50 Years of Diplomatic Relations: China Secures Top Spot among Brazil’s Trade Partners

On August 15, 1974, Brazil and China established diplomatic relations, paving the way for China to become Brazil’s main trading partner in the years that followed. On the same date in 2024, the two countries celebrated 50 years of official interaction.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MRE), the bilateral relationship is structured around the China-Brazil High-Level Coordination and Cooperation Commission (COSBAN), created in 2004 and elevated to a global strategic partnership in 2012. This year also marks the 20th anniversary of COSBAN’s creation.

The Secretariat of Trade and International Relations (SCRI) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Mapa) reported that between August 2023 and July 2024, China was the top destination for Brazilian agribusiness exports, totaling $58.6 billion—a 10% increase compared to the previous period. In 2023, Brazil set a new record by exporting over $60 billion worth of goods to China, a jump of more than $9 billion compared to 2022.

Here’s a general overview of historical data on Brazilian container exports to China over the past four years. The data was prepared by the Business Intelligence team at Datamar:

Brazilian Container Exports to China | Jan 2021 to Jun 2024 | TEU

Source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

In the first half of 2024 alone, Brazil exported $28.44 billion in agricultural products to China.

Soybeans, corn, sugar, beef, chicken, cellulose, cotton, and fresh pork are the primary exports to China.

As part of this bilateral relationship, Brazil also imports goods from China, such as forest and textile products, totaling approximately $1.18 billion.

A key factor contributing to the growth in exports was China’s authorization in March 2024 of 38 new Brazilian meatpacking plants—34 slaughterhouses and four distribution centers—the highest number of approvals ever granted. This enlarged the number of Brazilian companies authorized to export to China from 106 to 144.

Brazil’s Minister of Agriculture, Carlos Fávaro, has undertaken two ministerial missions to China, the most recent in June of this year, alongside Vice President Geraldo Alckmin. During the mission, the Brazilian government secured an agreement to promote Brazilian coffee in China’s largest coffee chain, with plans to purchase approximately 120,000 tonnes of coffee.

To maintain dialogue and strong trade relations, China is currently the only country with two Brazilian agricultural attaché posts in Beijing.

Perosa also emphasized that restoring a fruitful dialogue with China enables significant progress, such as the expansion of key product exports, further strengthening Brazil’s role on the global stage.

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