Brazil Closes 2024 with Record 28,847 Exporting Companies

Brazil ended 2024 with a record 28,847 exporting companies, marking a 1.1% increase over the previous year. This growth follows a 2% rise in 2023, which had set the previous record at 28,524 companies. The data comes from the Exports and Imports by Company Size report, released by the Secretariat of Foreign Trade at the Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade, and Services (Secex/MDIC) on March 7.

Aimed at expanding foreign trade statistics, the report analyzes the fiscal classification of Brazil’s exporting and importing companies. It identifies the share of microenterprises, individual micro-entrepreneurs (MEIs), small businesses (EPPs), and medium or large enterprises engaged in foreign trade.

“Understanding the profile of Brazilian exporters is crucial for advancing government programs that support the productive and export sectors. One such initiative is Acredita Exportação, recently approved by the Chamber of Deputies, which will boost small businesses by reimbursing them the equivalent of 3% of their export revenues,” said Vice President and MDIC Minister Geraldo Alckmin.

Medium and large enterprises accounted for the majority of exporters, representing 59.5% of the total, with 17,172 companies—this segment also showed the strongest growth, expanding by 2% from 2023. Small businesses saw a 1.5% increase, reaching 5,480 by the end of 2024. Meanwhile, microenterprises and MEIs totaled 5,952 companies, along with 243 classified under “other” categories.

“This report sets yet another milestone for Brazilian foreign trade. The steady rise in the number of exporting companies aligns with the federal government’s efforts to strengthen the export culture and create new opportunities for entrepreneurs,” said Foreign Trade Secretary Tatiana Prazeres.

Breaking down company growth by sector, micro and small businesses saw the highest expansion in the extractive industry, with increases of 8.1% and 2%, respectively, over the past year. Among medium and large enterprises, the most significant growth occurred in agribusiness, which expanded by 5.9% in 2024. However, manufacturing remains the dominant sector across all company sizes, with 80% or more of exporters shipping industrial goods.

See below a comparison of Brazilian container exports in January over the last five years. The data is from DataLiner:

Brazilian Container Exports | Jan 2021 – Jan 2025 | TEUs

Source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

The report also details export and import figures by company size, destination and origin countries, and the distribution of foreign trade activity across Brazil’s regions and states.

Source: Informativo dos Portos

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