Which sectors were most affected by the U.S. tariffs?

Introduction

On August 6, 2025, a U.S. executive order took effect imposing 50% tariffs on a range of goods imported from Brazil, including coffee, fruit, and meat. The order exempted other goods, such as aircraft.

This note uses data from the Foreign Trade Secretariat (SECEX) of the Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade and Services (MDIC) to describe how Brazilian exports to the United States changed, overall and by state. It also lists the 20 products with the largest export declines and examines their sales to other markets.

Total change

Brazilian exports to the United States fell 27.7% between July and August 2025, from US$3,822.3 million to US$2,762.2 million.

Change by state

Acre, Alagoas, and Sergipe recorded the largest declines in August relative to July.

The 20 most affected products

The selection covers products with exports above US$1 million in July 2025. The 20 products with the largest declines in exports to the United States were then compared across destinations.

Were exports redirected?

For the same 20 products, the analysis compares exports to all destinations other than the United States. Large increases indicate a greater capacity to redirect sales previously destined for the U.S. market.

Conclusion

The tariffs covered slightly more than half of Brazilian exports to the United States, and their effects varied across states and sectors. Alagoas and products such as metalworking machining centers recorded large declines. The data for August 2025 show no offsetting increase in sales of these products to other markets.