Brazilian fishermen seek new markets after the United States tariff barred access to the main destination of exports in the sector.
Among the bets are China, Australia and the Middle East, he tells the CNN Eduardo Lobo, President of Abipesca (Brazilian Association of Pescados Industry).
“We continue working with courage, sleeping and waking up waiting important news, but we do not fail to do our homework. We are suffering, but we are firing little, so far, because the entrepreneur is hopeful that something can happen and the fish can be placed on a list without tax,” he points out.
The president of Abipesca said that the sector has just returned from a mission in the Australian market, and that in October has a scheduled trip to one of the largest fish fairs in China. In January, the sector should look for interested parties in the Arab market.
Lobo points to Apexbrasil (Brazilian Agency for Export and Investment Promotion) as a partner in this search for new markets.
Since 2024, the agency and the entity have jointly develop a program focused on training, commercial promotion and industry image actions, the Brazilian Seafood. In 2025, the project has a 17.78% stake in sector sales abroad.
65% retreat
With Donald Trump’s tariff, industry exports are still pressed as they depend almost entirely on sales to the US consumer.
HAS CNNWolf estimated that, by effect of the total fishermen’s sales should retreat 65% in September compared to the same period as 2024.
The president of Abipesca reports that, while companies in the sector await the actual realization of those, who proposed relief measures to mitigate the impact of the tariff, “our feeling is that everything that could be done we did.”
“We interact with the pairs of Abipesca in the United States, we participate in the public hearing [sobre a investigação comercial do USTR] Where we took place of speech explaining the importance of fish from Brazil to the American public, we do not fire and we continue to produce, “he cast.
“But the feeling is that the most important thing was the negotiation between Brazil and the United States has not happened. Our feeling is that the business relationship of the day that has been announced the tariff has to date has been casting to a degree of worsening,” he said.
In addition to closing the US market for the political factor, Lobo commented that the closure of the European Union due to sanitary issues makes it “very difficult for the sector to be losing, sequentially, in a decade, the two largest markets in the world.”
Trump’s nod to Lula
The President of the Republic, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (PT), is in the United States for the UN General Assembly (United Nations), based in New York. Following the tradition of the Assembly, the Brazilian climbed to the stage before the American host.
Lula said that and, in a message to Trump – but without citing him nominally – and former President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) ,.
Then Trump surprised everyone: “We [o presidente dos EUA e o do Brasil] We didn’t have much time to talk about here, it was like, 20 seconds, but we talked, we had a good conversation and, if it is interest. He looked like a very nice man, actually, he liked me, I liked him. And I only do business with people I like. We had one and that was a good sign. “
For wolf, “it’s good” to have this approach, but it ponders that.
We do not know what will happen between the beginning of the conversation until the end, it can start well and end badly. So, no use either celebrating or creating expectation, we have to have peace of mind, hope that there is any kind of advancement. “
