Chinese electrified vehicles reach US$5.9 billion in Brazilian imports despite a 35% tariff

Brazil imported US$5.9 billion worth of Chinese electrified vehicles from January to September 2026, including conventional hybrids, plug-in hybrids and battery-electric models, according to CEBC data published by Valor. That is about 10% of everything the country bought from China in the period.

In July, Brazil raised its import duty on electrified vehicles to 35%, from 25% or 30% depending on vehicle specifications. Imports had been rising month after month in the first half, fell in July and August, and returned to significant volumes in September.

Tulio Cariello, CEBC's director of content and research, said the numbers show 2026 purchases are not just a rush ahead of the tariff schedule. He expects EVs to keep growing at least through year-end because, in his words, China is genuinely establishing a market in Brazil, as electrified-vehicle registrations show.

On the same import list, herbicides rank third among the ten largest categories bought from China. In information technology, memory chips stand out: the quantity imported fell 11% between January and September, but the value rose 237%.

CSP take: lower volume with a much higher value for memory chips points to a sharply higher unit price, worth watching for importers of electronics and components. That calculation is ours, based on the two CEBC figures.