EU-BRAZIL Investment Dialogue

Brazilian furniture industry renews US$ 47 million agreement for internationalization and targets the European market

On Thursday, October 22, 2026, the Brazilian Furniture Industry Association (Abimóvel) and ApexBrasil formalized, in Porto Alegre, the renewal of the agreement that supports the Brazilian Furniture Sector Project for the period from 2026 to 2028. With expected contributions of US$ 47 million, the agreement was signed during the Rio Grande do Sul stage of Conexões Produtivas, an initiative that coordinates public authorities, representative entities, and industry segments. The main novelty of this edition is the creation of a third vertical for the timber sector, which joins the furniture and components, machinery, and other suppliers fronts, expanding the program’s operations throughout the entire furniture production chain.

Launched in 1998, with the participation of 30 companies, Brazilian Furniture currently brings together about 200 members. In the 2024 to 2026 cycle, the program accumulated US$ 880.8 million in closed and projected business, in addition to promoting 6,414 negotiation rounds with the participation of 316 foreign buyers, in initiatives carried out in 57 countries. The renewal occurs, however, in a scenario of retraction in Brazilian exports in the sector. Between January and August 2026, shipments of furniture and mattresses totaled US$ 471.9 million, a drop of 6.7% compared to the same period in 2025. The result was mainly influenced by the 39.9% reduction in sales to the North American market. Excluding the United States, however, exports grew by about 5.5%, reinforcing the importance of geographical diversification of destination markets. This strategy is also aligned with the actions of ApexBrasil, which plans to invest R$ 210 million to support 5,300 companies affected by the new North American tariffs..

In this context, the European Union gains relevance as an alternative to expand the international presence of the Brazilian furniture industry. Organized by Apex Brasil,, by the Ministry of Development, Industry, Commerce and Services (MDIC) and by the Brazilian Agency for Industrial Development (ABDI), Conexões Produtivas seeks to identify commercial opportunities associated with the agreement between Mercosur and the European Union. As part of this effort, between October 11 and 16, the association integrated a sector planning mission in Brussels that brought together eight sectors and 20 Brazilian entities to discuss priority markets, trade barriers, and regulatory requirements.

Recent results indicate room to deepen this rapprochement. In 2025, the European bloc imported US$ 71.2 million in Brazilian furniture and mattresses, an increase of 17.7% compared to the previous year. Furthermore, surveys by Abimóvel in partnership with the Market Intelligence area indicate a growth potential of approximately 20% in exports to the bloc in the very first year the agreement is in effect. For the 2026 to 2028 cycle, the project foresees commercial actions in Spain, France, Portugal, and Poland, in addition to participating in the Salone del Mobile.Milano, in Italy. The initiative also contemplates opportunities arising from other commercial agreements of the South American bloc, such as the one signed with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA). Thus, the renewal of the agreement combines the recovery of the sector’s competitiveness with a market diversification strategy, in which the approach with Europe takes on a central role.

Read more at: https://emobile.com.br/site/industria/abimovel-e-apexbrasil-renovam-convenio-do-brazilian-furniture/