If the pace recorded in the first nine months is sustained, both bilateral trade and Brazilian exports to China could comfortably surpass 2025 levels.
China-Brazil trade reaches record US$143.3 billion in the first three quarters
Article by:
PUBLISHED:
China-Brazil trade reached a record US$143.3 billion in the first nine months of 2026, according to figures from Brazil’s Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade and Services (MDIC).
China’s purchases of Brazilian crude oil rose 49 percent from the same period in 2025 to US$21.8 billion, making oil Brazil’s second-largest export to the Chinese market after soybeans. Brazilian exports to China increased 12 percent to US$84.7 billion between January and September, while imports rose 9.9 percent to US$58.6 billion. Brazil recorded a bilateral trade surplus of US$26.1 billion.
[See more: Chinese oil firms expand footprint in Brazil’s pre-salt sector]
Brazilian soybeans remained the leading export in the China-Brazil trade. The crop generated US$30 billion, with China purchasing approximately 70 percent of Brazil’s soybean shipments, the Global Times reports. Together, soybeans, crude oil and iron ore accounted for more than 77 percent of Brazilian exports to China.
China-Brazil trade: new agricultural commodities
Agricultural trade showed contrasting trends. Beef exports declined 8.5 percent, while shipments of poultry and offal increased 113 percent in value and 86 percent in volume.
New animal-feed products are helping diversify Brazilian sales. Sorghum exports to China reached US$170 million following a bilateral market-access agreement signed in late 2024. China also accounted for 53 percent of Brazil’s exports of dried distillers’ grains, a corn ethanol byproduct used in animal feed.
Copper ore exports also grew, rising 7.8 percent.
[See more: China drives demand as Brazilian cotton exports reach new heights]
On the import side, Brazil purchased US$5.9 billion worth of Chinese electric and hybrid vehicles, representing approximately 10 percent of its imports from China during the period. Vehicle imports declined in July and August following an increase in import tariffs to 35 percent in July but recovered to significant levels in September. Other prominent imports included herbicides and memory chips.
Brazil-China trade reached a full-year record of US$171 billion in 2025, including US$100 billion in Brazilian exports. If the pace recorded in the first nine months is sustained, both bilateral trade and Brazilian exports to China could comfortably surpass those levels in 2026.
