Producers, exporters, ApexBrasil propel Brazil to global cotton export leadership

A 2030 target has been achieved much sooner than expected: for the first time, Brazil has become the world’s top cotton producer. Between August 2023 and July 2024, Brazilian exports are expected to reach about 2.70 million tons of processed cotton (lint), leaving the US, which shipped approximately 2.57 million tons, in second place. The good news was announced by Brazil’s Minister of Agriculture and Livestock (Ministério da Agricultura e Pecuária/MAPA), Carlos Fávaro, during the July 3 launch of the 2024-2025 Harvest Plan for agribusiness.

According to the Brazilian Association of Cotton Producers (Associação Brasileiras dos Produtores de Algodão/Abrapa), these results validate the effectiveness of collaborative efforts initiated 25 years ago by this industry, involving investments, research, technlogy, professionalism and organization, combined with a robust commercial promotion strategy developed in partnership with the Brazilian Export and Investment Agency (Agência Brasileira de Exportações e Investimentos/ApexBrasil).

Driven by ApexBrasil

Beginning in 2020, the Cotton Brazil Project (Projeto Cotton Brazil) leveraged Brazil’s expansion into new markets and its consolidation of existing ones. This initiative resulted from a partnership between ApexBrasil, Abrapa (representing producers) and the country’s National Association of Cotton Exporters (Associação Nacional de Exportadores de Algodão/Anea) (representing exporters), with the support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Ministério das Relações Exteriores/MRE) and MAPA.

“The partnership with ApexBrasil was crucial to achieving this leadership,” said Abrapa president Alexandre Schenkel. This global leadership in cotton exports was not the original goal and was not expected so soon. “We had been working continuously to improve our processes, increasing our quality, traceability and sustainability, and, consequently, our efficiency. With Apex and new resources to move forward, we are gaining even greater relevance in terms of presence, even in diplomatic terms,” says Schenkel.

According to ApexBrasil President Jorge Viana, “This achievement is the result of cooperation between the private sector and the government”. “On Apex’s side, we have been leveraging investments in international promotion of the [cotton] sector since the creation of the project. The productive sector, with its producers and exporters, is increasingly technological, competitive and sustainable, and has been gaining a prominent position on the global stage. The Federal Government’s actions, led by Minister Fávaro, were crucial to this result.”

The program

Cotton Brazil is an international market development program for Brazilian cotton. It was created to help place the country among the world's greatest exporters by 2030. A program office was opened in Singapore, a city strategically located on the continent that absorbs most of the world's cotton exports.

Cotton Brazil’s goal is to intensify the presence of this Brazilian product in 10 priority countries: China, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Türkiye, Pakistan, Indonesia, India, Thailand, South Korea and Egypt. Together, these countries represent 49% of the world's population and are the destination for 95% of Brazilian cotton exports and 90% of global fiber exports.

In the following list of 11 of Brazil’s largest cotton markets by share of exports are nine of the program's target markets: China (53%), Vietnam (14%), Bangladesh (10%), Türkiye (7%), Indonesia (5%), Pakistan (5%) and South Korea (1%). Egypt, a market that was opened in 2023 through Cotton Brazil, already has a 1% share. The other countries in the ranking are Thailand (0.3%) and Portugal (0.4%)—and the latter is not considered a priority market by Cotton Brazil. India does not appear on the list.

To open and consolidate strategic markets, Cotton Brazil dialogues with the international textile industry, cotton traders, international organizations, brands and retailers, through initiatives involving communications, relationships, market intelligence and special projects in purchasing countries.

Since it was created, Cotton Brazil participated in 52 international trade events that attracted more than 500 customers and stakeholders. This approach successfully brought global buyers over to learn about the Brazilian cotton production model, with its Missão Compradores [“Buyers’ Mission”] and took national producers to learn about the international industry to understand its demands, through Missão Vendedores [“Sellers’ Mission”]. To find out how to be part of the project, access this link.

About ApexBrasil

The Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency works to promote Brazilian products and services abroad and to attract foreign investment for strategic sectors of the Brazilian economy.

ApexBrasil engages in trade promotion activities aimed at promoting exports and adding value to Brazilian products and services abroad, such as prospective and commercial missions; business rounds; support to the participation of Brazilian companies in major international fairs; and visits by foreign buyers and opinion makers to learn about the Brazilian production structure, among other business platforms that also aim to strengthen the Brazil brand.

The Agency also coordinates with public and private stakeholders to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) to Brazil, focusing on strategic sectors for developing the competitiveness of Brazilian companies and of the country itself.