Brazil dry legume exports to Portugal surge 7-fold

Brazil exported 26,082 tons of dried legumes to Portugal in 2025, roughly seven times the multi-year historical average of 3,639 tons for that corridor, according to MDIC ComexStat data. The product group covers dried beans, lentils and chickpeas, along with other dehydrated shelled legumes.

The jump placed Portugal at an unprecedented level as a destination for Brazilian plant proteins. The historical corridor average is roughly the volume a single smaller bulk carrier moves in one load. The 2025 figure operates at an entirely different scale, and requires an explanation that goes beyond routine seasonal variation.

What may explain it

The leading hypothesis is supplier substitution within the Iberian supply chain. Portugal sources dried legumes from several key origins: Canada leads globally in lentils; Australia dominates in chickpeas. If either fell short in 2025 due to crop failure or logistics constraints, Brazil stepped in as a replacement with a currency advantage. The real trading above R$5.80 for much of the year kept Brazilian product competitively priced in dollar terms for Portuguese buyers.

A second factor is growing Portuguese domestic demand for plant proteins. The plant-based segment expanded consistently across the EU over the past three years. Portugal's institutional food chain, covering restaurants, hospitals and school cafeterias, scaled purchases of dried beans and chickpeas to supply reformulated menus and new public catering contracts. The country has also become a secondary re-export hub for Iberian grocery chains sourcing bulk dry goods for the broader EU market.

Macro and sector context

Brazil ranks among the world's top bean producers, but historically exports only a small fraction of output. Domestic demand absorbs most of the harvest. Shipments to Europe grew following the Mercosur–EU trade agreement, which reduced tariffs on legumes originating from the bloc. Portugal, inside the EU, benefits directly from those preferential terms, making Brazilian product cheaper relative to origins outside the bloc.

Brazil's agriculture ministry and Conab reported an adequate bean harvest in 2024/25, keeping exportable supply available without significant domestic price pressure. A favorable exchange rate, firm domestic supply and lower European tariffs combined to open the window that the 2025 numbers reflect. The Mercosur–EU agreement remains the most consequential structural factor for this corridor over the medium term.

Structural shift or one-off spike

As observed with soybean meal on this same corridor, dried legume volume via Brazil–Portugal was not historically significant. The 2025 jump is concentrated in two or three large-lot contracts. An Iberian trading house is likely acting as a re-exporter to other EU markets, using the ports of Lisbon or Setúbal as the entry point. This kind of concentrated operation is typical of corridors that have not yet established a regular flow.

No 2026 YTD data is available, making it too early to determine whether the corridor has shifted to a structurally higher level. The indicator to watch in coming months is monthly shipment volume: above 1,500 tons per month through 2026 indicates consolidation; below 500 per month points to a one-cycle event.