Brazilian enzyme exports to Paraguay surge 28% in 2026 YTD

Volume versus value: the gap that matters

When a trade corridor grows 16% by weight and 28% by dollars simultaneously, something has changed in either product mix or pricing power. The most likely candidates: a shift toward higher-value enzyme formulations (specialty industrial or food-grade versus commodity animal-feed enzymes), an FX tailwind from a weaker real that let exporters lift dollar prices without losing competitiveness, or both working together.

The broader context matters. The BACEN PTAX rate trended toward a weaker real in early 2026, making dollar-denominated exports more profitable for Brazilian suppliers. That kind of margin buffer typically encourages exporters to nudge prices upward rather than pass the full gain in volume. Average price per kilogram shipped rose roughly 10% in the comparison — a meaningful margin capture in an industry where formulation complexity is the key differentiator.

What may be driving the volume spike

Current volumes are also running 17.4% above the historical seasonal median for the same January–May window across prior years. That excess over the norm points to something beyond year-on-year noise:

• Paraguayan agribusiness expansion. Paraguay has been scaling up protein-processing capacity — soy crushing, meat packing, and brewing. Enzymes are a critical input across all three, and rising throughput translates directly into higher demand for Brazilian-sourced product.
• Supplier substitution within Mercosur. With Asian alternatives priced in a comparatively stronger dollar, Brazilian suppliers benefited from proximity and Mercosur's common external tariff structure, making intrablock sourcing the cheaper option for Paraguayan buyers.
• Seasonal processing cycles. The January–May window coincides with the peak crush and processing period in parts of Paraguay's agricultural supply chain, when enzyme consumption naturally runs high.

The sector backdrop

Brazil is a significant intrablock exporter of industrial enzymes, particularly to Mercosur partners. Production is concentrated in the interior of São Paulo state and parts of Minas Gerais, supplying sectors ranging from animal feed and food processing to pulp and paper. Mercosur's common external tariff gives Brazilian suppliers a structural price advantage over non-bloc competitors in this segment, one that becomes more pronounced when the real weakens.

The January–May 2026 volume beats not just the prior-year window but also the historical seasonal average — a sign that demand is running ahead of the underlying trend, not merely recovering from a soft 2025. MDIC ComexStat data confirms the acceleration. Paraguay may be a small market in absolute terms, but for specialized enzyme producers in Brazil's interior, it represents a steady and growing revenue line that compounds quietly year after year.

How average prices shifted

With value growing close to 12 percentage points faster than volume, the average price per kilogram exported rose roughly 10% on a year-over-year basis. This type of movement typically occurs when the exporter can pass through production costs, the product mix shifts toward higher-value formulations, or a favorable exchange rate widens margins without needing to cut prices in local-currency terms. All three factors may be operating at once — which is why the divergence between volume and value growth deserves more attention than the headline numbers alone suggest.