Fruitful cooperation: Brazil increases purchases of Russian fertilizers
Brazil is increasing purchases of Russian mineral fertilizers. In January—May 2026, almost 1 million tons of products were shipped to customers from the republic through the terminals of the Port Alliance alone. The Russian Embassy confirmed to Izvestia that requests from the Brazilian side for increased supplies are received regularly. By the end of 2025, the export of our fertilizers to the country reached a record $4 billion, and the physical volume of supplies exceeded 11 million tons. What is the reason for the wave of increased demand and what opportunities the Latin American market opens up for Russia — in the Izvestia article.
Growing demand for Russian fertilizers
Brazil plans to expand purchases of Russian fertilizers. The Latin American country's own production remains limited due to the high cost of natural gas as a raw material for nitrogen fertilizers - it covers about 85% of its needs through imports.
— Indeed, there is an increased demand for mineral fertilizers in Brazil. The Russian side regularly receives requests for increased supplies, the Russian Embassy in Brasilia told Izvestia.
The main supply channel is terminals of the Port Alliance, one of the largest Russian operators of port facilities. According to the company, in January—May 2026, 933.4 thousand tons of fertilizers passed through it to Brazilian buyers. By the end of 2025, Russian fertilizer exports to Brazil reached a record $4 billion, and the physical volume of supplies exceeded 11 million tons.
In many ways, the increase in demand is associated with the expansion of acreage. Soybeans in Brazil already occupy more than 48 million hectares, a record for the country, and corn crops are also growing rapidly. These crops require significantly more fertilizers than traditional coffee or sugar cane plantations. Apart from Russia and China, the republic has no major suppliers capable of closing these volumes quickly.
However, the current wave is not only related to agricultural cycles. According to Egor Lidovsky, Director General of the Hugo Chavez Latin American Cultural Center, the domestic political situation in Brazil became the catalyst. As the expert noted in a conversation with Izvestia, the country is heading for the presidential elections in October in open conflict with the administration of US President Donald Trump.
Brazilian leader Lula da Silva's main rival is Flavio Bolsonaro, a politician closely associated with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and receiving support from the Trump team. Lidovsky recalled that Lula and Trump had practically concluded a trade agreement, but it was Rubio who disrupted it, including because of Washington's claims against the Brazilian Pix payment system, which the United States considers a competitor to its cards. After that, direct pressure began on Lula, and the Brazilian president began to reorient trade to the BRICS+ countries, primarily Russia and China.
Recently, Russia and Brazil have noticeably intensified contacts. In early August, Nikolai Patrushev, Assistant to the President of Russia and head of the Maritime Board, flew to Rio to discuss cheaper logistics between the two countries. At the same time, Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with Lula da Silva, during which, in particular, the expansion and diversification of mutual trade were discussed.
Interestingly, the EU countries are apparently trying to use the ties between Russia and Brazil. Lula da Silva's adviser on international affairs, Celso Amorim, recently admitted that the countries of the union are turning to Brazil with requests to mediate in contacts with Moscow.
Opportunities for Russian business in the Latin American market
Brazil is becoming a key destination for Russian fertilizer producers at a time when access to two other major markets, the European Union and the United States, is narrowing. Since July 1, 2025, the EU has imposed additional protective duties on Russian and Belarusian fertilizers. A fixed fee of €40 per 1 ton of nitrogen fertilizers and €45 per 1 ton of mixed fertilizers was added to the base rate of 6.5%. These surcharges should increase every year and by July 1, 2028, reach a virtually prohibitive level of €315 and €430 per 1 ton, respectively. In May 2026, Brussels confirmed that it was not going to reduce or cancel special duties on Russian products. At the same time, the EU temporarily lifted tariffs on nitrogen fertilizers to support local farmers, but Russia and Belarus were excluded from this benefit.
Pressure is also being felt from the United States. Certain categories are subject to countervailing duties: tariffs on phosphorus—containing products reach 14% for PhosAgro and 24% for EuroChem, the largest Russian fertilizer producers. A duty of more than 16% has been set for other domestic suppliers. Russian importers filed lawsuits and then appeals, but the U.S. Court of International Trade definitively rejected attempts by Russian companies to challenge these fees.
In such circumstances, Russian business is gaining a foothold in the Latin American market through direct investments in local industry. As Evgeny Shutov, CEO of ConsultInvest ITIC in Russia, reminded Izvestia, our fertilizer producers have long since switched from simple supplies of raw materials to investments in the Brazilian industry itself. One example is the EuroChem phosphate complex in Serra do Salitri, launched in March 2024 with investments of about $1 billion and a capacity of 1 million tons of fertilizers per year. In addition to EuroChem, PhosAgro, Uralchem and Akron are expanding their own distribution networks in Brazil.
The stability of the Brazilian trend largely depends on the outcome of the October elections. According to Yegor Lidovsky, if Bolsonaro wins, he will pursue the Trump line, including the possible curtailment of supplies from Russia, even despite the obvious economic benefits for farmers. So far, Lula da Silva is in the lead in the polls.
Logistics remains a separate limitation. Traditional southern hubs are overloaded, and direct calls to European ports in the Baltic are complicated by sanctions pressure and problems with ship insurance. Therefore, Moscow and Brasilia are developing new isolated routes, increasing direct cargo flows between Brazil and the Russian Baltic ports of St. Petersburg and Kaliningrad.
Relevant Russian agencies have already officially established the Brazilian vector as one of the priorities for the coming years. With the successful development of logistics chains and favorable political conditions in Brazil, Russian suppliers will be able not only to consolidate, but also significantly expand their presence in the Latin American market.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
