Brazil increases its exports to feed the world. In 2021, exports hit the historical record of US$ 120.6 billion, an amount higher than Ecuador’s GDP. The figure represents an increase of 19.7% compared to 2020. This result means a surplus of US$ 105.1 billion in the agribusiness trade balance. In December 2021, agricultural exports reached US$ 9.9 billion.
The main product in our agribusiness export line in that month was soybean, with a share of 13.8% and US$ 1.4 billion worth, which means an impressive increase of 1,210.9% compared to the same period in 2020. The second main export product was corn, which shows a 12.4% decrease compared to December 2020 and US$ 795 million worth.
When it comes to the most significant increases, raw soybean oil stands out (+1,941.5%), with export sales rising from US$ 9 million in 2020 to US$ 183.2 million in 2021. Wheat and soy bran are also relevant products in our export line; their exported value increased 211.0% and 79.9%, respectively.
Our main export destination in November 2021 was China, with a share of 20.9%, followed by the European Union (16.3%) and the United States (9.8%). Other countries also had remarkable participation: Egypt (4.4%), Vietnam (3%), South Korea (2.7%), Japan (2.5%), Chile (2.3%), Iran (2%), and Turkey (2%).
Some destination countries showed a significant performance in November 2021 compared to December 2020. Among these, the highlights are Egypt (+102.5%) and Turkey (+98.7%). When considering the whole year, the highest positive variation in comparison to 2020 occurred in exports to Iran (+70.3%), followed by Chile (+58.1%) and the US (+30.2%).
Trade balance highlight: poultry
Brazil is the world’s largest exporter of fresh chicken meat, responsible for about 14% of worldwide production and 30% of global exports. In 2021, Brazilian exports reached approximately 4.4 million tons, an increase of 8.2% compared to 2020.
It is noteworthy that this is the largest volume for the period analyzed (2011-2021). The second largest world exporter is the United States, with 3.4 million tons of exports estimated in 2021. In terms of value, 2021 also marked the best performance of Brazilian exports, totaling US$ 7.2 billion – thus, 25.5% more than in 2020. In 2021, countries in East Asia (China and Japan) and the Middle East (the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia) demanded more than 40% of Brazilian foreign sales.
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Positive scenario
Our last report on the Gross Production Value (GPV) shows the continuous growth in Brazilian agricultural exports. In 2021, the GPV reached R$ 1.21 trillion (approx. US$ 224.1 billion), according to the Brazilian Confederation of Agriculture and Livestock (CNA).
The GPV represents the gross income in rural businesses, considering crop and livestock production and the average price received by producers throughout the country. This projection is based on reports and data from December 2021.
The projection also shows an increase of 7.3% compared to 2020. Soybean and corn remain the major products responsible for the positive results. The GPV projection of livestock farming for 2021 is 0.7% higher than the result from 2020, reaching R$ 402.8 billion.