Brazilian agribusiness exports to the European Union reached $12.21 billion from May through September 2026, up 14.8% from the same period a year earlier. (Foto: Instagram)
Brazilian agribusiness exports to the European Union increased 14.8% in value during the first five months of the trade agreement’s provisional application, reaching $12.21 billion. The figures come from Agrostat, a database maintained by Brazil’s Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock. The agreement marked six months of provisional application on Nov. 1, 2026, after more than 25 years of negotiations.
The agreement took effect May 1. From May through September 2026, Brazil shipped 17.74 million metric tons of agricultural and agro-industrial products to the EU’s 27 member countries, an 8.1% increase from the same period in 2025, when shipments totaled 16.42 million metric tons. The reported growth was measured in both export value and volume.
Among the product categories, honey exports recorded the largest value increase, rising 367%. Oilseed products other than soybeans climbed 161%. Meat exports rose 103.5% in value and 170% in volume, increasing from 101,000 to 272,000 metric tons. Other animal products grew 55.5%, while forest products increased 23% and fruit, including nuts, rose 15%.
The soybean complex remained Brazil’s leading agribusiness export group to the EU, despite the sharp gains in several other categories. Within that complex, soybean sales increased 49% in value and 35.1% in volume. Soybean meal exports rose 22.5% in value and 10.6% in volume. The broad-based gains were described as an expansion of Brazil’s agricultural presence in Europe, alongside an increase in the country’s trade surplus; no surplus total was specified.
The agreement establishes a free-trade area between Mercosur and the EU, a market of about 450 million consumers. It calls for the gradual elimination of import duties on agricultural and industrial goods, a measure that could lower costs for Brazilian exports and improve companies’ competitiveness. Meat, sugar, ethanol, orange juice and grains are among the agribusiness sectors expected to face fewer barriers to entering the European market. More predictable trade rules could also encourage foreign investment in Brazil, particularly in infrastructure, industry and technology.
