Customs duty from Brazil to China: Import Duty Guide

Key Takeaways

• There’s no China-Brazil or China-Mercosur free trade agreement in force or concluded - Brazil-origin goods pay China’s standard MFN tariff.
• Momentum toward a limited, “modular” deal (targeted tariff lines and non-tariff barriers, not a comprehensive FTA) accelerated through 2026, but remains at the talks stage as of this writing.
• A China-Mercosur or China-Brazil deal would require unanimous approval from all four Mercosur member states, a genuine structural hurdle beyond the negotiations themselves.
• Brazil supplied 73.6-77% of China’s soybean imports in 2025, up from 71% in 2024 - a relationship that deepened specifically because China shifted away from US soybeans during the tariff war.
• China’s imports from Brazil reached an estimated $116-117 billion in 2024-2025, with soybeans, iron ore, and oil together making up roughly 73% of Brazil’s exports to China.

Brazil-China Trade at a Glance

China’s imports from Brazil were valued at roughly $116.1 billion in 2024 (UN Comtrade), rising to an estimated $117 billion in 2025 - placing Brazil among China’s top ten sources of imports overall, though this specific ranking comes from a secondary analysis of Brazilian trade data rather than a direct Chinese customs source (Murray Advogados). Soybeans, iron ore, and oil together account for roughly 73% of Brazil’s exports to China.

Is There a Trade Deal Between Brazil and China?

Not yet. No China-Brazil or China-Mercosur free trade agreement is in force or has been concluded. Momentum toward some kind of arrangement accelerated sharply through 2026, apparently driven in part by pressure from US tariffs pushing Brazil and its Mercosur partners closer toward China: Uruguay issued a joint statement with China calling for talks “as soon as possible” in February 2026, Brazilian President Lula pushed Mercosur toward formal talks at a summit in Asunción in June 2026, and a Lula-Xi call in July 2026 aimed to accelerate what’s been described as a “flexible” or modular deal rather than a comprehensive FTA (China-Global South Project; UPI; SCMP). Any such deal would need unanimous approval from all four Mercosur member states - a structural hurdle on top of the negotiations themselves. As of August 2026, nothing has been concluded - this remains at the talks stage only.

A Distinctive Story: Soybeans and the US-China Trade War

Brazil’s soybean trade with China offers a genuinely distinctive angle worth understanding: Brazil supplied 73.6-77% of China’s soybean imports in 2025, up from 71% in 2024, as China imported a record 111.82 million tonnes of soybeans overall (up 6.5% year on year). This shift happened specifically because Chinese buyers moved away from US soybeans amid the retaliatory tariffs described on this site’s USA to China lane page - a direct, measurable cross-lane effect of the broader US-China trade war (S&P Global).

How Much Will You Pay Importing from Brazil to China?

With no trade agreement in place, Brazil-origin goods pay China’s standard MFN tariff - the “FTA available” answer is no throughout, for now. Standard China-side mechanics otherwise apply: orders under the postal regime pay a bundled 13/20/50% tax on declared goods value (waived if the tax owed is RMB 50 or less, capped at RMB 2,000 per shipment), while CBEC-qualifying orders pay 0% duty plus VAT and consumption tax at 70% of the standard rate.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a China-Brazil trade agreement?

Not yet. Talks toward a limited, modular arrangement accelerated through 2026, but nothing has been concluded as of this writing - Brazil-origin goods currently pay China’s standard MFN tariff with no preference.

Why has China become more reliant on Brazilian soybeans?

Brazil’s share of China’s soybean imports rose to 73.6-77% in 2025 largely because Chinese buyers shifted away from US soybeans during the US-China tariff dispute - a direct consequence of the retaliatory tariffs on that separate lane.

What would a China-Brazil deal actually cover?

Reporting describes a “modular” or “flexible” approach targeting specific tariff lines and non-tariff barriers, rather than a comprehensive free trade agreement covering all goods and services.

What obstacles remain before any deal could take effect?

Beyond concluding negotiations, any China-Brazil arrangement would need unanimous approval from all four Mercosur member states (Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay), since Brazil can’t conclude external trade deals unilaterally as a Mercosur member.