China and Brazil
Logistics, resources, industry and energy connect China and Brazil. Shipping routes and energy instruments show specific channels of cooperation. Trade volume and business projects are distinct dimensions: a protocol is not equivalent to all capital invested.
Analysis reviewed: 2026-10-07 · Indicators updated: 2026-10-07A shipping route for the north and northeast
Brazil's Ministry of Ports announced a direct connection with China in April 2025.
Trade has different territorial effects
The ministerial communication uses examples of Bahia's trade to explain the new route's regional dimension.
Bilateral indicators
Blank cells: data unavailable.
| Indicator | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Goods trade | 187,825.62 M USD | 2025 · UN Comtrade / CHN |
| Goods: China to Brazil | 71,604.38 M USD | 2025 · UN Comtrade / CHN |
| Goods: Brazil to China | 116,221.23 M USD | 2025 · UN Comtrade / CHN |
| Services trade | ||
| Export share: China to Brazil | 1.9 % | 2025 · UN Comtrade / CHN |
| Export share: Brazil to China | ||
| Investment stock: China in Brazil | ||
| Investment stock: Brazil in China |
Definitions and sources
Trade adds both directions. Shares refer to the country’s total goods exports; investment is an accumulated stock, not an annual flow. Every figure retains the currency and period of its source. BEA positions are historical-cost estimates based on the immediate counterpart, not market values or investment by ultimate owner. ‘More than’ indicates a lower bound, not an exact amount. A recorded stock does not establish new activity or authorisation to operate under sanctions.
- Goods trade
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / CHN · Goods; full year; CHN reporter. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF according to the reporter's coverage. No addition of mirror reports.
- Goods: China to Brazil
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / CHN · Goods; full year; CHN reporter. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF according to the reporter's coverage. No addition of mirror reports.
- Goods: Brazil to China
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / CHN · Goods; full year; CHN reporter. Exports normally FOB and imports CIF according to the reporter's coverage. No addition of mirror reports.
- Export share: China to Brazil
- 2025 · UN Comtrade / CHN · Goods share: CHN exports to the partner / the same reporter's exports to the world, same year.
Country comparison
Period and source beside each figure · est. = estimate by the stated institution.
| Indicator | China | Brazil |
|---|---|---|
| Nominal GDP | 19.5 trillion USD2025 · WB | 2.28 trillion USD2025 · WB |
| GDP per capita | 13,861.97 USD2025 · WB | 10,713.29 USD2025 · WB |
| GDP growth | 4.96 %2025 · WB | 2.29 %2025 · WB |
| Policy interest rate | 1.4 %2026-09-24 · PBoC | 13.75 %2026-10-07 · Banco Central do Brasil |
| Inflation · annual average | 0.06 %Annual average · 2025 · WB | 5.02 %Annual average · 2025 · WB |
| Inflation · latest year-on-year figure | 0.8 %Year-on-year · Aug. 2026 · NBS China | 4.22 %Headline CPI · 2026-08 · year-on-year · Ministério da Fazenda / IBGE |
| Unemployment | 4.62 %ILO est.2025 · WB | 5.97 %ILO est.2025 · WB |
| Budget balance (% of GDP) | -7.9 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | -8.1 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Gross public debt (% of GDP) | 99.2 %IMF est.2025 · IMF | 93.3 %IMF est.2025 · IMF |
| Current account balance (% of GDP) | 3.77 %2025 · WB | -2.93 %2025 · WB |
| Population | 1,406,585,0002025 · WB | 212,812,4052025 · WB |
| Area | 9,562,910 km²2023 · BM / FAO | 8,510,420 km²2023 · WB |
| Military expenditure | ||
| Military expenditure (% of GDP) |
Definitions, dates and sources
Blank cells are not zero. Average annual inflation and the latest year-on-year figure appear in separate rows: they are not the same measure. Every annual indicator retains its reference year; when the years differ, the figures are identified as not directly comparable. When a figure is unavailable from the World Bank, an annual IMF estimate is used and identified as such. The latest year-on-year figure is the latest official release verified as of 7 October 2026. This includes advance releases marked as provisional. Mexico may have a fortnightly figure before the full month is published; it is not automatically compared with a monthly figure. The publication date is retained in each source’s details; it does not replace the observation period or the annual average. Policy rates carry their own dates and represent different instruments. Spain and France share the ECB rate. Balances are positive for surpluses and negative for deficits. The IMF may use fiscal years; unemployment retains each source’s definition (ILO estimates, IMF WEO or PCBS), as stated in the details. For Palestine, debt and the fiscal balance cover central government and retain the PCBS definition; they are not presented as consolidated general government. These are economic magnitudes, not measures of relationship quality.
Area retains each source’s territorial coverage; it does not determine sovereignty or effective control. Canada uses an archived national geographic reference. Military expenditure retains the 2024 SIPRI sample distributed by the World Bank: the amount and percentage of GDP use that same definition, which differs from NATO’s. It is not an approved budget or a 2026 figure. Information from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Military expenditure database · Terms of use0
Indicators reviewed: 2026-10-07. Each source retains its original access date; this review does not turn all the data into 2026 observations. Figures may be revised.
- Nominal GDP
- Current USDChina: 2025 · World BankBrazil: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.
- GDP per capita
- Current USD per personChina: 2025 · World BankBrazil: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.
- GDP growth
- Annual real change (%)China: 2025 · World BankBrazil: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.
- Policy interest rate
- Central bank instrument (%)China: 2026-09-24 · PBoC: 7-day reverse repo · People’s Bank of China · Published: 2026-09-24 · Rate of the official operation consulted, not the mortgage LPR or the PSL lending rate. Subsequent operations with zero volume are not converted into a 0% interest rate.Brazil: 2026-10-07 · Target for the Selic rate, annual percentage · Banco Central do Brasil · Official monetary-policy target, not the effective daily interbank rate.
- Inflation · annual average
- Average annual change in headline CPI (%)China: 2025 · Average annual CPI change (%) · World BankBrazil: 2025 · Annual average change in the CPI (%) · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.
- Inflation · latest year-on-year figure
- Headline CPI relative to the same period of the previous year (%); monthly or fortnightly frequency statedChina: 2026-08 · Headline CPI change relative to the same month of the previous year (%) · National Bureau of Statistics of China · Published: 2026-09-09 · National headline year-on-year CPI, not monthly inflation or an annual average.Brazil: 2026-08 · Headline IPCA; urban coverage of the SNIPC system · Ministério da Fazenda / IBGE · Official monthly data. Not mixed with the annual average. · Alternative official source; verified 2026-10-07
- Unemployment
- % of the labour force; definition used by the stated institutionChina: 2025 · World Bank · ILO est.Brazil: 2025 · ILO modelled estimate, % of the labour force · World Bank · ILO est. · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.
- Budget balance
- General government (% of GDP)China: 2025 · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est.Brazil: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · IMF WEO estimate, not a monthly observation. Retains the country's fiscal year where it differs from the calendar year.
- Gross public debt
- General government (% of GDP)China: 2025 · IMF — World Economic Outlook · IMF est.Brazil: 2025 · IMF · IMF est. · IMF WEO estimate, not a monthly observation. Retains the country's fiscal year where it differs from the calendar year.
- Current account balance
- % of GDPChina: 2025 · World BankBrazil: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.
- Population
- PeopleChina: 2025 · World BankBrazil: 2025 · World Bank · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.
- Area
- Total area in km²; territorial coverage of the sourceChina: 2023 · Total area including inland waters; territorial coverage of the source · World Bank · FAOBrazil: 2023 · World Bank / FAO · Official World Bank series; latest verified period available for this series in the 2023–2025 query.
- Military expenditure
- Current USD per year; SIPRI series
- Military expenditure (% of GDP)
- Percentage of GDP; SIPRI definition, not NATO’s definition
Other data specific to this relationship
What they buy and sell
Documented selection, not an exhaustive list. Cells without a figure do not mean zero value; some products are identified without a verified amount.
China to Brazil
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
| Electrical and electronic equipment | 14,474.6 M USD2025 · Source |
| Machinery and mechanical appliances | 11,985.5 M USD2025 · Source |
| Land vehicles and components | 7,434.3 M USD2025 · Source |
| Pharmaceutical products | 351.2 M USD2025 · Source |
| Mineral fuels and oils | 73.1 M USD2025 · Source |
Brazil to China
| Product or sector | Value / share |
|---|---|
| Mineral fuels and oils | 25,361.1 M USD2025 · Source |
| Machinery and mechanical appliances | 189.3 M USD2025 · Source |
| Electrical and electronic equipment | 81.5 M USD2025 · Source |
| Pharmaceutical products | 40.9 M USD2025 · Source |
| Land vehicles and components | 8.7 M USD2025 · Source |
Connections between people
Education, work, visits and community connections have their own records and procedures. Residents are not equivalent to annual arrivals, and visits may be repeated. The tables retain dates, definitions and sources to distinguish these connections from business contracts and government decisions. [2]
Residents, study and travel
Blank cells: data unavailable. Each measure retains its definition and period.
| Indicator | Value | Period / source |
|---|---|---|
| Residents from China living in Brazil | ||
| Residents from Brazil living in China | ||
| Study and training: China in Brazil | ||
| Study and training: Brazil in China | ||
| Academic stays: China in Brazil | ||
| Academic stays: Brazil in China | ||
| Travel: China to Brazil | ||
| Travel: Brazil to China |
What each figure measures
Residents are counted by nationality and the coverage of the stated register, not as people born in the other country or as new arrivals in one year. PERE includes dual nationals and people born outside Spain. Study with OPT and stays carrying academic credit are different measures. Travel may include several visits by the same person; FRONTUR arrivals require an overnight stay, whereas the Canadian survey includes day visits. These figures are neither added together nor automatically compared across directions.
Mobility data added or reviewed: 2026-10-07. Reference periods may be earlier.
Underlying ties
History, institutions and long-standing issues.
A shipping route for the north and northeast
Brazil's Ministry of Ports announced a direct connection with China in April 2025. The initiative seeks to improve access and logistics for northern and northeastern regions, not only the large southeastern ports. A route provides connecting infrastructure; its announcement does not provide the final number of port calls, tonnes or industrial projects that will take place. [1]
Trade has different territorial effects
The ministerial communication uses examples of Bahia's trade to explain the new route's regional dimension. Those data cover a state and one quarter, so they are not presented as Brazil's annual total. This profile's customs table retains national coverage. Ports, roads and production chains determine where activity takes place behind an aggregate trade figure. [1]
Specific instruments of energy cooperation
The Ministry of Mines and Energy holds a 2025 Brazil–China protocol of intentions for cooperation. This record identifies a sectoral instrument and its text, not an automatic figure for implemented investment. Energy, financing and infrastructure may involve contracts from several businesses and periods. Cooperation announcements and goods flows recorded by customs are kept separate. [2]
The scale of the two economies
China recorded nominal GDP of 19,498 billion USD in 2025, compared with 2,279.9 in 2025 for Brazil. The reference populations were 1,406.59 million (2025) and 212.81 million (2025), respectively. In the same year, China's nominal GDP was 8.55 times Brazil's. These figures contextualise market size; they do not by themselves describe well-being, individual wealth or political influence. IMF estimates or population extrapolations retain their labels in the table. No ratio is calculated when periods do not match. [4] [5] [6] [7]
Recent developments
Recent developments and latest available data · Reviewed: 2026-10-07
Logistics and energy in 2025
The 2025 documents add two specific channels: a shipping connection and energy cooperation. Their effects may develop over several years. Goods data allow observed trade to be examined, while population and GDP provide context on economic scale. None of these measures by itself demonstrates that a route or protocol has fulfilled all its objectives. [1] [2]
Observed economic exchange
In 2025, recorded goods trade between China and Brazil totalled 187,825.6 million USD. Shipments from China to Brazil were 71,604.4 million USD; those in the reverse direction were 116,221.2 million USD. China's shipments to the partner represented 1.9% of its goods exports to the world, using the same year and reporter. A single customs reporting source is used for both directions. This annual flow does not include all services activity or affiliates' local sales and is not added to accumulated investment capital. [3]
Milestones and consequences
Sources and data
Periods and scope of the figures
Each figure retains its period, unit, definition and source. Announcements, contracts and results are not interchangeable. Empty cells do not mean zero. Customs data for 2025 are not presented as activity observed during later crises.
- New Brazil–China shipping connection
Brazil's Ministry of Ports and Airports · Institutional source · Document: 2025-04 · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- 2025 energy instruments
Brazil's Ministry of Mines and Energy · Institutional source · Document: 2025 · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Annual TOTAL X/M; 2025; reporter 156; partners 0,826,380,124,484,76,32,710,231,364,818,784,410
UN Comtrade / CHN · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Official statistics
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-09-17
- NY.GDP.MKTP.CD; 2023–2025; country and period preserved; no military series
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- Official statistics
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-06
- SP.POP.TOTL; 2023–2025; country and period preserved; no military series
World Bank · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 27; 2025; reporter 156; partners 826,380,124,484,76,32,710,231,364,818,784,410; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / CHN · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 30; 2025; reporter 156; partners 826,380,124,484,76,32,710,231,364,818,784,410; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / CHN · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 84; 2025; reporter 156; partners 826,380,124,484,76,32,710,231,364,818,784,410; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / CHN · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 85; 2025; reporter 156; partners 826,380,124,484,76,32,710,231,364,818,784,410; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / CHN · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
- HS2 87; 2025; reporter 156; partners 826,380,124,484,76,32,710,231,364,818,784,410; X/M; annual goods
UN Comtrade / CHN · Institutional source · Accessed: 2026-10-07
Additional sources on products and human connections
- UN Comtrade / CHN
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 27; 2025; reporter 156; partners 826,380,124,484,76,32,710,231,364,818,784,410; X/M; annual goods.
- UN Comtrade / CHN
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 85; 2025; reporter 156; partners 826,380,124,484,76,32,710,231,364,818,784,410; X/M; annual goods.
- UN Comtrade / CHN
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 84; 2025; reporter 156; partners 826,380,124,484,76,32,710,231,364,818,784,410; X/M; annual goods.
- UN Comtrade / CHN
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 87; 2025; reporter 156; partners 826,380,124,484,76,32,710,231,364,818,784,410; X/M; annual goods.
- UN Comtrade / CHN
2026-10-07 · Accessed: 2026-10-07 · HS2 30; 2025; reporter 156; partners 826,380,124,484,76,32,710,231,364,818,784,410; X/M; annual goods.