As a major producer of food and minerals, trucks play a crucial role in Brazil. Under the premise of consecutive quarters of GDP growth in Brazil, the truck market in Brazil has also been able to grow steadily. So how has the Brazilian truck market performed so far this year? Who is the market leader? Which truck is more suitable for exporting to Brazil?
01 Brazil's economy continues to grow in the first quarter
According to official data released by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) on May 30, 2025, Brazil's GDP in the first quarter of 2025 increased by 2.9% year-on-year compared to the first quarter of 2024, continuing the positive growth trend for 17 consecutive quarters.
One of the main reasons for Brazil's economic growth in the first quarter was the explosive growth in agriculture. In the first quarter of this year, Brazil's agricultural production increased significantly by 12.2% month-on-month (up 10.2% year-on-year), mainly benefiting from bumper harvests of soybeans (up 13.3% year-on-year), corn, rice, and tobacco. The bumper harvest of agriculture in Brazil in the first quarter was mainly due to favorable climate conditions.
The bountiful harvest in agriculture is undoubtedly very positive news for Brazil's truck market. So, how has the Brazilian truck market performed so far?
02 Brazil truck market steadily rises
In recent years, the domestic truck market in Brazil has been developing steadily with an upward trend. According to the Brazilian Association of Automobile Manufacturers, the number of new truck registrations in Brazil has been hovering in the range of 100,000 to 120,000 in the past few years, and truck sales have been relatively stable.
Statistics of new truck registrations in Brazil from 2021 to 2025 (January to April)
From January to April this year, the number of new truck registrations in Brazil reached 34,956, which is a relatively high level compared to the same period in the past five years. This is also related to Brazil's sustained and stable economic growth in recent years.
Comparison of new truck registrations in Brazil from January to April over the past five years
In Brazil, they divide trucks into five types: micro trucks, light trucks, medium trucks, medium and heavy trucks, and heavy-duty trucks. Among all truck categories, heavy-duty trucks are the most in demand product in the market. The main reason is that Brazil is a major agricultural and mining country. Brazil is a major exporter of soybeans, corn, and iron ore worldwide, with transportation distances from central and western production areas to ports often exceeding 1000 kilometers. Heavy trucks have become the most important land transportation tool for agricultural products and ores.
From January to April this year, the number of newly registered heavy trucks in Brazil reached 17,332, accounting for 49.6% of the total number of trucks, which is almost half of the total.
03 European brands dominate Brazil's heavy-duty truck market
Due to the lack of a local automotive industry in Brazil, the heavy-duty truck market is almost dominated by overseas brands, especially European brands, which account for over 90% of the Brazilian heavy-duty truck market. Volvo and Scania from Sweden dominate the Brazilian heavy-duty truck market.
Top 5 New Heavy truck registrations in Brazil from January to April 2025
From January to April this year, in terms of new car registrations for heavy-duty trucks, Volvo and Scania continued to lead with 5,248 and 4,332 respectively. The companies ranked 3-5 are Mercedes Benz, Dove, and MAN.
In the medium and heavy truck market, European brands still dominate, but compared to the heavy truck market, the ranking of the medium and heavy truck market has changed. From January to April this year, MAN and Mercedes-Benz led in the number of license plates registered in the medium and heavy truck category. The specific number of license plates registered is as follows:
Top 5 new medium and heavy truck registrations in Brazil from January to April 2025
04 Export opportunities in the Brazilian market
At present, major car companies are paying more and more attention to export work, and truck exports are no exception. As one of the major trucking countries, Brazil's market naturally attracts everyone's attention. So, which car model is more suitable for export to Brazil?
From the import data of Brazil from January to April this year, the most imported truck product in Brazil is micro trucks, with an import volume of 1,851 units, followed by light trucks and medium trucks, with quantities of 149 and 121 units respectively.
Import volume of various truck models in Brazil from January to April 2025
Due to the fact that larger European brands have production bases in Brazil, they occupy an absolute dominant position in the Brazilian medium and heavy truck market. In the first four months of this year, the total number of medium and heavy trucks imported into Brazil was only 17. Obviously, if domestic enterprises want to break through the Brazilian market, a more realistic goal is to first capture the markets of micro trucks, light trucks, and medium light trucks.