title: “Brazil’s Leather Exports Bounce Back: June Surge Delivers $93.4 Million as Global Demand Stirs” source: https://leathernews.org/brazil-leather-exports-rise-12-1-to-93-4-million-in-june-2026/ date: 2026-07-27

Brazil’s Leather Exports Bounce Back: June Surge Delivers $93.4 Million as Global Demand Stirs

After months of sluggish performance, Brazil’s leather export machine roared back to life in June 2026. Data from the Secretariat of Foreign Trade (SECEX), compiled by the Centre for the Brazilian Tanning Industry (CICB), shows export value jumping 12.1% year-on-year to $93.4 million — the strongest monthly showing of the year. Export volumes moved in the same direction, with shipped area increasing 9.0% and exported weight surging 23.7% compared to June 2025.

The recovery wasn’t just a year-on-year statistical quirk. Compared to May 2026, when exports totalled $89.4 million, June deliveries rose 4.4% in value, 5.3% in area, and 1.0% in weight. In total, Brazil shipped 14.6 million square metres and 49,800 tonnes of hides and skins during the month. CICB called it the best-performing month of 2026 on a year-on-year basis, with growth across every major export indicator.

China remained the indispensable buyer. Exports to China (excluding Hong Kong) reached approximately $32.0 million, and when Hong Kong is included, the figure rises to roughly $33.3 million — over a third of Brazil’s total leather exports in a single month. The United States held steady as the second-largest destination at $13.4 million, followed by Vietnam at $9.7 million and Italy at $7.6 million. Nigeria ($5.1 million), Mexico ($4.8 million), and South Korea ($3.6 million) rounded out the top destinations.

The product mix tells an interesting story about where Brazil sits in the global value chain. Finished leather dominated the export basket at $42.6 million, followed by wet blue at $19.8 million, crust leather at $12.5 million, wet blue split at $10.9 million, and salted hides at $6.1 million. The fact that finished leather accounts for nearly half of export value suggests Brazilian tanneries are successfully moving up the value chain — a strategic priority for the industry for years.

But before popping champagne, context matters. CICB itself acknowledged that while June was strong, first-half results for 2026 still trail the same period in 2025. One good month doesn’t reverse a trend. The Brazilian leather sector has been battling headwinds from currency volatility, shifting global demand patterns, and the looming threat of US tariffs on Brazilian goods — including a 25% levy on footwear that has already sent shockwaves through the broader leather and footwear ecosystem.

The June numbers also need to be read against the backdrop of broader geopolitical uncertainty. The Trump administration’s new round of tariffs on imports from 60 trading partners, which took effect in late July, places Brazil in the 12.5% bracket. While leather itself may not be directly targeted in every tariff action, the cumulative effect on global trade sentiment and supply chain decisions is real. Buyers diversifying away from tariff-exposed sources could either benefit Brazil (as an alternative to China) or hurt it (if Brazilian goods face their own tariff walls).

For now, though, Brazilian tanneries have something to celebrate. June proved that when global demand stirs, Brazil’s leather industry can respond with volume, value, and velocity. The challenge for the second half of 2026 will be sustaining that momentum in a trade environment that grows more complicated by the week.

Source: Leather News, based on SECEX data compiled by CICB