Boasting 214.2 million residents, the Federative Republic of Brazil is South America’s most heavily populated country.

Geographically, Brazil covers about half of South America’s land mass while sharing its borders with every other South American nation except Ecuador and Chile.

The name Brazil is based on a native tree called brazilwood. The country’s name is spelled Brasil in Portuguese.

Brazil is unique in that its official language is Portuguese. Exporters selling products to Brazilian importers must adapt to the linguistic demands of Brazil’s residents 97.9% of whom speak Portuguese.

Nevertheless, Brazil is also an attractive market for selling imported goods because the Brazilian economy is the world’s eighth richest in terms of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on a Purchasing Power Parity basis.

The 100 most valuable consumer products imported into Brazil in 2020 generated a subtotal US$62.9 billion worth of international spending. That consumer-specific dollar amount represents 39.6% of the overall value of all goods imported into Brazil. The South American juggernaut’s overall spending on all imports, including raw materials and intermediate products, totaled $158.8 billion.

Among Brazil’s most valuable consumer products in 2020 are: refined petroleum oils; automobile parts or accessories; phones including smartphones; packaged insecticides or herbicides; and medications.

Total spending on Brazil’s top 100 imported consumer products decreased by -14.7% from 2019 to 2020. Brazil’s top 100 consumer metric was more aggressive than the -10.5% drop for all of Brazil’s imported goods for the year.

The dip in Brazilian spending for imported consumer products was almost double the global average decline from 2019 to 2020, which was a drop of -8.2% for all importing countries around the world.

Among the top 100 consumer products imported by Brazil, 45 increased in total value from 2019 to 2020 whereas 55 declined.

Changes in Brazilian consumer demand for essential imports offer future opportunities for international suppliers who correctly anticipate which upward or downward trends will continue.

Consumer Products Defined

Economics educator BoyceWire defines a consumer product as a final good or end product that a business creates for consumers to buy. For example, consumers often purchase refined petroleum oil at the gas station while imported crude oil is an intermediate good subject to further processing before being sold to end users.

Although there may be a few wealthy individual buyers, products like turbojets are excluded from the consumer products targeted by this study. That is because turbojets are usually purchased by corporations. In contrast, it is common for a consumer to buy a motorcycle.

Types of Consumer Products

This article focuses on 3 distinct consumer product types.

Convenience Products are easy to access, non-durable, have relatively lower prices and therefore consumers frequently purchase them. Examples of convenience products are food, alcoholic or non-alcoholic drinks, and soap.

Shopping Products are not as easily available, involve more time to make a buying decision, are durable and are not bought as often as most convenience products. A great example of a shopping product is a mobile phone where buying the wrong model is a much more expensive mistake than buying a disappointing loaf of bread.

Speciality Products describe another consumer product type. This grey area includes infrequently purchased, expensive, durable and sometimes rare items. Consumers may consider the product’s brand image when making their purchase decisions. Some examples of speciality products are gold, silver, diamonds, jewelry, and branded refrigerators and dishwashers.

Brazil’s Most Valuable Imported Convenience Products

The list below showcases the most valuable imported convenience products on which buyers in Brazil spent the most. Items were selected at the four-digit Harmonized System tariff classification code level and are presented in descending order.

You can also peruse the greatest increases or decreases in product values from 2021 to 2022 by focusing on the percentages displayed to the right of each product name.

Processed petroleum oils: US$7,387,723,000 (down -43.1%)
Medications: $3,279,238,000 (down -11.7%)
Coal, solid fuels made from coal: $1,613,962,000 (down -44%)
Miscellaneous plastic items: $634,872,000 (down -0.2%)
Olive oil: $422,486,000 (up 5.3%)
Wine: $421,768,000 (up 13.5%)
Rice: $376,532,000 (up 53.8%)
Antibiotics: $373,981,000 (up 27.2%)
Whole fish (fresh): $366,069,000 (down -30.7%)
Concentrated/sweetened milk: $340,915,000 (up 39.1%)
Onions, garlic, leeks: $317,252,000 (up 14.3%)
Plastic packing goods, lids, caps: $317,210,000 (down -5.8%)
Other organic cleaning preparations: $309,250,000 (down -6.2%)
Prepared vegetables (frozen): $296,184,000 (down -11.4%)
Soya beans: $273,593,000 (up 503.3%)
Other food preparations: $257,421,000 (down -8.8%)
Provitamins, vitamins: $235,266,000 (up 5.5%)
Corn: $203,078,000 (up 1.9%)
Apples, pears (fresh): $196,945,000 (up 1.5%)
Fish fillets, pieces: $187,303,000 (down -32%)
Coconut/palm kernel/babassu oil: $179,084,000 (up 14.6%)
Palm oil: $165,355,000 (up 102.2%)
Barley: $164,750,000 (down -12.8%)
Soya-bean oil: $163,121,000 (up 408.6%)
Whole fish (frozen): $151,822,000 (down -26.2%)
Animal guts, bladders, stomachs: $144,746,000 (down -18.7%)
Medication mixes not in dosage: $143,440,000 (up 6.1%)
Dried or salted fish: $127,456,000 (down -27.9%)
Vegetable saps, extracts: $127,104,000 (up 2.2%)
Prepared vegetables (non-frozen): $126,115,000 (up 9.5%)
Cheese, curd: $125,396,000 (up 6.2%)
Cocoa beans: $118,477,000 (down -8.6%)
Malt extract, food preparations: $113,675,000 (up 5%)
Alcohol (including spirits, liqueurs): $113,193,000 (down -27.5%)
Dried shelled vegetables: $112,801,000 (down -8.5%)
Chocolate, other cocoa preparations: $112,579,000 (down -19.1%)
Fresh or chilled beef: $101,161,000 (down -5.8%)
Frozen beef: $98,184,000 (down -4.4%)
Margarine: $97,760,000 (up 3.5%)
Sowing seeds, fruits, spores: $91,109,000 (down -5.5%)
Plastic wares (table/kitchen/toiletry): $87,859,000 (down -19.8%)
Miscellaneous nuts: $84,274,000 (down -10.5%)
Waters with added sugar: $76,127,000 (down -15.7%)

Convenience products led by the products listed above represent the country’s most popular import product type attracting Brazil’s most spending ahead of the shopping products category.

Non-durable consumer products are goods that are not re-used once consumed. Alcoholic beverages and bananas are examples of non-durable goods. Convenience products are uniquely non-durable consumer products.

Brazil’s Most Valuable Imported Shopping Products

Below, the list highlights the most valuable imported shopping products on which buyers in Brazil spent the greatest amounts. Items were selected at the four-digit Harmonized System tariff classification code level and are presented from highest to lowest total amounts.

The percentages displayed to the right of each product name reveal the highest increases or decreases in Brazilian spending on that specific type of shopping product from 2019 to 2020.

Automobile parts/accessories: US$5,069,131,000 (up 10%)
Phone devices including smartphones: $4,484,926,000 (up 1.2%)
Packaged insecticides, herbicides: $3,693,775,000 (up 2.1%)
Trucks: $1,919,847,000 (down -35.7%)
Cars: $1,761,573,000 (down -46.9%)
Computers, optical readers: $1,343,670,000 (up 7.4%)
Computer parts, accessories: $1,139,118,000 (up 6.6%)
Electrical converters/power units: $1,070,248,000 (up 1.7%)
Lower-voltage switches, fuses: $978,727,000 (up 1.9%)
Insulated wire/cable: $880,677,000 (down -5.5%)
Rubber tires (new): $685,430,000 (down -29.3%)
Screws, bolts, washers, hooks, pins: $652,319,000 (up 10.5%)
Printing machinery: $622,158,000 (down -24.7%)
Motorcycle parts/accessories: $577,544,000 (down -7.2%)
Miscellaneous iron or steel items: $502,719,000 (up 6.1%)
Seats (not barber/dentist chairs): $451,828,000 (down -9.9%)
Orthopedic appliances: $436,293,000 (down -32%)
Vulcanized rubber items: $424,439,000 (down -0.1%)
Miscellaneous textile items: $378,310,000 (up 631.9%)
Microphones/headphones/amps: $350,659,000 (down -5.9%)
Vulcanized rubber apparel: $292,208,000 (up 42.6%)
Unrecorded sound media: $276,981,000 (up 22.1%)
Electric lamps: $262,713,000 (down -18.9%)
Cases, handbags, wallets: $255,824,000 (down -41%)
Footwear (textile): $191,533,000 (down -14.6%)
Miscellaneous toys: $180,806,000 (down -36.5%)
Prepared glues, adhesives: $171,748,000 (down -6.1%)
Miscellaneous aluminum items: $169,189,000 (up 9.3%)
Other pharmaceutical preparations: $160,644,000 (down -13.2%)
Locks, lock-keys: $136,858,000 (up 1.1%)
Glass bottles, other containers: $127,694,000 (down -10.7%)
Sports equipment: $119,416,000 (down -14.6%)
Women’s clothing (not knit/crochet): $119,396,000 (down -42.5%)
Tractors: $110,823,000 (down -15.9%)
Household glassware: $100,660,000 (down -16.7%)
Video console games, table games: $95,520,000 (up 22.3%)
Paints, varnishes: $94,566,000 (up 11%)
Lubricant preparations, anti-rust: $89,757,000 (down -14.8%)
T-shirts, vests (knit or crochet): $88,372,000 (down -34.5%)
Men’s suits (unknit/non-crochet): $87,227,000 (down -39.2%)
Miscellaneous furniture: $73,186,000 (up 2%)

Focusing on the scope of this analysis, shopping products is Brazil’s second-most popular category behind convenience products but ahead of speciality items.

Shopping products exceed two-fifths (41) of the overall top 100 Brazilian imported consumer goods.

Durable consumer products are goods like cars, refrigerators and furniture that last a relatively long time. Consumers can put durable products to use again and again. Note that shopping products and speciality products are considered as durable consumer products.

Brazil’s Most Valuable Imported Speciality Products

Speciality products represent the category with the fewest entries among Brazil’s imports that attracted the country’s spending on imported consumer goods during 2020.

Selected at the four-digit Harmonized System tariff classification code level, the most valuable speciality items are listed in descending order below.

The percentage to the right of each product name reveal highest increases or decreases in 2020 compared to 2019.

Potassic fertilizers: US$2,617,639,000 (down -24.5%)
Fertilizer mixes: $2,586,639,000 (down -7.1%)
Nitrogenous fertilizers: $2,502,497,000 (up 4.1%)
Air conditioners: $565,487,000 (up 5.1%)
Electric storage batteries: $496,606,000 (up 2.8%)
Temperature-change machines: $444,849,000 (up 12.1%)
Electric water heaters, hair dryers: $438,318,000 (down -11.5%)
Electric generating sets, converters: $429,052,000 (down -12.3%)
Dishwash, clean/dry/fill machines: $421,900,000 (up 6.1%)
Household base metal mountings: $244,890,000 (up 5.4%)
Refrigerators, freezers: $243,468,000 (down -10.2%)
Special hand/machine tools: $185,836,000 (down -35.8%)
Beauty/makeup/skin care: $163,158,000 (down -20.6%)
Washing machines: $145,735,000 (up 18.1%)
Compasses, other navigational aids: $93,991,000 (up 89.9%)
Sewing machines, related furniture: $89,888,000 (up 6.2%)

Like shopping products, speciality products are considered as durable consumer products.

Based on the product types identified in the sections above, 57 of Brazil’s 100 highest-value consumer shopper plus speciality products are durable while the remaining 43 convenience products are classified as non-durable.

Brazil’s Overall Fastest-Growing Consumer Imports

Listed below are the top 10 consumer products imported into Brazil that experienced the highest percentage increases in spending from 2019 to 2020.

Miscellaneous textile items: Up 631.9% ($378.3 million)
Soya beans: Up 503.3% ($273.6 million)
Soya-bean oil: Up 408.6% ($163.1 million)
Palm oil: Up 102.2% ($165.4 million)
Compasses, other navigational aids: Up 89.9% ($94 million)
Rice: Up 53.8% ($376.5 million)
Vulcanized rubber apparel: Up 42.6% ($292.2 million)
Concentrated/sweetened milk: Up 39.1% ($340.9 million)
Antibiotics: Up 27.2% ($374 billion)
Video console games, table games: Up 22.3% ($95.5 million)

Four among the above top 10 gainers qualify as durable goods that consumers can re-use over time. Three of those durable items with accelerating sales to importers in Brazil are shopping products specifically video console games and table games, vulcanized rubber apparel, and miscellaneous textile items.

The fastest-growing speciality product is compasses and other navigational aids.

The 6 non-durable convenience products that lead in import sales growth are antibiotics, concentrated or sweetened milk, rice, palm oil, soya-bean oil, and soya beans.

Brazil’s Overall Worst-Declining Consumer Imports

Spending by import buyers in Brazil on the following 10 items decreased in value at the severest rates from 2019 to 2020.

Cars: Down -46.9% ($1.8 billion)
Coal, solid fuels made from coal: Down -44% ($1.6 billion)
Processed petroleum oils: Down -43.1% ($7.4 billion)
Unknit and non-crocheted women’s clothing: Down -42.5% ($119.4 million)
Cases, handbags, wallets: Down -41% ($255.8 million)
Unknit and non-crocheted men’s suits: Down -39.2% ($87.2 million)
Miscellaneous toys: Down -36.5% ($180.8 million)
Special hand/machine tools: Down -35.8% ($185.8 million)
Trucks: Down -35.7% ($1.9 billion)
Knitted or crocheted t-shirts and vests: Down -34.5% ($88.4 million)

Seven categories among Brazilian top 10 severest decliners are durable shopping products used over a period of time. The worst losers among those categories were cars, unknitted and non-crocheted women’s clothing, then cases, handbags and wallets.

The strongest decline for a durable speciality good belongs to special hand or machine tools.

Brazil’s remaining 2 major import decliners were non-durable convenience products led by coal, and refined petroleum oils.

Key Product Suppliers by Country

This analysis reveals competitive suppliers that target demand for 5 of Brazil’s top consumer import products.

Brazil’s biggest imported consumer product by value is processed petroleum oils. The other 4 leading consumer goods imported into Brazil are automobile parts or accessories; phones including smartphones; insecticides, herbicides and fungicides; and medications.

Below, you will find major supplying countries for Brazil’s imported:

Processed petroleum oils: United States (72% of total), Spain (4.7%), India (3.5%), Netherlands (3.3%), United Arab Emirates (2.2%), Argentina (2.1%), Angola (2%), Algeria (1.3%), Russia (0.7%), and South Korea (also 0.7%).

Automobile parts or accessories: Japan (12.2% of total), China (11.9%), Germany (10.6%), Mexico (10.5%), South Korea (9.7%), United States (8.2%), Argentina (5.5%), Sweden (4.9%), Italy (4.8%), and Thailand (3.2%).

Phones: China (62.6% of total), Vietnam (17.6%), United States (4.6%), Hong Kong (2.8%), Mexico (2.6%), Malaysia (1.6%), Taiwan (1.6%), Thailand (1.2%), South Korea (0.9%), and Germany (0.6%).

Insecticides, herbicides, fungicides: United States (25%), China (16.4%), India (12.5%), France (7.2%), Israel (6.7%), United Kingdom (4.5%), Belgium (4.2%), Germany (3.7%), Spain (3.5%), and Singapore (3.3%).

Medications: United States (21.1% of total), Germany (17.7%), Italy (7.2%), India (6.6%), France (6%), Switzerland (5%), United Kingdom (4.6%), Spain (4%), Denmark (3.8%), and Ireland (3%).

References

Independent insights and analysis presented in this article are based on researched facts and statistics sourced from the following educational portals.

BoyceWire, Consumer Goods Definition.

Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook: Brazil Economy.

International Trade Centre, Trade Map.

Investopedia, Consumer Goods, Consumer Staples Definition, Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG).

Richest Country Reports, Top 100 Richest Countries by GDP.

Trading Economics, Brazil Consumer Spending.

Wikipedia, List of largest consumer markets.

Wikipedia, Brazil.

World’s Top Exports, Brazil’s Top 10 Imports.