Agro-food & seafood

What Brazil buys

Brazil imported US$1.44 billion of fish and crustaceans (HS 03) in 2025 (ComexStat, 2025). Bangladesh exported US$1.0 billion of agricultural products and US$443 million of frozen and live fish (EPB, FY2025-26), yet almost none of it reached Brazil. This is a market to open rather than one to grow. Frozen shrimp and fish, tea, spices and processed foods are the natural candidates, and the buyers to target are importers and distributors already set up for Brazil's food regulations.

Rules to know

Regulation decides access more than tariffs do. Import duty is 9% on frozen whole shrimp and 9% on black tea in small packs (Camex tariff schedule, Oct 2026). Fish and shrimp exporters typically need their processing plant approved by MAPA, Brazil's Ministry of Agriculture; plant products need phytosanitary certification; and packaged food needs Portuguese labelling under ANVISA rules. Food regularisation follows RDC 843/2024 and IN 281/2024, with routes for registration, notification or communication depending on the product.

Food brought to the fair is regulated too. Food for exhibition, tasting or distribution needs ANVISA's prior approval, samples may not be sold, and finished products for distribution may not expire within 30 days of their sanitary release (RDC 81/2008).

How to win Brazilian buyers

Start the approval work before the expo, not after it: a serious buyer will first ask whether your plant is approved by MAPA and whether your labels meet ANVISA rules. Bring certificates, plant audit reports and packaging mock-ups with Portuguese labels. For tastings, buying stock in Brazil is often simpler than shipping it. Focus on importers and distributors who already handle imported seafood, tea or spices, because they know the paperwork and can act as importer of record. Agree shelf life, cold-chain handling and pack sizes early in the conversation.