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Brazil is the UK’s 26th largest export market, accounting for £6.9 billion in UK exports in 2024.
Opportunities exist across healthcare, fintech, education and aerospace. But most UK exporters will need professional Brazilian Portuguese translation and interpreting to succeed.
Here’s our guide to the Brazilian market, where the opportunities lie, and how to prepare.
Brazil at a glance
- Largest economy in South America, with strong finance, energy and manufacturing sectors.
- £6.9 billion in UK exports for the four quarters to Q4 2024 (ONS).
- 26th largest UK export market, representing 0.8% of all UK exports (ONS).
- Economic growth: 3.4% (IMF, 2024).
- GDP per capita: $10,350 (IMF, 2023).
- Currency: Brazilian real (BRL).
- Business language: Portuguese — exporters will almost certainly need translation and interpreting services.
- Time zone: GMT -4.
An overview of Brazilian Portuguese
Brazilian Portuguese is the variety of the Portuguese language spoken in Brazil, where it is the official language and the mother tongue of nearly all of the country’s 203 million inhabitants. It is also used by millions in the Brazilian diaspora worldwide.
While mutually intelligible with European Portuguese, the Brazilian variety differs in pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar and prosody.
These differences have been shaped by Brazil’s unique history and cultural influences, including contact with indigenous languages and African languages during and after the colonial period.
Brazilian Portuguese tends to have a more open vowel system and melodic intonation compared with European Portuguese.
Brazil is vast, and regional accents vary significantly in vowel pronunciation, rhythm and intonation.
Relevance for businesses and exporters
For UK organisations trading with Brazil, it’s important to recognise that:
- Portuguese is the sole official business language in Brazil. English is not widely used in government or legal settings.
- Contracts, compliance documents and marketing content must be translated into Brazilian Portuguese, rather than relying on European Portuguese, to ensure local relevance and clarity.
- Professional translation and interpreting services are essential for exporters entering the Brazilian market, from technical documentation to negotiations.
Why Brazil matters for UK exporters
Brazil is a major global economy with a modern banking system and a growing consumer market. It is a regional hub for finance, aviation and healthcare, making it a natural entry point for UK exporters to South America.
Trade between the UK and Brazil has been strengthening. In 2024, total UK exports rose by 10.8%, reaching £6.8 billion, with both goods and services contributing.
Consumer demand trends
Brazilian consumers are enthusiastic adopters of new technologies, with e-commerce expanding rapidly across all categories. For UK exporters in retail, food and drink and consumer goods, digital channels are a growing opportunity.
Government policy
Brazil's administration is prioritising socially inclusive growth and environmental protection. UK businesses in clean energy, life sciences, financial services, and food and drink may find strong demand in the coming years.
Key export goods
Top UK goods exported to Brazil (ONS, Q1 2025):
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Medicinal & pharmaceutical products: £480.5m
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Mechanical power generators: £281.2m
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Metal manufactures: £207.5m
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Industrial machinery: £147.1m
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Iron & steel: £143.6m
These sectors point to opportunities for advanced manufacturing, engineering and healthcare exporters.
Opportunities for UK businesses
Healthcare and life sciences
Brazil’s healthcare market is the largest in Latin America, valued at around £210 billion.
With an ageing population and high prevalence of non-communicable diseases, demand is growing for modern healthcare solutions.
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Medical devices: Over 85% of MedTech products are imported. Growth areas include imaging diagnostics, orthopaedics, cardiovascular,and surgery equipment.
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Pharmaceuticals and biomaterials: Significant demand for advanced therapies and pharmaceutical products.
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Digital health: Brazil is investing in AI, remote monitoring, and interoperability systems, offering opportunities for UK innovators.
Explore our life sciences translation services.
Financial services and fintech
Financial services contribute 6.5% to Brazil’s GDP.
Regulatory reforms, including Open Banking, have spurred innovation.
Brazilian banks are investing heavily in technology, with demand for UK expertise in:
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Cyber security
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Online and mobile banking
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Artificial intelligence and data analytics
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Blockchain and cloud services
Explore our financial translation services.
Aerospace and aviation
Brazil has the largest aerospace industry in the Southern Hemisphere.
Opportunities include:
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OEMs and suppliers, particularly linked to Embraer and its aerospace hub in São José dos Campos.
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Aircraft repair and maintenance.
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Ground services and UAVs (drones).
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Urban air mobility, with São Paulo leading the world in helicopter traffic and future eVTOL technology.
Brazil’s economy has shown remarkable resilience amid the ongoing disinflation. Economic activity has grown steadily, surpassing expectations.
Challenges and considerations
Regulation
Import regulation is complex, with multiple government agencies involved.
UK exporters are advised to work with local legal professionals or trade partners.
Intellectual property
IP rights are territorial.
UK rights don’t automatically apply in Brazil. Exporters should seek IP protection locally.
Trade barriers and duties
Tariffs, taxes and non-tariff barriers can raise costs or delay shipments.
Always check current duties and customs procedures before exporting.
Business culture and language
Brazilian business culture is relationship-driven and formal.
Portuguese is the language of business, meaning professional translation and interpreting services are essential for negotiations, contracts and marketing.
Relying on English alone can create misunderstandings and limit opportunities.
Our recommendations for UK exporters
- Invest in language services: Of course, this can be seen as a biased opinion from a translation company, but use professional translation for contracts, product information, and compliance documents, and interpreting for trade shows and negotiations. This advise is backed up by the UK government and studies.
- Localise content: Beyond direct translation, adapt your messaging to Brazilian cultural and legal contexts.
- Partner locally: Build relationships with Brazilian distributors, legal firms and chambers of commerce.
- Plan for compliance: Seek advice early on import regulations and IP protection.
- Focus on growth sectors: Healthcare, fintech, education and aerospace are strong entry points for UK expertise.
Brazil is a dynamic market with strong demand across multiple sectors. For UK exporters, it represents a substantial opportunity — but also a complex environment where preparation and cultural understanding are critical.
By combining sector expertise with professional translation and interpreting, UK businesses can build trust, navigate regulations, and succeed in the largest economy in South America.
Contact us today to discuss how our language services can support your Brazil market strategy.
Or explore our Brazilian Portuguese translation and interpreting services.
𝘒𝘦𝘪𝘳𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦 2021 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘨𝘰 𝘨𝘭𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘵 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘵. 𝘏𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦, 𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴.
