In the context of strong global trade fluctuations, expanding export markets to potential regions is becoming a strategic priority of the Vietnamese business community. In which, Brazil has emerged as an important destination, not only thanks to its large market size, but also playing a bridge role to the entire Latin American region.
Bilateral trade turnover in the past time has maintained positive growth, reaching about 8 billion USD in 2025, of which Vietnam's exports to Brazil reached 2.7 billion USD. However, this figure is still not commensurate with the very large import scale, ranging from 250-300 billion USD per year of this South American country. The main reasons come from the long geographical distance, high logistics costs and complex technical standard systems. In the coming time, the two countries set a target to increase trade turnover to 15 billion USD by 2030, opening up significant room for cooperation.
At the seminar "Export prospects to the Brazilian market - Opportunities and challenges for Vietnamese businesses" held on April 21, Mr. Le Anh Hoang - Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Trade and Investment Promotion Center (ITPC), said that the geopolitical context and disruption of global transport routes are posing an urgent requirement to restructure and diversify export markets. According to him, Brazil - the largest economy in Latin America with more than 200 million people is a potentially rich market, with large purchasing power and less directly affected by global hotspots.
With the role of economic locomotive, Ho Chi Minh City is proactively adapting through promoting integration and market diversification. The city has implemented many solutions to support businesses to improve competitiveness, expand markets and participate more deeply in international supply chains. In which, strengthening the exploitation of new markets such as Brazil is considered an important direction to reduce dependence on traditional markets and improve the sustainability of export activities.
From a market perspective, Ms. Pham Hong Trang - Vietnamese Trade Counselor in Brazil, said that this country is not only a large consumption market but also a gateway for Vietnamese goods to access the MERCOSUR bloc. The growth potential is assessed to be still very large, especially in key commodity groups such as seafood, processed food, textiles and electronic components.
However, businesses also need to pay attention to the technical barriers and strict regulations of this market. Imported goods are subject to high tariffs because they are outside the MERCOSUR bloc, and must also meet the requirements of labeling in Portuguese and specialized certifications such as MAPA, ANVISA or INMETRO depending on each product group.
Besides policy factors, trade practice also poses many challenges. Mr. Dionathan Santos - Executive Chairman of the Brazil - Vietnam Chamber of Commerce (BVC), said that foreign businesses are not allowed to directly carry out customs clearance procedures in Brazil. Therefore, export transactions can only be carried out under conditions such as FOB, CIF or CFR, while the DDP condition cannot be applied. This causes importers' costs to increase, affecting the price negotiation process.
Experts recommend that Vietnamese businesses should proactively check partner information through Brazil's public data system, and start with small orders to minimize risks and gradually penetrate the market.
Despite many challenges, Brazil is still considered a potentially rich market in Vietnam's export diversification strategy. Effectively taking advantage of opportunities in this market not only helps businesses expand their scale but also contributes to enhancing the position of Vietnamese goods on the global trade map.
