The Ministry of Itamaraty reported this Friday (25) that Brazilian producers have faced difficulties exporting to Venezuela and, as a result, has attempted to adopt measures to normalize trade between the two countries.
The statement makes no mention of tariffs imposed by the Nicolás Maduro government. The newspaper “O Globo” reported that Venezuela has decided to charge tariffs of up to 77% on exports of Brazilian products.
There is still no official confirmation from the Venezuelan government that the tariffs will be imposed on Brazil. The Brazilian government has also not officially commented on the matter.
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According to the federal government, the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Development, Industry, and Commerce (MDIC) have been monitoring reports of difficulties faced by Brazilian exporters in Venezuela.
“The Brazilian Embassy in Caracas is investigating, together with the relevant Venezuelan authorities, elements to clarify the nature of the situation, with a view to normalizing the flow of bilateral trade, governed by Economic Complementarity Agreement No. 69 (ACE 69), which prohibits the collection of import taxes between the two countries,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported.
Among the main products sold by Brazilians to the neighboring country are sugar and molasses, edible products and food preparations, and corn.
In 2024, bilateral trade totaled US$1.6 billion, with US$1.2 billion in Brazilian exports to Venezuela—equivalent to 0.4% of total Brazilian exports that year.
Statement from the Roraima Trade Confederation
According to the Federation of Industries of the State of Roraima (FIER), the organization’s International Business Center has already begun internal investigations to identify the causes of the obstacles, particularly regarding the acceptance of Certificates of Origin by Venezuelan authorities.
FIER stated that it maintains contact with authorities in both countries and that the certificates comply with the standards of the Latin American Integration Association (ALADI) and the terms of Economic Complementarity Agreement No. 69.
The federation reiterated its commitment to transparency and dialogue to preserve bilateral trade.
Political and Diplomatic Relations
Although neighbors, Brazil and Venezuela are experiencing a period of greater political and diplomatic distance. Even with President Lula and President Nicolás Maduro, longtime allies, leading their countries, the two have had public disagreements.
Lula, like other international leaders, began demanding that Maduro release the electoral records from the 2024 Venezuelan elections, which angered Maduro to the point that he began spreading lies about the Brazilian electoral process.
According to the National Electoral Council, Nicolás Maduro defeated Edmundo González, but the opposition disputes this, claiming that releasing the records would prove González’s victory.
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The Venezuelan Supreme Court, however, aligned with Maduro, prohibited the release of these records.
