Brazil furniture exports post negative first two months

Brazil’s furniture sector exported $47 million in the second month of the year, up 20.7% from January, when foreign sales had totaled $39.0 million. The rebound in furniture exports, however, was still not enough to reverse the cumulative loss, weighing on the results for the first two months of the year. Between January and February, shipments were 17.8% below the level recorded in the same period of 2025.

The figures point to a start to the year marked by partial restructuring, but still far from a consistent recovery. February improved the month-to-month picture, but did not on its own change the broader reading: the furniture and mattress export chain continues to face a more selective external environment, with weaker traction in key markets and the need for a geographic redistribution of shipments.

U.S. remains the leading market

In the first two months of 2026, the United States remained the main destination for Brazilian furniture and mattresses, but with a share well below its historical average, accounting for 17.7% of total exports. In the same period of 2025, the U.S. market represented 26.7% of Brazilian shipments in the segment. In 2024, that share was even higher, at 34.9%.

Against the backdrop of the tariff hike imposed last year, which affected negotiations, squeezed margins, interrupted contracts and reshaped part of the commercial relationships built with U.S. buyers, the United States remained central to the Brazilian industry, but no longer accounted for the same weight seen in previous years. In absolute terms, exports to the country fell from $27.9 million in the first two months of 2025 to about $15.2 million in 2026.

South America gains ground, Europe comes into focus

Uruguay followed with a 13.3% share, and Chile came next with 8.6%. At first glance, the figures preserve U.S. leadership, but they also highlight an important change in the composition of Brazil’s export basket.

That redesign suggests a twofold movement. On one hand, dependence on a single market is easing. On the other, regional and Latin American destinations are gaining importance as a partial support base for the sector’s trade balance. In periods of weaker momentum in major buying centers, geographic proximity, already established commercial relationships and relatively more manageable logistics costs tend to favor neighboring markets.

Beyond Latin America, European markets also appear among the top ten destinations for Brazilian furniture and mattresses this year, signaling a broader distribution of shipments. The provisional entry into force of the Mercosur-European Union Agreement, expected on May 1, could contribute even more meaningfully to a new shift in the outlook.

“The effect is unlikely to be immediate, especially because expanding presence in European markets depends on technical adaptation, regulatory predictability, the development of commercial channels and brand positioning. Even so, the agreement opens a strategic perspective for the Brazilian furniture industry, especially in markets that value design, traceability, sustainability, material differentiation and greater value added,” said Irineu Munhoz, president of Abimóvel, the Brazilian Furniture Industry Association.

Exports in the supply chain

In the sector’s supply chain, Brazilian exports of components, inputs and machinery totaled $498.8 million between January and February 2026, slightly below the $505.8 million recorded in the same period of 2025. Although revenue declined, the export base remains robust and maintains a strong industrial presence across different markets.

In that segment, the United States also led, with a 30.7% share in the two-month period. Argentina followed with 16.3%, and Mexico with 5.4%. The data stand out not only because of the continued U.S. lead, but also because of the significant gain in the Argentine market. Sales to the neighboring country rose from nearly $64.2 million in the first two months of 2025 to $81.2 million in the same period of 2026, significantly increasing its share in Brazil’s export basket.

Other markets also posted consistent performance, including Colombia, Chile, Paraguay, Germany, France, the Netherlands and Italy. Taken together, the figures show that the supply chain has a diversified profile of international integration. That is because its dynamics are linked not only to final consumption, but also to industrial activity, production replacement, plant modernization and the integration of manufacturing chains around the world.

Recovery also depends on external variables

February therefore brought an important signal, but still not enough to anticipate a structural turnaround. In the case of furniture and mattresses, the monthly gain over January should be read with caution, since it came off a heavily depressed base. There was an improvement, but within a scenario in which the year-to-date result remains negative and strategic markets have lost share. In the supply chain, the picture was one of greater diversification, but still below last year’s level.

From an analytical standpoint, the first two months of 2026 reinforce that the international agenda for Brazil’s furniture industry cannot be assessed only in terms of export volume, nor attributed exclusively to companies’ capacity to react. The sector’s external performance also depends on economic, geopolitical, fiscal and bilateral variables that directly affect price formation, contract predictability, market access and the competitiveness of Brazilian products.

That reading is now further shaped by a new source of concern: the escalation of tensions in the Middle East and instability in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s main energy routes. The crisis is likely to put pressure on logistics costs, marine insurance, international freight rates and fuel prices, with indirect effects on integrated industrial chains. On the industry side, the response remains equally necessary: expand market intelligence, strengthen participation in trade fairs and business missions, reinforce differentiation through design and consolidate Brazilian furniture as a competitive product not only in price, but also in identity, design, production capacity, sustainability, quality and value added.

Source: E-Mobile

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