“For most fruit exporters, the war has not really hit home,” said Guilherme Coelho, president of Abrafrutas, the Brazilian Association of Fruit Producers, Exporters and Derivatives. He spoke to Valor during the Fruit Attraction trade fair in Sao Paulo, which ended on Thursday (March 26). On Monday (March 30), Coelho will leave the post and businessman Waldyr Promicia will take over as president.

About 60% of Brazil’s fruit exports take place in the second half of the year, especially between September and December, according to Abrafrutas. Most shipments of mangoes and melons, the two most important fruits in the segment’s export basket, occur during that period.

See the chart below for export fruit throughput trends over the past three years:

Fruit Exports | Jan. 2023 – Jan. 2026 | TEUs

Source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

Shipments from the new crop usually begin in late July, said Leandro Perna, Maersk’s logistics manager for reefer cargo. But volumes only begin to gain momentum from “week 34.” According to him, many market participants view that period, in mid-August, as a barometer for exports. “If things go well in that week, the tendency is for results to remain positive through the end of the season.”

Perna estimates that after the start of the war in the Middle East, ocean freight costs rose by between $300 and $600 per container, or about 10%, depending on the cargo and destination.

The increase is expected to be even sharper in air transport. During a panel at Fruit Attraction, Patricia Bello, chief executive of GolLog, said the price of aviation fuel in Brazil is expected to rise 54% in April. GolLog does not operate in the international fruit transport market.

Gold Fruit, based in Petrolina in Pernambuco state, which produces mangoes, grapes and melons in the Sao Francisco Valley, has not yet started shipments of two of the three mango varieties it exports. The exception is the Palmer variety, which is exported year-round.

Mario Otsuka, chief executive of Gold Fruit, said the company negotiates freight in advance for both the first and second halves of the year. “People are already starting to complain,” he said, referring to logistics operators’ attempts to bring forward rate increases. Europe is the company’s main export destination.

Sebastiao da Manga, also based in Petrolina, works in fruit exports and imports across different transport modes. In road transport, the cost of a truck rose from 28,000 reais to 32,000 reais after the war began, said Chief Executive Robson Araujo. “If the war drags on for too long, it will become very complicated for the sector,” he said.

Source: Globo Rural

The Mercosur-European Union agreement, ratified by South American lawmakers, has fueled part of the sector’s optimism بشأن tariff flexibility. A survey by Abrafrutas, the Brazilian Association of Fruit Producers and Exporters and Derivatives, estimates tariff reductions ranging from 4% to 14% on Brazilian products. Among the highlights, grapes will receive immediate tariff exemption once the agreement takes effect.

Guilherme Coelho, president of Abrafrutas, said grapes are leading what is expected to be a promising wave of tariff cuts for other fruits. “This reduction guarantees strategic predictability for producers, in addition to increasing Brazil’s competitiveness relative to other countries that already have zero or reduced tariffs on sales of the same fruits exported by Brazil,” he told CNN Brasil.

The tariff exemption is expected to boost Brazil’s competitiveness against countries such as Peru, Chile and South Africa, which already ship fruit to the European Union under reduced or zero tariffs.

The grape sector had already gained important ground in international trade. Through recent trade missions, Brazil has also reached the Asian market by bringing Brazilian grapes to China.

Paula Soares, agribusiness coordinator at ApexBrasil, the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency, said diversification of shipments is also a goal in order to capture the growth potential strengthened by the EU-Mercosur agreement.

“We have been studying the best ways to open new markets for several years. We opened the grape market in China, citrus in India, and we continue with special missions for that purpose. These are markets where we already operate, but we are seeking new destinations, regardless of the shifts caused by the tariff hike,” she told CNN Brasil.

Datamar‘s historical time-series indicates that Brazilian grape export flows follow a highly cyclical nature, typically peaking starting in September. In January 2026, outbound shipments totaled just 16 TEUs—representing a 86.7% year-over-year (YoY) plunge compared to January 2025. The following overview details Brazilian containerized grape shipments, according to intelligence sourced from the DataLiner platform:

Grape Exports | Jan 2022 – Jan 2026 | TEUs

Source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

Fruit sector

In 2025, Brazilian fruit exports hit a record, reaching $1.45 billion, up 12% in value and 19.6% in volume from 2024.

Exports to Europe of mangoes, melons, limes, watermelons, grapes and papayas rose 12.8% in value and 19.1% in volume in 2025. Overall, shipments to Europe increased 6.2% in value and 3.4% in volume in 2025 from 2024, according to data from Brazil’s Ministry of Development and Industry.

Mangoes, melons, limes, watermelons, grapes and papayas generated $967 million in revenue last year, compared with $857.6 million in 2024. Brazil exported 949,000 tonnes of fruit to Europe in 2025, up from 796,600 tonnes in 2024.

ApexBrasil estimates that fruit farming revenue will grow 40% and reach $1.8 billion by 2029. In 2025, Brazil exported 1.2 million tonnes of fresh fruit, generating revenue of about $1.3 billion.

Adapted from a text by Kaique Cangirana for CNN Brasil

Last year, watermelon was the fruit with the highest growth in both volume (39.9%) and revenue (57.2%) among the five main varieties exported. Data compiled by the Brazilian Association of Fruit and Fruit Derivatives Producers and Exporters (Abrafrutas) indicate that watermelon is the fifth most exported fruit by the country.

The segment generated US$115.6 million in revenue and shipped 185.5 thousand tonnes to foreign markets last year. “It is possible to quintuple the exported volume over the next five years,” says Luiz Roberto Barcelos, partner at Agrícola Famosa, the country’s largest watermelon exporter.

According to him, who is also a director at Abrafrutas, the main target is the European market, where consumption is still low but has great potential.

“We are creating a culture of consumption outside the traditional season. Today, the Brazilian window runs from September to April, exactly during the European winter, before the harvest in Mediterranean countries,” he explains.

The exported fruits have specific characteristics. They are smaller, between 1.5 kg and 3 kg, predominantly seedless or with microseeds, and have distinct flavor and sensory attributes.

“In the past, these varieties had a shorter shelf life, inferior flavor, and less pulp resistance. Over the years, there has been genetic improvement and a significant enhancement in the sensory experience,” Barcelos says.

Agrícola Famosa cultivates around 2,000 hectares and is one of Brazil’s leading watermelon exporters. The company ships approximately 300,000 tonnes of fruit of different varieties per year, equivalent to about 12,000 containers.

The following chart illustrates the monthly performance of Brazilian watermelon exports since January 2022, according to Datamar data:

Watermelon Exports | Jan 2022 – Dec 2025 | TEUs

Source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

No competitors

Brazil currently cultivates about 110,000 hectares of watermelon, but only 5,000 hectares are dedicated to the export of special varieties, mainly aimed at the European Union (EU).

Brazilian competitiveness is based on a combination of a favorable climatic window and gains in productive efficiency, both in yields and costs. Other producers are at a disadvantage in different ways.

Israel, for example, is hardly competitive on cost, while Spain — the main competitor — does not produce during the European winter. Central American countries also operate in the market, but with a stronger focus on North America.

For Max de Aquino, Brazil director at Grupo CMR, the country’s advance is a direct result of the professionalization of agriculture. He leads the Spanish-capital group that invested in watermelon and melon production in Rio Grande do Norte.

“Brazil has been breaking successive records thanks to a lot of hard work. This is the result of professionalization, not only in inputs but especially in crop management,” he says.

Given Brazil’s competitive advantages, Grupo CMR began production in Jandaíra (RN) in 2008 and currently cultivates about 2,000 hectares. Production ranges from 13,000 to 14,000 tonnes of melon and watermelon per year, of which 1,300 tonnes are watermelon.

According to Aquino, productivity has steadily improved over the past decade. “Under good conditions, we reach between 45 and 50 tonnes per hectare. A good production standard is around 33-35 tonnes. Ten years ago, these figures were much lower.”

The company’s exports are also mainly destined for Europe, via Spain and the Port of Rotterdam.

Growing requirements

The European market imposes increasingly strict criteria, especially regarding phytosanitary guarantees and the reduction of pesticide use. As a result, companies invest in bio-inputs, traceability, automation, and drone monitoring, among other new technologies.

“As for automation in the field and in the packing house, we always seek greater efficiency and a smaller margin of error,” says Aquino. Even so, watermelon harvesting remains largely manual.

In addition to food safety, environmental requirements such as licenses and water-use permits are also considered, as well as social responsibility, including adequate working and housing conditions. “These requirements ultimately translate into greater management efficiency and productivity,” Barcelos concludes.

Source: Globo Rural

According to data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), Brazil produces around 1.6 million tonnes of açaí annually, considering both extractive harvesting and cultivation. Pará accounts for approximately 85% of this volume, consolidating its position as the country’s largest producer. Amazonas and Amapá follow, with production that is predominantly extractive, while states such as Roraima and Acre are expanding planted areas under irrigated systems.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade and Services (MDIC), Brazilian exports of açaí — including pulp and preparations — exceeded US$200 million in 2024, maintaining an upward trajectory in recent years. The main destination is the United States, which accounts for more than half of external purchases. The European Union and Japan are also among the relevant markets.

The growth in foreign sales reflects the consolidation of açaí as a product associated with healthy eating and high nutritional value. International demand is driven mainly by frozen pulps and concentrates used in the beverage, supplements, and functional foods industries.

In the trade balance, açaí maintains a broadly positive balance, as Brazil virtually does not import the product. The surplus underscores the importance of the fruit in the Amazonian bioeconomy’s export basket.

While Pará leads in volume, new production hubs are betting on industrialization to capture higher margins. In Roraima, producers have invested in irrigated systems in the lavrado — savanna areas, which allow year-round harvesting, reducing the typical seasonality of the Amazon region.

In the municipality of Cantá, farmers have begun integrating production and processing. The model includes fruit selection, washing, blanching — an essential step to eliminate microorganisms and reduce sanitary risks — and pulp extraction prior to commercialization.

The advance of local industrialization seeks to increase income and reduce dependence on the sale of fresh fruit, which is traditionally more subject to price fluctuations. Small agro-industries are emerging as an alternative for economic diversification, especially for family farmers.

The expansion of consumption has also brought stricter sanitary requirements. Blanching — a heat treatment that eliminates potential contaminants — has become a practice recommended by health surveillance authorities to prevent contamination by Trypanosoma cruzi, the parasite that causes Chagas disease.

Producing states have stepped up training and quality control campaigns. In Pará, a national reference, the production chain has consolidated protocols that serve as a model for other regions.

Although production in the Amazon region is still predominantly extractive, irrigated cultivation is gaining ground, especially in areas adapted to it outside the traditional floodplains. The technology enables greater supply predictability, standardized fruit, and continuous supply contracts for industries and exporters.

Experts point out that the challenge of the next decade will be to balance productive expansion with environmental preservation, as the açaí palm is native to the Amazon and plays a relevant ecological role.

The global market for açaí-based products continues to show growth prospects, driven by trends toward natural foods and traceability. Expanding industrial capacity in the North could increase Brazil’s share in higher value-added segments, such as concentrated extracts and ingredients for the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries.

For emerging states such as Roraima, the bet on vertical integration represents an opportunity for more qualified insertion into the bioeconomy value chain. For the country, the fruit reinforces the strategy of turning biodiversity into an economic asset, with a direct impact on income generation and the trade balance.

The performance of açaí illustrates how regional products can gain global scale when production, technology, and access to international markets are combined.

Source: Pensar Agro

The initiative was discussed on Tuesday during a meeting held at the Port of Itajaí, attended by mayors from banana-producing municipalities, growers, industry associations, the Santa Catarina Banana Growers Federation (Febanana), as well as federal government representatives and political leaders. The meeting marked a concrete step forward in efforts to expand export destinations for Santa Catarina bananas and reduce reliance on traditional Mercosur markets.

Port of Itajaí Superintendent João Paulo Tavares Bastos said the talks are already yielding practical results.

“Today we held an extremely productive meeting aimed at taking Brazilian products abroad. We recently received an order for bananas bound for the Calabria region,” Bastos said. “Now we will carry out a technical visit and, together with ApexBrasil, Sebrae, producers, mayors, Febanana and industry associations, we are structuring a project to export our high-quality bananas to Europe.”

Representing Brazil’s Agriculture Ministry, Ivanor Boing, superintendent of agriculture and livestock in Santa Catarina (SFA-SC), highlighted the federal government’s role in opening new markets.

“This closer coordination between the Port of Itajaí, the Agriculture Ministry and producers creates the alignment needed to open a new market for Brazilian bananas, especially those produced in Santa Catarina,” Boing said.

Speaking for growers, Eliane Cristina Müller, president of the Corupá Banana Growers Association, underscored both the international recognition of Santa Catarina bananas and the importance of industry organizations.

“It has always been a major goal for Santa Catarina producers to open new markets,” Müller said. “Today, about 15% of our production is exported to Uruguay and Argentina. The prospect of exporting to Italy gives us great optimism, especially because Santa Catarina bananas have geographical indications, which are highly valued in the European market.”

The meeting reinforced the strategic role of the Port of Itajaí as a logistics platform for exporting products from Santa Catarina, linking regional production to high value-added markets and supporting the state’s economic development.

BOX | BANANA PRODUCTION IN SANTA CATARINA

• Santa Catarina is one of Brazil’s leading banana-producing regions, with a strong presence of family farming.
• Main producing areas: northern and northeastern Santa Catarina, the Upper Itajaí Valley, and the Tijucas River Valley.
• Current exports: about 15% of Santa Catarina’s banana output is shipped abroad, mainly to Uruguay and Argentina.
• New market under discussion: Europe, with a focus on Italy, expanding trade horizons and reducing dependence on Mercosur.
• Competitive edge: Santa Catarina bananas hold Geographical Indications (Denomination of Origin and Indication of Provenance), attributes highly valued in Europe.
• Added value: beyond fresh fruit, the supply chain includes products such as dried bananas, banana biomass, banana flour and other derivatives.

Source: Porto de Itajaí

This historic result was underpinned by a combination of robust European demand and production shortfalls in competing markets. During the first half of the year, climate-related bottlenecks in Central America constrained supply from Brazil’s primary competitors, while a reduction in planted acreage in Spain kept international windows open for Brazilian produce even during the typical off-season.

The following data provides an overview of Brazil’s monthly containerized export performance for watermelons, melons, and papayas. Figures are sourced from DataLiner:

Watermelon, Melon, and Papaya Exports | Jan – Nov | 2022 – 2025 | TEUs

Source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

Domestic logistics also played a pivotal role in the strategy adopted by producers in the Rio Grande do Norte and Ceará hubs. Following the implementation of new ANTT (National Land Transport Agency) regulations and the subsequent rise in domestic road freight costs, the sector intensified its export pivot to preserve profit margins. The partial data for the current 2025/26 harvest, which began in August, already reflects this trend; 161,000 tons were shipped through December—a 14% increase over the previous cycle—generating $138 million in FOB revenue.

However, analysts at Hortifrúti/Cepea are signaling a gradual slowdown in shipment pace starting in February. Beyond the natural conclusion of the harvest in March, the sector faces immediate climate risks. The National Institute of Meteorology (Inmet) forecasts below-average rainfall for the coming months in the producing regions, and field reports already indicate that wells on some properties have begun to run dry. While the impact is not yet widespread, irrigation restrictions could increase the incidence of smaller-caliber fruit, which fails to meet the stringent quality standards required by the European market.

Brazil’s competitiveness will also be tested by a production rebound in Central America. Nations such as Costa Rica anticipate more robust harvests in 2026, favored by stable weather conditions, which will increase global supply during the Brazilian off-season. Against this backdrop, maintaining profitability in the Potiguar and Cearense hubs through the end of the season will depend on efficient water resource management and the ability to compete on price as Central American volumes return to the market.

Source: HF Brasil

In 2025, the country’s exports climbed to US$107.004 billion, marking a 7.9% increase compared to 2024 (+US$7.839 billion) and setting a new record for the highest amount exported by the country since records began, with record values for both traditional and non-traditional exports.

It should be noted that in December 2025 alone, the country’s exports totaled US$11.285 billion, the highest level of foreign sales for a single month since records began.

Mining generated returns of US$63.253 billion, marking a 12.6% increase compared to 2024 and setting a new record for foreign sales. The dynamism exhibited by mining shipments was largely sustained by the rise in copper concentrates, with returns of US$ 36.278 billion, a figure that reflects an increase of 19.3%. This was followed in importance by growth in foreign sales of gold, molybdenum concentrate, and lithium carbonate. Overall, mining closed the year accounting for 59.1% of national exports of goods.

The fruit sector recorded record exports of US$8.63 billion, marking a 1.3% increase compared to 2024. Fresh cherries reached US$3.38 billion, positioning themselves as the country’s main export fruit, representing 39% of the sector’s exports. In addition, the sector’s dynamism was led by hazelnuts, walnuts, avocados, lemons, kiwis, blueberries, apples, almonds, nectarines, clementines, chestnuts, sarsaparillas, pomegranates, tangerines, and cranberries.

Foreign sales in the food industry continue to grow, reaching US$13.61 billion in 2025, which represents a 6.1% increase, reaching their highest annual level. This is supported by exports of 600 different types of food that Chile exported in 2025, including salmonids, frozen horse mackerel, frozen cuttlefish fillets, frozen blueberries, powdered milk, dried plums, apple juice, raisins, condensed milk, and Gouda cheese.

Organic foods posted historic returns of US$397 million, showing an increase of 19.6% compared to 2024. The sector’s growth can be explained by the dynamism in foreign sales of berries, honey, rosehip, and bottled Chardonnay and rosé wines, among others.

The forestry industry closed the year with shipments worth US$5.873 billion, down 8.8% from 2024, due to lower shipments of cellulose and wood chips. However, the sector saw strong growth in shipments of paper for corrugated reels, blanks, beds, paper bags, edge glue panels, corrugated cardboard, doors, cardboard boxes, paper towels, and packaging, among other industry products.

Finally, metal manufacturing, machinery, and transportation equipment accounted for US$2.606 billion in shipments worldwide, marking a 14.5% increase, due to higher shipments of mill balls, electrical conductors, mining machinery, gearboxes, stoves, and upright freezers.

Meanwhile, bottled wine exports totaled US$1.298 billion, down 3.7% compared to 2024.

Exports of traditional and non-traditional goods

At the end of 2025, exports of traditional goods accounted for 56% of total exports. Non-traditional shipments, meanwhile, accounted for 44%.

The country’s non-traditional exports closed the year with record shipments, totaling US$47.044 billion, an increase of 7.1% (+US$3.123 billion) compared to 2024. More specifically, the increase in non-traditional shipments was led by hazelnuts, frozen salmon fillets, iodine, avocados, walnuts, horse mackerel, cuttlefish, and frozen blueberries, among others.

Source: Marca Chile

Brazilian fruit currently faces an average import duty of about 10% to enter the EU market, with rates varying by product — around 8.8% for melons and up to 14% for grapes. Competitors from Central and South America, such as Peru, Ecuador and Colombia, already benefit from exemptions or reduced tariffs under the EU’s Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP).

The removal of tariffs is expected to lower the price of Brazilian products and enhance their competitiveness, said Luiz Roberto Barcelos, an IFPA board member.

Another point highlighted by the association is that Brazilian fruit production does not directly compete with European output. Brazil exports mainly tropical fruits that are not produced in Europe and ships them during the European off-season.

According to data processed by Datamar through its DataLiner platform, Brazil exported 64,267 TEUs of fruit to Europe in the first eleven months of 2025. Below is the monthly historical series of containerized fruit exports shipped from Brazil to the European continent.

Fruit Exports to Europe | Jan 2022–Nov 2025 | TEUs

Source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

Grape import tariffs currently range from 8% to 14%. “Once import duties are reduced to zero for Brazilian exporters, we will be on a more level playing field with producers from South Africa, Chile, Peru and the United States, which already do not pay this tax,” said Guilherme Coelho, president of Abrafrutas. Other fruits, such as watermelon and melon, will see their tariffs eliminated ten years after the agreement enters into force.

Source: Globo Rural, adapted by DatamarNews.

According to Lecornu, a decree will be issued in the coming days, at the initiative of Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard, to block the entry of products showing residues of mancozeb, glufosinate, thiophanate-methyl and carbendazim—crop protection chemicals prohibited under European sanitary regulations.

Products affected include avocados, mangoes, guavas, citrus fruit, grapes and apples originating from South America or any other region. Lecornu said inspections will be stepped up by a specialized task force to ensure strict compliance with French health legislation.

Farmers’ pressure

Lecornu described the decision as “the first step” toward protecting domestic supply chains and French consumers, while also tackling what he called unfair competition. He said the measure is intended to ensure fairness and equity for local farmers, who operate under stricter production rules.

The announcement comes amid road blockades and protests organized by French farmers since December, driven both by the government’s handling of lumpy skin disease in cattle herds and by opposition to the free-trade agreement between the European Union and Mercosur.

The treaty with the South American bloc—made up of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay—has yet to be formally signed and faces resistance in several European countries. According to Reuters, the European Commission has discussed including safeguard clauses for sensitive products such as beef, and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on December 18 that the signing of the agreement had been postponed until January amid political and social pressure.

Source: Infomoney

Crop quality and inventories influence orange prices

Cepea researchers highlight that the good quality of juice from the 2025/26 crop, combined with weaker demand in the European Union, has favored the rebuilding of inventories in Brazil’s processing industry. This dynamic has been pressuring orange prices paid to growers, directly affecting the domestic market.

Impacts on the domestic market: fresh orange prices decline

In the domestic market, weaker demand and inventory replenishment are also reflected in fruit prices. Between December 15 and 18, fresh oranges on the tree were traded at an average of BRL 46.58 per 40.8-kg box, a drop of 11.45% compared with the previous week.

Source: Portal do Agronegócio