Pulp gains ground in Northeast Brazil’s exports to the European Union

Exports from Northeast Brazil to the European Union rose 16.3% in May and June 2026 from the same period a year earlier, underscoring the region’s growing role in international trade as the Mercosur-EU agreement began to take effect.

Data from Comex Stat, the Brazilian government’s foreign trade database, cover only the two-month period but reinforce trends seen throughout 2025, particularly the importance of industrial and agricultural commodities in the Northeast’s export mix.

Brazilian ports handled 79,536 TEUs of wood pulp exports in the first five months of 2026. The chart below compares the monthly volumes available on the DataLiner platform:

Wood Pulp Exports | Jan 2023 – May 2026 | TEUs

Source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

Pulp remained a standout product for Maranhão. The state exported $104.5 million worth of pulp in May and June, far more than the $15.4 million generated by soybean shipments over the same period.

The figures highlight the industry’s importance to Maranhão’s economy and the high concentration of the state’s exports. In 2025, chemical wood pulp accounted for 66.1% of everything Maranhão sold to the European Union.

The state also exported aluminum, vegetable fats and agricultural residues, although at significantly lower values.

Pulp was likewise among Bahia’s leading exports to the European market, but the state’s trade mix was more diversified.

Soybean meal led Bahia’s shipments during the period, generating $90.5 million, followed by copper ore at $83.8 million. Soybeans, pulp and coffee each brought in more than $30 million, reflecting the state’s lower dependence on any single commodity.

The figures suggest that Northeast Brazil is entering a new phase of trade integration between Mercosur and the European Union with a range of different production profiles.

While states such as Maranhão continue to rely heavily on the competitiveness of their pulp industry, others, including Bahia, are expanding their international presence through a more diversified export portfolio.

Source: Portal Celulose

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