SÃO PAULO (Realist English). Brazil’s beef exports to China jumped 38.3% in September compared to a year earlier, reaching 187,340 tonnes, as Beijing accelerates its efforts to reduce dependence on U.S. agricultural imports amid ongoing trade frictions.
The surge helped push Brazil’s total monthly beef exports to an all-time high, according to industry association Abrafrigo, with global demand for beef cushioning the impact of U.S. tariffs on Brazilian goods.
In August, President Donald Trump’s administration imposed a 50% tariff on Brazilian beef and other products, adding to an existing 26.4% levy. Yet Brazil’s exporters have proved resilient: total shipments of beef — including fresh and processed meat, edible offal and tallow — rose 17% in volume and 49% in value year-on-year, generating $1.92 billion in September alone.
“This strong performance in the second month of additional U.S. tariffs demonstrates the sector’s resilience and ability to capture new commercial opportunities,” Abrafrigo said in a statement.
Shifting markets
Exports to the United States, previously Brazil’s second-largest beef buyer, plunged 41% in the first nine months of the year to $102.9 million. The European Union has since overtaken the U.S. as Brazil’s second-biggest destination, with sales to Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain doubling to $131.7 million in September — a 106% year-on-year increase.
Abrafrigo noted that 130 countries increased imports of Brazilian beef this year, while 48 reduced their purchases, underscoring the country’s expanding global footprint.
A broader export boom
Latin America’s largest economy is capitalizing on a global trade realignment spurred by U.S. tariff policies. The same pattern has been evident in soybean exports, which also reached record volumes, as China and other Asian markets pivot toward Brazilian suppliers to replace U.S. commodities.
Analysts say Brazil’s agricultural sector is emerging as a key beneficiary of the new trade geography, positioning itself as an indispensable supplier to both traditional markets and newly opened ones in Asia and the Middle East.
