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Public policy

Market openings for Brazilian agricultural products (sanitary and phytosanitary negotiations of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock)

Problem
Sanitary requirements of importing countries that must be met for the export of Brazilian agricultural products.
Who it serves
Brazilian agricultural products and importing countries.
How it works
According to the MAPA, a market opening occurs when an agreement between countries makes the sanitary guarantees offered by Brazil for a product meet the requirements of the importing country, an agreement that results from the ministry's technical information and international negotiations; an opening does not always result in an effective flow of products.

Economic developmentInternational relations

Relation to the Lula governments

Continued under Lula · Third term (since 2023) · since January 2023

In a news item published on the MAPA website, the ministry reported that Brazil had won the opening of 100 new markets for national agricultural products since January 2019, that the opening work began in 2019 with the goal of diversifying the export basket, and that each new market corresponds to the export of one product.[1]

The MAPA 2024 Management Report places the start of the historical series of market openings in January 2023 and reports that, from January 2023 to February 2025, 334 market openings were recorded in approximately 60 destinations.[2]

According to the MAPA 2023 Management Report, 78 market openings for Brazilian agricultural products were achieved in 2023, distributed as follows: Africa (12), the Americas (31), Asia (27), Europe (3), and Oceania (6).[3]

According to the MAPA 2025 Management Report, 225 new markets were opened in 2025, reaching 525 opened markets in the cumulative total since 2023.[4]

Origin and precursors

Origin milestone: milestone not yet determined, First term (2003 to 2006).

In the 2003 to 2010 Government Review (Balanço de Governo), the chapter Business Agriculture records that negotiations were begun to overcome sanitary and phytosanitary restrictions on the export of Brazilian products, such as meats and fruits, and that in negotiations with the European Union, China, Russia, the United States, Japan, South Korea, South Africa, Argentina, Mexico, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Algeria, Angola, Egypt, Peru, Colombia, and Chile important results were obtained, with the expansion of Brazilian agricultural products to those markets.[5]

Precursor investigation: inconclusive (October 14, 2026).

Scope: MAPA Management Reports for 2023, 2024, and 2025; MAPA news items from 2020 to 2026 in Internet Archive copies; Government Review 2003 to 2010 (Business Agriculture chapter). Sanitary negotiation for exports is a long-standing responsibility of the ministry and no founding norm was located. The 2003 to 2010 review says negotiations were begun to overcome sanitary restrictions; MAPA reported in 2020 that the work of opening markets was begun in 2019; the 2024 Management Report places the start of the historical series of the administration in January 2023. The origin milestone was not determined: the oldest documentary record located is entered.

Responsibilities

  • Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (preparation of technical information and international negotiations) federal management

    In a note on the 78 openings in 39 countries, the MAPA attributed the sanitary concessions sent by each partner country to the ministry's effort in preparing technical information and in the international negotiations that resulted in the agreement on sanitary and phytosanitary requirements.[6]

  • Ministry of Foreign Affairs (joint notes with MAPA on the openings) partnership

    In a joint MAPA/MRE note of December 2025, the government reported that Brazilian agribusiness had reached 525 market openings since the start of 2023; in an earlier joint note from the same month, the reported total was 521 openings in 81 destinations.[7]

  • Importing countries (agreement on the sanitary requirements for each product) partnership

    According to the 2024 Management Report of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAPA), the ministry considers a market opening to occur when an agreement is reached between countries, such that the sanitary guarantees offered by the exporting country, for a given product, meet the sanitary requirements of the importing country.[8]

Timeline

Timeline of Market openings for Brazilian agricultural products (sanitary and phytosanitary negotiations of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock)
DatePhaseWhat happened
October 2020ImplementationThe MAPA reports 100 new markets opened since January 2019 (another government).[1]
2023Implementation78 market openings in 2023, according to the MAPA 2023 Management Report.[3]
2025Implementation225 new markets in 2025 and 525 cumulatively since 2023, according to the MAPA 2025 Management Report.[4]

What was established

According to the same 2003 to 2010 Government Review, the promotion of Brazilian agriculture in the international market gained priority starting in 2005, with the creation, in the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply, of the Department of International Promotion of Agribusiness.[9]

Observed results

A result observed during a term may have causes other than the program.

In a December 2023 note, the MAPA reported that 2023 was ending with 78 new markets in 39 countries and presented as a comparison: 35 new markets in 22 countries in 2019, 74 in 24 countries in 2020, 77 in 33 countries in 2021, and 53 in 26 countries in 2022.[10]

In an October 2024 note, the MAPA reported 78 openings in 39 countries in 2023, 53 markets in 26 countries in 2022, 77 openings in 33 countries in 2021, 74 markets in 24 countries in 2020, and 35 markets in 18 countries in 2019; it also reported 168 new markets opened that year up to the date of the note and 246 new markets in 60 destinations in 21 months of administration, compared with 239 openings in the four years of the previous administration.[11]

In a summary published in December 2023, the MAPA reported the opening of 76 new markets in 38 countries during 2023.[12]

In a December 2024 summary, the MAPA reported that, since the start of 2023, the country had accumulated 286 opened markets in 62 nations, and that about 70% of the openings recorded in the previous two years had been influenced by the direct work of agricultural attachés, according to the ministry.[13]

According to the MAPA, Brazilian agribusiness exports totaled US$169.2 billion in 2025, an increase of 3.0% over the US$164.3 billion of 2024, corresponding to 48.5% of the value exported by Brazil; volume grew 3.6% and average prices fell 0.6%.[14]

Limitations

In the 2023 Management Report, the MAPA records that 78 markets were opened in 2023 and adds the caveat that these market openings do not always result in an effective flow of agricultural products.[15]

Methodology

In December 2025, the MAPA announced an interactive digital dashboard with the market openings achieved in the current administration, with filters by product, country, year, continent, and category, and reported an average of 14 new openings per month since the start of the administration, totaling 500 new opportunities.[16]

Sources and evidence

Excerpts are quoted in the original language of the source.

  1. 1. In a news item published on the MAPA website, the ministry reported that Brazil had won the opening of 100 new markets for national agricultural products since January 2019, that the opening work began in 2019 with the goal of diversifying the export basket, and that each new market corresponds to the export of one product.

    • Brasil abre 100 novos mercados externos para produtos agropecuários (cópia arquivada pelo Internet Archive) · Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Supply (MAPA) Government communication
      Read from an archived copy (Internet Archive (Wayback Machine), captured March 15, 2026); original address: www.gov.br. The archive preserves the copy; the author is Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Supply (MAPA).
      Where: subheading and paragraph 1. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “O trabalho de abertura foi iniciado em 2019 com a meta de diversificar a pauta exportadora”
    • Brasil abre 100 novos mercados externos para produtos agropecuários (cópia arquivada pelo Internet Archive) · Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Supply (MAPA) Government communication
      Read from an archived copy (Internet Archive (Wayback Machine), captured March 15, 2026); original address: www.gov.br. The archive preserves the copy; the author is Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Supply (MAPA).
      Where: body of the news item, paragraph 1. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “O Brasil conquistou a abertura de 100 novos mercados para produtos da agropecuária nacional desde janeiro de 2019.”
    • Brasil abre 100 novos mercados externos para produtos agropecuários (cópia arquivada pelo Internet Archive) · Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Supply (MAPA) Government communication
      Read from an archived copy (Internet Archive (Wayback Machine), captured March 15, 2026); original address: www.gov.br. The archive preserves the copy; the author is Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Supply (MAPA).
      Where: Countries section. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “Os novos mercados envolvem 30 países. Isso porque algumas nações passaram a importar mais de um produto agrícola do Brasil. Cada novo mercado corresponde a exportação de um produto.”

  2. 2. The MAPA 2024 Management Report places the start of the historical series of market openings in January 2023 and reports that, from January 2023 to February 2025, 334 market openings were recorded in approximately 60 destinations.

    • Relatório de Gestão 2024 · Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAPA) Official record
      Where: p. 24 of the PDF, Relationship with the external environment, paragraph 1. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “No ano de 2024, foram abertos 222 novos mercados para a exportação de produtos agrícolas brasileiros no comércio internacional. Desde o início da série histórica, em janeiro de 2023, até fevereiro de 2025, já foram registradas 334 aberturas de mercado em aproximadamente 60 destinos diferentes nos cinco continentes.”

  3. 3. According to the MAPA 2023 Management Report, 78 market openings for Brazilian agricultural products were achieved in 2023, distributed as follows: Africa (12), the Americas (31), Asia (27), Europe (3), and Oceania (6).

    • Relatório de Gestão 2023 · Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAPA) Official record
      Where: p. 16 of the PDF. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “No período, foram alcançadas 78 (setenta e oito) aberturas de mercado para produtos agropecuários brasileiros. A distribuição das aberturas de mercado por região ocorreu da seguinte forma: África (12), Américas (31), Ásia (27), Europa (3) e Oceania (6).”
    • Relatório de Gestão 2023 · Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAPA) Official record
      Where: p. 6 of the PDF. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “nacionais, o Brasil, em 2023, abriu 78 novos mercados em 39 países, distribuídos pelos cinco continentes.”

  4. 4. According to the MAPA 2025 Management Report, 225 new markets were opened in 2025, reaching 525 opened markets in the cumulative total since 2023.

    • Relatório de Gestão 2025 · Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAPA) Official record
      Where: p. 85 of the PDF, list of results. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “Abertura de 225 novos mercados em 2025, alcançando 525 mercados abertos no acumulado desde 2023;”
    • Relatório de Gestão 2025 · Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAPA) Official record
      Where: p. 44 of the PDF, item 4 Interfaces with foreign trade and markets. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “Abertura e ampliação de mercados: em 2025, foram registradas 225 aberturas de mercado, apoiadas por inteligência comercial (painéis digitais, publicações da SCRI) e atuação de adidos agrícolas;”

  5. 5. In the 2003 to 2010 Government Review (Balanço de Governo), the chapter Business Agriculture records that negotiations were begun to overcome sanitary and phytosanitary restrictions on the export of Brazilian products, such as meats and fruits, and that in negotiations with the European Union, China, Russia, the United States, Japan, South Korea, South Africa, Argentina, Mexico, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Algeria, Angola, Egypt, Peru, Colombia, and Chile important results were obtained, with the expansion of Brazilian agricultural products to those markets.

    • Balanço de Governo 2003-2010, Livro 2, volume 2, capítulo 6: Agricultura Empresarial (cópia no acervo SIAC da Fundação Perseu Abramo) · Presidency of the Republic / Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Supply (copy in the SIAC collection of the Perseu Abramo Foundation) Government communication
      Where: p. 44 of the PDF, item E) International Negotiations and Trade Promotion of Agribusiness. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “Também foram iniciadas as negociações para a superação de restrições de natureza sanitária e fitossanitária à exportação de produtos brasileiros, como carnes e frutas. Nas negociações com a União Europeia, China, Rússia, Estados Unidos, Japão, Coreia do Sul, África do Sul, Argentina, México, Indonésia, Filipinas, Vietnã, Argélia, Angola, Egito, Peru, Colômbia e Chile foram obtidos resultados importantes, com a ampliação de produtos agrícolas brasileiros para esses mercados.”

  6. 6. In a note on the 78 openings in 39 countries, the MAPA attributed the sanitary concessions sent by each partner country to the ministry's effort in preparing technical information and in the international negotiations that resulted in the agreement on sanitary and phytosanitary requirements.

    • Brasil conquista novo mercado e atinge recorde com 78 aberturas em 39 países durante primeiro ano do governo Lula (cópia arquivada pelo Internet Archive) · Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAPA) Government communication
      Read from an archived copy (Internet Archive (Wayback Machine), captured March 5, 2026); original address: www.gov.br. The archive preserves the copy; the author is Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAPA).
      Where: body of the news item, paragraph 4. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “As concessões sanitárias enviadas por cada país parceiro são frutos do esforço do Ministério da Agricultura e Pecuária (Mapa) na elaboração de informações técnicas e nas negociações internacionais que resultaram no acordo de requisitos sanitários e fitossanitários que permitiram a comercialização das mercadorias e parcerias neste ano.”

  7. 7. In a joint MAPA/MRE note of December 2025, the government reported that Brazilian agribusiness had reached 525 market openings since the start of 2023; in an earlier joint note from the same month, the reported total was 521 openings in 81 destinations.

  8. 8. According to the 2024 Management Report of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAPA), the ministry considers a market opening to occur when an agreement is reached between countries, such that the sanitary guarantees offered by the exporting country, for a given product, meet the sanitary requirements of the importing country.

    • Relatório de Gestão 2024 · Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAPA) Official record
      Where: p. 100 of the PDF, item MARKET OPENINGS. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “ABERTURAS DE MERCADO: O que é abertura de mercado? Consideramos abertura de mercado quando um acordo é alcançado entre países, de modo que as garantias sanitárias oferecidas pelo país exportador, para um determinado produto, atendem aos requisitos sanitários do país importador.”

  9. 9. According to the same 2003 to 2010 Government Review, the promotion of Brazilian agriculture in the international market gained priority starting in 2005, with the creation, in the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply, of the Department of International Promotion of Agribusiness.

    • Balanço de Governo 2003-2010, Livro 2, volume 2, capítulo 6: Agricultura Empresarial (cópia no acervo SIAC da Fundação Perseu Abramo) · Presidency of the Republic / Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Supply (copy in the SIAC collection of the Perseu Abramo Foundation) Government communication
      Where: p. 44 of the PDF, item E), paragraph 1. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “A promoção da agricultura brasileira no mercado internacional ganhou prioridade a partir de 2005, quando as negociações internacionais e a promoção do agronegócio no exterior foram estruturadas, no âmbito do Ministério da Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento, a partir da criação do Departamento de Promoção Internacional do Agronegócio.”

  10. 10. In a December 2023 note, the MAPA reported that 2023 was ending with 78 new markets in 39 countries and presented as a comparison: 35 new markets in 22 countries in 2019, 74 in 24 countries in 2020, 77 in 33 countries in 2021, and 53 in 26 countries in 2022.

  11. 11. In an October 2024 note, the MAPA reported 78 openings in 39 countries in 2023, 53 markets in 26 countries in 2022, 77 openings in 33 countries in 2021, 74 markets in 24 countries in 2020, and 35 markets in 18 countries in 2019; it also reported 168 new markets opened that year up to the date of the note and 246 new markets in 60 destinations in 21 months of administration, compared with 239 openings in the four years of the previous administration.

  12. 12. In a summary published in December 2023, the MAPA reported the opening of 76 new markets in 38 countries during 2023.

  13. 13. In a December 2024 summary, the MAPA reported that, since the start of 2023, the country had accumulated 286 opened markets in 62 nations, and that about 70% of the openings recorded in the previous two years had been influenced by the direct work of agricultural attachés, according to the ministry.

  14. 14. According to the MAPA, Brazilian agribusiness exports totaled US$169.2 billion in 2025, an increase of 3.0% over the US$164.3 billion of 2024, corresponding to 48.5% of the value exported by Brazil; volume grew 3.6% and average prices fell 0.6%.

    • Agronegócio brasileiro fecha 2025 com recorde em exportações de US$ 169 bilhões e superávit de US$ 149,07 bilhões (cópia arquivada pelo Internet Archive) · Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAPA) Government communication
      Read from an archived copy (Internet Archive (Wayback Machine), captured January 8, 2026); original address: www.gov.br. The archive preserves the copy; the author is Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAPA).
      Where: paragraph 1. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “Em 2025, as exportações do agronegócio brasileiro totalizaram US$ 169,2 bilhões, o que representa um aumento de 3,0% em relação aos US$ 164,3 bilhões registrados em 2024. O valor corresponde a 48,5% de todo o valor exportado pelo Brasil no ano passado. O resultado foi impulsionado pelo aumento de 3,6% no volume de produtos enviados ao exterior, desempenho que compensou a queda de 0,6% nos preços médios.”

  15. 15. In the 2023 Management Report, the MAPA records that 78 markets were opened in 2023 and adds the caveat that these market openings do not always result in an effective flow of agricultural products.

    • Relatório de Gestão 2023 · Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAPA) Official record
      Where: p. 33 of the PDF, strategic objective of market openings (text continues on p. 34). Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “Foram abertos 78 (setenta e oito) mercados no ano de 2023, proporcionando o acesso de novas categorias de produtos para mercados internacionais. Cabe reforçar que nem sempre tais aberturas de mercado resultam no fluxo efetivo de produtos agropecuários, uma”
    • Relatório de Gestão 2023 · Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAPA) Official record
      Where: p. 34 of the PDF, continuation of the paragraph. Accessed October 14, 2026.
      “vez que há a necessidade de ações complementares para estabelecer o comércio, tais como: promoção comercial, desenvolvimento de acordos de facilitação bilateral ou regional e, principalmente, o interesse e a participação do setor privado em relação aos destinos e aos produtos a serem exportados.”

  16. 16. In December 2025, the MAPA announced an interactive digital dashboard with the market openings achieved in the current administration, with filters by product, country, year, continent, and category, and reported an average of 14 new openings per month since the start of the administration, totaling 500 new opportunities.

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