Brazil could become top global food exporter by 2027, Alckmin says

Brazil has opened 700 markets to its agricultural and livestock products since the start of 2023, spanning more than 100 countries, the Ministry of Agriculture announced Tuesday. The figure, which covers the current administration’s term, was released at an event attended by Vice President Geraldo Alckmin, less than two weeks before the presidential runoff. Alckmin said Brazil could even become the top global food exporter, surpassing the U.S., by the end of this year.

Brazil is close to overtaking the United States as the world’s leading agricultural exporter. In 2025, the U.S. exported $171 billion in agricultural products, compared with Brazil’s $169 billion. For 2026, the U.S. government projected exports of $177.5 billion, while Brazil could reach $180 billion if it keeps up the growth pace recorded so far. The most recent market is the United Arab Emirates, which will start purchasing Brazilian wild-caught and farmed fish, Agriculture Minister André de Paula told reporters at the event.

According to Rafael Requião, the ministry’s acting secretary of Trade and International Relations, business generated through the newly opened markets has already brought Brazilian exporters more than $4 billion. He expects the figure to rise in the coming years as market access translates into actual trade.

“Each new market opening means that the health authority has authorized the entry of a Brazilian product, demonstrating confidence in the strength of our agricultural and livestock health protection system,” Requião said.

He stressed that market openings are becoming more significant “amid geopolitical uncertainty, high tariffs, and uncertainty in global trade.” Requião also said markets had been opened for less conventional products, such as açaí and yerba mate. “One in every five market openings covers nontraditional products.”

Countries where Brazil has agricultural attachés account for two-thirds of the openings in the period. Brazil currently has 40 such attachés. “This milestone reflects a change in the current administration’s strategy: actively seeking new markets rather than waiting for requests to come to us,” he said.

Also at the event, Floriano Pesaro, corporate management director at the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil), said Brazil’s export potential amounted to $80 billion over the next four years.

In his remarks, the agriculture minister compared the number of markets opened under the current administration with the 241 opened during Jair Bolsonaro’s presidency. “It is almost three times as many…We will go well beyond the target we set for ourselves,” he said. He also said Brazil would overtake the U.S. to become the world’s largest food exporter later in 2026. From January through September, Brazilian agribusiness exports exceeded $133.5 billion.

As part of the administration’s upbeat economic messaging, the minister also compared agribusiness growth under President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva with that under Jair Bolsonaro. According to him, the sector’s GDP grew 26% between 2023 and 2025 and could reach 29% once this year’s figures are included. In the previous administration, from 2019 to 2022, the sector grew 3.5%, he said.

Also at the event, Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira said the milestone of 700 new markets showed Brazil’s ability to engage in dialogue with the world.

Source: Valor International

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