A high-level Brazilian business delegation representing Cotton Brazil, the Brazilian Cotton Producers Association (Abrapa), the National Cotton Exporters Association (Anea) and ApexBrasil is accompanying President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Agriculture and Livestock Minister Carlos Fávaro on an official visit to Asia, with a key focus on expanding cotton exports to India.
The delegation aims to negotiate an expansion of the preferential trade agreement between Mercosur and India, in force since 2009. The Brazilian government is seeking to broaden the existing list of 450 products eligible for tariff concessions to as many as 4,000 items.
According to Abrapa, the cotton industry’s immediate priority is to reduce India’s 11% import tariff on Brazilian cotton and to establish zero-duty quota arrangements. Abrapa Vice-President Celestino Zanella stated that the potential to export cotton to India under reduced tariffs could reach 300,000 tonnes annually, representing approximately US $ 500 million in revenue from the Indian market alone. During the 2024–25 marketing year, Brazil exported 160,000 tonnes of cotton to India.
India is one of the world’s largest cotton producers and hosts the second-largest textile industry globally. Since 2024, Brazil has intensified trade and technical missions to the country. Over this period, Brazilian cotton exports to India have risen sharply from 8,000 tonnes to 160,000 tonnes, increasing Brazil’s share among cotton-exporting origins to India from 4% to 24%.
Fernando Rati, Manager of Cotton Brazil, stated that the objective was to strengthen strategic partnerships, promote the traceability and sustainability credentials of Brazilian fibre, and consolidate Brazil’s position as a reliable supplier to the Indian textile industry.
The delegation is scheduled to meet officials from India’s Ministry of Textiles to present a study outlining sectoral synergies between the two countries. Following the presidential programme, representatives will travel to key industrial centres for the Cotton Brazil Outlook series of events and workshops.
The outreach programme will begin in New Delhi, followed by Ahmedabad and Coimbatore — both established textile hubs — before concluding in Mumbai on the 28th.
