The mineral sector was mainly responsible for the Brazilian trade balance surplus in 2025, a year marked by geopolitical tensions and instability in international markets.
The mineral sector’s trade balance grew 7.6%, reaching US$37.61 billion. The value corresponds to 55% of Brazil’s total surplus, which totaled US$68.29 billion in the period.
The data was released this Tuesday (3) by Ibram (Brazilian Mining Institute)
Exports totaled 431 million tons, an increase of 7.1% compared to 2024, with revenue of approximately US$46 billion, an increase of 6.2%.
Mineral imports registered a slight increase of 0.1% in value, reaching US$ 8.5 billion, while volume fell 1.3%, to 40.8 million tons.
Highlights in exports
China remained the main destination for Brazilian mineral exports in 2025, concentrating 69.2% of the sector’s foreign sales.
Iron ore, the main product of the mineral trade balance, totaled US$ 28.96 billion in exports. China accounted for around US$19.5 billion of this total, equivalent to 67% of product sales abroad.
Demand from other Asian countries also contributed to the sector’s performance.
One of the highlights was India, which returned to importing Brazilian iron ore in 2025. While in 2024 the country had not made any relevant purchases, in 2025 Indian imports reached around US$440 million.
The increase in Indian demand is linked to the expansion of the country’s steel industry, driven by the growth of infrastructure, civil construction and the industrial sector.
Gold and copper advances
In the copper segment, exports also hit a record.
Foreign sales of gold and copper ore increased by 66.1% and 20.5%, respectively, reinforcing the positive balance of the sector’s trade balance.
In the case of gold, appreciation is associated with increased demand for assets considered safer, amid global geopolitical and economic uncertainties.
Copper has been driven by the energy transition: the metal is the basis of practically the entire electrification chain, present in electric vehicles, cables, networks and energy generation and transmission equipment.
Data from the IEA (International Energy Agency) indicate that global demand for copper is expected to grow by around 30% by 2040, pressured by the expansion of renewable energy and electric mobility.
