By Brazil Stock Guide – Brazil is on track to post record beef exports in August despite U.S. tariffs that cut access to what had been its second-largest overseas market after China, according to The AgriBiz.
Preliminary data from Brazil’s trade ministry (Secex) show exports reached 212,900 metric tons through the fourth week of August, a 35% jump in daily averages compared with a year earlier. Agrifatto consultancy estimates total monthly shipments could hit 265,000 tons of fresh beef, surpassing the previous record of 217,000 tons in August 2024. “We will certainly break a record for August,” said Agrifatto CEO Lygia Pimentel.
Revenues Jump as Prices Rise
Export revenues climbed sharply alongside volumes. Average beef prices rose 26% from a year earlier, boosting export receipts by 70%. Shipments so far this month generated $1.19 billion, placing beef among Brazil’s top five export products, behind crude oil, soybeans and iron ore.
Buyers Shift After U.S. Tariffs
Uncertainty remains over which importers are replacing the U.S., which had purchased about 28,500 tons a month until July. “We imagine China has accelerated imports and maybe we have shipped more to Mexico as well. But we need to wait until the end of the month to be sure,” Pimentel said.
With the 50% tariff taking effect Aug. 1, the U.S. likely boosted purchases from suppliers such as Australia. That shift appears to have opened space for China and Mexico to increase orders from Brazil. “It’s a strong demonstration of the sector’s resilience,” Pimentel said.