Brazil maintained trade worth almost US$3 billion with Iran in 2025, despite the Persian country representing just 0.84% of Brazilian exports.
Data from the Ministry of Development, Industry, Commerce and Services (Mdic) show that Brazilian sales to Tehran totaled US$ 2.9 billion last year, consolidating the Iran as the fifth main destination for national exports in the Middle East.
Although it occupies 31st position in the general ranking of Brazilian export destinations, Iran appears behind only the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Turkey and Saudi Arabia in the region. Last year, Brazilian sales to the country surpassed those destined for markets such as Switzerland, South Africa and Russia.
Bilateral trade is heavily concentrated in agribusiness. In 2025, corn and soybeans accounted for 87.2% of Brazilian exports to Iran. Corn alone represented 67.9% of the total, with sales exceeding US$1.9 billion, while soybeans accounted for 19.3%, totaling around US$563 million.
Also among the main exported products are sugar and confectionery items, soybean meal for animal feed and oil.
Brazilian imports from Iran, in turn, were much more modest. In 2025, Brazil purchased around US$84 million from the Middle Eastern country, with emphasis on fertilizers, which corresponded to approximately 79% of the total, as well as fruits, nuts, pistachios and dried grapes.
The commercial relationship between the two countries has fluctuated in recent years. In 2022, Brazilian exports to Iran reached US$4.2 billion, the highest value in the recent series, before retreating in 2023 and growing again in 2024 and 2025. On the import side, volumes varied even more markedly, with significant drops in 2023 and recovery last year.
Trump threat
The theme gained a new dimension after the President of the United States, Donald Trump, announce this Monday (12) that it will impose 25% tariffs on countries that maintain trade relations with Iran.
According to the Republican, the tax will be applied “on all commercial transactions carried out with the United States” by these countries and would come into force immediately, although the White House has not yet released formal details of the measure.
THE The announcement raised an alarm about possible impacts on Brazilian trade, especially in agribusiness, the main beneficiary of the relationship with Tehran.
The federal government reported that it is awaiting the publication of the American executive order to officially comment on the issue.
Diplomatic initiatives
The commercial rapprochement between Brazil and Iran has also been accompanied by diplomatic initiatives. In April 2024, Iran’s Minister of Agriculture visited Brazil and met with the Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Carlos Fávaro. On that occasion, the two countries agreed to the creation of a bilateral agricultural and consultative committee, with the aim of streamlining issues of common interest, expanding technical exchange and discussing measures to facilitate trade.
During the visit, the Iranian government also showed interest in installing a shipping company in Brazil, which could reduce logistical costs and further boost trade flow between the two countries. Since August 2023, Iran has been a member of Brics, a bloc of which Brazil is a founding member.
The possible imposition of tariffs by the United States comes amid increased tensions between Washington and Tehran, marked by mutual threats, repression of internal protests in Iran and recent statements by officials from both countries about the possibility of negotiations, without ruling out an escalation of the conflict.
