More than half of Brazil’s timber exports were traded into the United States, Mexico and Saudi Arabia last year, and whilst more than 842,000 cubic metres of predominantly softwood were shipped into the U.S, much in a pre‑deadline rush before the Trump administration slapped 50% tariffs on Brazilian wood, the Middle East and Asia have both emerged as Brazil’s top markets for growth.
That is according to new data from Brazil’s Comex Stat, its federal bureau for exports, which revealed that Brazil exported more than 2.96 million cubic metres of lumber in 2025. And whilst that is still far below the 2021 peak of 3.55 million cubic metres, on the surface it marks a major stabilisation in exports after back-to-back-to-back years of decline.
And whilst the data revealed that demand in the North American market flatlined in the second half of the year, Brazil recorded strong gains across the Middle East and Asia. Shipments to Saudi Arabia rose 57% to 233,000 cubic metres, exports to the United Arab Emirates surged 78% to 199,000 cubic metres, whilst trade to India increased by 74% to 124,000 cubic metres, and Spain—where volumes more than tripled to 122,000 cubic metres—was among the biggest movers.
As it stands, softwood continues to dominate Brazil’s export profile, with more than 91% of predominantly mouldings, plywood, doors, flooring, and sawn wood exported, or 2.7 million cubic metres. But despite the positive numbers, Brazil’s supply chain remains cautious.
In November, Abimci (the Brazilian Association of Mechanically Processed Wood Industry) warned that exports of Brazilian timber bound for the United States crashed by 55% in the three months after the 50% tariff was imposed. “The only solution depends on effective progress in negotiations between the governments of Brazil and the United States so that tariffs can be adjusted and trade between the two countries normalised,” according to Abimci’s superintendent Paulo Pupo. “However, what we’ve seen is a lack of practical action and effective agendas in these much-needed talks.”
Pupo also warned of the risk that Brazilian products could be replaced in the U.S. market. In his view, the longer the negotiations stall, the greater the risk of gradual substitution: “Clients and importers are naturally starting to look for suppliers in countries with lower tariffs, and Brazil is highly exposed to this trend, as it currently faces the highest nominal rate in the world.”
