Country Guide
Exporting from Ireland to Brazil
EU-Mercosur preferential tariffs, world-class dairy (Kerry, Glanbia, Ornua), pharma manufacturing hub, and Irish whiskey's growing Brazilian market.
EU-Mercosur: in force since May 2026Ireland's export profile to Brazil is dominated by two sectors: dairy and pharmaceuticals. With 88 MAPA-authorized establishments (almost all dairy), Ireland is a significant supplier of butter, cheese, and milk powder to Brazil. The pharma sector — with Pfizer, MSD, and Alexion operating major manufacturing plants — ships APIs and finished drugs. The EU-Mercosur agreement gives Irish exporters preferential access that competitors from the US, UK (post-Brexit), and China cannot match.
Your EU advantage (and the UK's loss)
Post-Brexit, Irish exporters benefit from EU-Mercosur while UK competitors pay full MFN tariffs. For dairy products facing 14-28% duties, this is a decisive competitive advantage. Irish Kerrygold butter enters Brazil under EU-Mercosur quotas while UK butter pays full tariff.
Trade Data: Ireland → Brazil
Source: UN Comtrade 2023Brazil reports 124.4% more imports from Ireland than Ireland reports in exports. This CIF/FOB spread is typical — Brazil values at CIF (including freight & insurance), while Ireland values at FOB (port of departure). Large gaps can also indicate re-exports through third countries.
Top Irish exports to Brazil by value
2023 FOB values in USD| # | Product | 2023 Value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3002.15Blood, human or animal, antisera, other blood fractions and immunological produc... | $152.2M | Duties → |
| 2 | 8802.40Aeroplanes and other aircraft, except unmanned; of an unladen weight exceeding 1... | $33.5M | Duties → |
| 3 | 3002.49Toxins, cultures of micro-organisms (excluding yeasts) and similar products; n.e... | $32.2M | Duties → |
| 4 | 3302.10Odoriferous substances and mixtures; of a kind used in the food or drink industr... | $27.8M | Duties → |
| 5 | 8473.30Machinery; parts and accessories (other than covers, carrying cases and the like... | $27.4M | Duties → |
| 6 | 8418.69Refrigerating or freezing equipment; n.e.c. in heading no. 8418 | $19.3M | Duties → |
| 7 | 8411.12Turbo-jets; of a thrust exceeding 25kN | $16.9M | Duties → |
| 8 | 3004.90Medicaments; consisting of mixed or unmixed products n.e.c. in heading no. 3004,... | $9.6M | Duties → |
| 9 | 9021.50Pacemakers; for stimulating heart muscles (excluding parts and accessories) | $9.0M | Duties → |
| 10 | 1901.90Food preparations; of flour, meal, starch, malt extract or milk products, for us... | $8.8M | Duties → |
| 11 | 9021.90Appliances; worn, carried or implanted in the body, to compensate for a defect o... | $6.5M | Duties → |
| 12 | 3002.12Blood, human or animal, antisera, other blood fractions and immunological produc... | $6.4M | Duties → |
| 13 | 9021.31Artificial parts of the body | $5.2M | Duties → |
| 14 | 2924.29Cyclic amides (including cyclic carbamates) and their derivatives; other than th... | $5.0M | Duties → |
| 15 | 9018.39Medical, surgical instruments and appliances; catheters, cannulae and the like | $4.9M | Duties → |
| 16 | 9018.19Medical, surgical instruments and appliances; electro-diagnostic apparatus (incl... | $4.0M | Duties → |
| 17 | 9021.39Artificial parts of the body; excluding artificial joints | $3.4M | Duties → |
| 18 | 7113.19Jewellery; of precious metal (excluding silver) whether or not plated or clad wi... | $3.0M | Duties → |
| 19 | 9018.90Medical, surgical or dental instruments and appliances; n.e.c. in heading no. 90... | $2.9M | Duties → |
| 20 | 8427.10Fork-lift and other works trucks; fitted with lifting or handling equipment, sel... | $2.3M | Duties → |
Values in USD, FOB (Ireland port of departure). Trend compares 2023 vs 2022. Click any HS code for Brazil duty rates and Ex-Tarifário status.
Key product categories and tariff strategy
| Product | Current duty | EU-Mercosur | Regulation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dairy products Butter, cheese, milk powder, whey (Kerry, Glanbia, Ornua) | 14-28% | TRQ + phasing | MAPA/DIPOA | View HS 04 → |
| Pharmaceuticals Pfizer, MSD, Alexion — biologics, APIs | 0-8% | 0% immediate | ANVISA | View HS 30 → |
| Machinery Medical devices (Medtronic), food processing equipment | 14% | 0% by 2036 | INMETRO | View HS 84 → |
| Beverages Irish whiskey (Jameson, Bushmills), cream liqueurs (Baileys) | 20% | Phasing | — | View HS 22 → |
| Meat Beef — Ireland has no current MAPA authorization for raw beef to Brazil | 10-16% | TRQ | MAPA/DIPOA | View HS 02 → |
| Electrical/IT Data center equipment (AWS, Google, Microsoft operations) | 14-18% | 0% by 2036 | Anatel | View HS 85 → |
Dairy: Ireland's strongest export to Brazil
Ireland has 88 establishments authorized by MAPA/DIPOA, with the vast majority in the dairy sector (1,558 product registrations). Key players:
- Kerry Group: food ingredients, flavors, and dairy — global leader in food technology with significant Brazilian operations.
- Glanbia: nutritional products, cheese, whey protein. Brazil's fitness market drives demand for whey supplements.
- Ornua (Kerrygold): premium butter and cheese. Kerrygold is one of the most recognized Irish brands globally.
- Dairygold: milk powder, butter, and ingredients for the Brazilian food industry.
EU-Mercosur provides tariff-rate quotas for dairy: limited volumes at reduced rates, with gradual liberalization. This is critical for high-tariff items like butter (up to 28% MFN duty).
Pharma: Ireland as manufacturing hub
Ireland hosts over 80 pharma manufacturing plants, making it one of the world's largest pharmaceutical export bases:
- Pfizer (Cork, Dublin): vaccines, biologics — major supplier to Brazil's SUS (public health system).
- MSD/Merck (Carlow, Tipperary): oncology, immunology drugs.
- Alexion/AstraZeneca (Dublin): rare disease biologics.
- EU-Mercosur immediate benefit: most pharma products get 0% tariff immediately, plus GMP mutual recognition provisions.
Irish whiskey: growing market
Brazilian consumption of Irish whiskey is growing rapidly (Jameson, Bushmills, Redbreast). Unlike Scotch whisky — which lost EU-Mercosur GI protection after Brexit — Irish whiskey retains full GI protection under the agreement, a meaningful marketing advantage.
MAPA-authorized establishments
Source: SIGSIF/DIPOA88 Irish facilities are authorized by Brazil's Ministry of Agriculture to export animal products.
Regulatory requirements
- MAPA/DIPOA — dairy products. Ireland has 88 authorized establishments. New plants apply via SIGSIF.
- ANVISA — pharmaceuticals, biologics, medical devices. EU-Mercosur GMP recognition may expedite approvals.
- Certificate of Origin — required for EU-Mercosur preferential rates. Revenue Commissioners or authorized exporter self-declaration.
Practical next steps
- Find your product's NCM code
- Calculate the full landed cost — all 7 Brazilian taxes included
- Contact Enterprise Ireland's office in São Paulo for market support
- Verify EU-Mercosur preferential rate and quota availability for your NCM code