Brazil keeps nearly $3 bln in trade with Iran in 2025 raising concerns over tariff threats

Brazil maintained close to $3 billion in trade with Iran in 2025, even though the Persian Gulf country accounted for just 0.84% of total Brazilian exports.

Data from Brazil’s Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade and Services (MDIC) show that Brazilian exports to Tehran totaled $2.9 billion last year, making Iran the fifth-largest destination for Brazilian goods in the Middle East.

While Iran ranked 31st overall among Brazil’s export destinations, it trailed only the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Turkey and Saudi Arabia within the region. In 2025, Brazilian sales to Iran exceeded exports to markets such as Switzerland, South Africa and Russia.

Trade between the two countries remains heavily concentrated in agribusiness. Corn and soybeans accounted for 87.2% of Brazilian exports to Iran last year. Corn alone represented 67.9% of the total, with shipments exceeding $1.9 billion, while soybeans made up 19.3%, totaling around $563 million.

Other key export items included sugars and confectionery products, soy meal for animal feed, and oil products.

Take a look at the chart below for an overview of Brazilian exports to Iran (measured in tonnes) registered monthly from January 2022 through November 2025. The data was gathered by Datamar’s business intelligence specialists.

Brazil Export Volume to Iran | Jan 2022 – Nov 2025 | WTMT

Source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

Brazilian imports from Iran were far more limited. In 2025, Brazil imported roughly $84 million worth of goods from the Middle Eastern country, mainly fertilizers, which accounted for about 79% of the total, as well as fruit, nuts, pistachios and dried grapes.

Bilateral trade has fluctuated in recent years. Brazilian exports to Iran peaked at $4.2 billion in 2022, the highest level in the recent series, before falling in 2023 and rebounding in 2024 and 2025. Imports showed even sharper swings, with steep declines in 2023 followed by a recovery last year.

Trump tariff threat

The issue gained new momentum after U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday (12) that Washington would impose 25% tariffs on countries that maintain trade relations with Iran.

According to Trump, the levy would apply to “all commercial transactions with the United States” carried out by those countries and would take effect immediately, although the White House has yet to publish formal details of the measure.

The announcement raised concerns over potential impacts on Brazilian trade, particularly in agribusiness, which is the main beneficiary of exports to Iran.

Brazil’s federal government said it is awaiting the publication of the U.S. executive order before issuing an official response.

Diplomatic initiatives

Growing trade ties between Brazil and Iran have been accompanied by diplomatic engagement. In April 2024, Iran’s agriculture minister visited Brazil and met with Agriculture and Livestock Minister Carlos Fávaro. The two countries agreed to create a bilateral agricultural and consultative committee aimed at speeding up shared agendas, expanding technical cooperation and discussing measures to facilitate trade.

During the visit, Iranian officials also expressed interest in setting up a shipping company in Brazil, a move that could reduce logistics costs and further boost bilateral trade flows. Since August 2023, Iran has been a member of BRICS, the economic bloc in which Brazil is a founding member.

The potential U.S. tariffs come amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran, marked by mutual threats, internal unrest in Iran and recent statements from both sides signaling openness to talks while not ruling out a further escalation of the conflict.

Reproduction from Agência Brasil

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