground: what is leaving Brazilian ports, what is arriving, and which sectors are gaining scale.

If you want to invest in Brazil, export to Brazil, source from Brazil or build partnerships in the market, connect with Brazil Business Club to explore opportunities with local context and international perspective.