Brazilian Exports to the U.S. Jump 21.9% in April Following Trump Tariffs

Amid new U.S. tariff hikes imposed by President Donald Trump, Brazil’s exports to the United States surged to USD 3.57 billion (BRL 20.52 billion) in April, marking a strong 21.9% increase compared to last year. Imports from the U.S. also rose, reaching USD 3.79 billion (BRL 21.79 billion), up 14% year-on-year.

Brazil’s Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade and Services (MDIC) released the figures on Wednesday (7).

According to Herlon Brandão, Director of Foreign Trade Statistics and Studies at the ministry, the sharp rise in exports to the U.S. may be linked to American importers anticipating purchases in light of expected impacts from the tariff measures.

“There’s a climate of uncertainty for U.S. importers, who fear retaliatory tariffs or hikes from other countries,” Brandão stated.

Check below a historical overview of Brazilian container exports to the United States. The data is from DataLiner:

Brazilian Exports to the United States | Jan 2022 – March 2025 | TEUs

Source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

Meanwhile, exports to China, Hong Kong, and Macau totaled USD 9.02 billion (BRL 51.86 billion), a 6.7% decline. Imports from those markets increased by 7.7%, reaching USD 5.10 billion (BRL 29.32 billion).

Brazil’s top exports included crude oil, coffee, aircraft, and beef, the latter of which registered a remarkable 1,000% increase in April.

However, steel and aluminum exports, which have faced 25% U.S. tariffs since March, saw significant drops: 23.2% and 73%, respectively, compared to April 2024.

According to Brandão, it’s still too early to assess the long-term structural impact of the new tariffs on Brazil’s trade balance. “We need more time to properly analyze the scenario more precisely,” he said.

Trade Surplus Declines

Brazil posted a USD 8.15 billion (BRL 46.84 billion) trade surplus in April, a 3.3% decline compared to last year. The result fell slightly short of market expectations, with economists surveyed by Reuters forecasting a surplus of USD 8.29 billion (BRL 47.66 billion).

April exports totaled USD 30.40 billion (BRL 19.58 billion), up 0.3% year-on-year. Imports rose by 1.6%, totaling USD 22.25 billion (BRL 127.86 billion).

Despite the slower surplus, both exports and imports set records for April.

Source: Folha de S. Paulo

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