DataLiner July data show diverging paths for Brazil container trade

New figures released by Datamar’s Business Intelligence team show that Brazil container trade followed different paths in July, with imports gaining strength while exports lost momentum. From January through July 2026, Brazilian containerized imports rose 9.2% from the same period last year. In July alone, imports increased 13.3% year on year, according to DataLiner.

See below the evolution of Brazilian containerized imports from January to July between 2022 and 2026. The data is from DataLiner:

Brazilian Containerized Imports | Jan-Jul 2022 to 2026 | TEU

Source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

Vehicles and auto parts led Brazilian containerized imports in the first seven months of the year, with volumes up 41.4% from the same period in 2025. Plastics ranked second, rising 8.3%, followed by reactors, boilers and machinery, up 3.3%.

China remained the main origin of goods shipped to Brazil in containers from January to July, with volumes 21.6% higher than in the same period last year. The United States ranked second, although shipments fell 32.3%, followed by India, with growth of 4.8%.

The increase in containerized imports was stronger than the growth seen in Brazil’s overall foreign trade in value terms. According to the Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade and Services, known as MDIC, Brazilian imports across all transport modes rose 5.5% in value between January and July, reaching $169.51 billion. Manufacturing accounted for $158 billion of that total, up 6.1%.

Although TEU volumes and dollar values measure different things and are not directly comparable, the figures show that containerized cargo movement expanded proportionally more than the total value of Brazilian imports. The growth in vehicles and auto parts, together with above-average cargo flows from China, points to the Asian country’s growing role in supplying Brazilian industry and consumers.

The same gap appeared in July. While containerized imports rose 13.3%, Brazil’s overall foreign purchases increased 7.6% in value, to $27.05 billion. Imports of manufactured goods alone rose 6.9% in the month, totaling $25.09 billion.

The result suggests that demand for containerized maritime transport remained strong at the start of the second half. One possible explanation for the difference between growth in TEUs and growth in value is a change in the import mix, with a larger presence of components and industrial goods. A more precise reading, however, would require an analysis of the value of cargo actually transported in containers to determine whether the average value per TEU has declined.

Exports rise year to date, but fall in July

On the export side, DataLiner figures show that Brazilian containerized shipments rose 4.5% from January to July compared with the first seven months of 2025. In July alone, however, exports fell 4.1% from the same month last year.

See below the evolution of Brazilian containerized exports from January to July between 2022 and 2026. The data is from DataLiner:

Brazilian Containerized Exports | Jan-Jul 2022 to 2026 | TEU

Source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

China remained the main destination for Brazilian containerized exports, with volumes 15.4% higher than in the same period of 2025. The United States ranked second, with a 20.9% decline, followed by Mexico, where shipments rose 5.2%.

The 4.5% increase in containerized exports was below the 10.5% rise recorded by MDIC for the total value of Brazilian exports between January and July. That difference can be partly explained by the composition of the export basket. During the period, sales from the extractive industry rose 21.3%, while agricultural exports increased 9.2%. A significant share of those cargoes, including iron ore, oil, soybeans and corn, moves on bulk carriers and tankers rather than in containers.

The different behavior across transport modes became clearer in July. While Brazil’s total exports rose 6.2% in value, driven mainly by agriculture and the extractive industry, containerized shipments fell 4.1%. The indicators are therefore not contradictory: Brazilian foreign trade continued to grow, but a relevant share of that performance was supported by bulk commodities, while some products typically moved in containers lost strength.

Beef was one of the main factors behind the decline in containerized exports in July. Volumes fell from 20,012 TEUs in July 2025 to 12,268 TEUs in July 2026, a drop of 38.7%. Shipments to China fell 81.4% in the same comparison.

The decline may be linked to the approaching exhaustion of China’s annual 1.106-million-ton quota for Brazilian beef in 2026. Once the limit is reached, the customs duty applied to Brazilian beef rises from 12% to 67%, including the additional safeguard tariff.

On July 21, Chinese imports of Brazilian beef had already reached 80% of the annual quota, according to a statement from China’s Ministry of Commerce. Under the rules, starting on the third day after the quota is filled, cargoes are subject to an additional 55% tariff on top of the existing rate.

Because the charge is based on when the goods enter China, not when they leave Brazil, exporters must factor in ocean transit time. That risk may have encouraged an early reduction in shipments, preventing cargo loaded before the quota was exhausted from arriving in China after the limit had already been reached.

The safeguard measure was adopted by the Chinese government to protect its domestic cattle industry and will remain in effect until the end of 2028. The quotas will gradually increase: for Brazil, the limit will rise from 1.106 million metric tons in 2026 to 1.128 million in 2027 and 1.151 million in 2028, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Argentina and Uruguay

According to DataLiner, Argentine containerized imports fell 5.4% from January to July 2026, while containerized exports rose 21.8% compared with the same period in 2025.

In Uruguay, containerized exports increased 11.1% in the first seven months of the year, while imports rose 2% year on year.

Trends and outlook for Brazil

For the coming months, Brazilian containerized imports are expected to remain at high levels, although they may lose momentum if ocean freight rates continue to rise.

According to Platts, freight rates from North Asia to the east coast of South America reached $8,500 per FEU in the week ended August 28, up $600 from the previous week. The increase was driven mainly by congestion at Asian ports, vessel delays, skipped calls and shortages of empty containers, all of which reduced available capacity.

Carriers were seeking to apply rate increases of around $1,000 per FEU, and rates were expected to remain elevated in September. However, additional capacity from ZIM and Hapag-Lloyd, expected in mid-month, could put downward pressure on prices, especially amid weaker demand and customer resistance to further increases.

On the export side, the outlook has become more challenging because of new U.S. tariffs on Brazilian goods. Under a decision by the Donald Trump administration, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative applied an additional 25% tariff on Brazilian products not included on exemption lists. Exempt items include beef, orange juice, aircraft and certain energy products. The measure took effect on July 22.

On July 24, a second surcharge of 12.5% began affecting non-exempt Brazilian products. That measure was adopted under a U.S. investigation into the alleged failure of several trading partners, including Brazil, to adequately prohibit and police imports of goods produced with forced labor. For products affected by both measures and not included on exemption lists, the additional tariff burden may reach 37.5%.

Because the measures took effect only at the end of July, their effects are expected to appear more clearly in the data from August onward, through possible order reductions or postponements, lower competitiveness for Brazilian products and the redirection of cargo to other markets. The impact, however, will vary across sectors because the exemption lists differ by product.

Another source of pressure is the European Union restriction on the entry of certain animal-origin products from Brazil, in force since September 3. The measure affects items including beef, poultry, eggs, aquaculture products, honey and casings.

Under EU Implementing Regulation 2026/1189, the European Commission said it had not received, within the established deadline, information considered sufficient to ensure that Brazil would comply with new requirements applied to bovine, equine, poultry, aquaculture, honey and casing products.

The European rules prohibit the use of antimicrobial medicines to promote growth or increase animal productivity and also restrict the use of substances reserved for the treatment of certain infections in humans.

Exports may resume if Brazil presents guarantees considered sufficient and is reinstated by the European Union on the list of authorized countries. The timeline for any resumption may vary by product and will depend on the outcome of assessments by European authorities.

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