You don’t need to be a geopolitical expert to feel the ripple effects of tensions between China and the United States. Just click ‘buy’ and notice the extended delivery times or that suspicious jump in the final price. The trade war, reignited with heavy tariffs from both sides—some reaching 145% in the U.S. on Chinese products—is not only shaking stock market indices but also the shopping carts of millions of Brazilians.
For national e-commerce, this clash of titans is like a strong wind. Those well-positioned can raise their sails and gain speed. Those who aren’t will be turned sideways in the storm.
The shift on the global chessboard began with the U.S. directly targeting Chinese imports, imposing steep tariffs and revising tax exemptions. China’s response was immediate: restrictions on strategic minerals and new trade barriers. The result? A shaky international logistics system, rising freight costs, tense suppliers, and uncertainty in restocking. But where does Brazil stand in all this?
Interestingly, this external crisis could be the signal for an accelerated maturation of Brazil’s e-commerce. With Chinese products becoming more expensive and less competitive in the U.S., a window opens for Brazilian brands to take up space—from electronics assembled here to fashion, beauty, and home goods. Consumers, who previously only focused on price, now also weigh delivery times and reliability.
This is where logistics come in. Brazil, traditionally slow to respond to digital economy demands, is beginning to wake up. Marketplaces are heavily investing in regional distribution centers, logistics startups are multiplying with creative solutions, and there’s a quiet yet robust movement of nearshoring: bringing suppliers from Asia to Latin American countries, reducing time, costs, and dependency.
Platforms like Mercado Livre, Magalu, and Amazon Brazil are leading this race, with their own fleets, automated warehouses, and algorithms that predict demand with pinpoint accuracy. No wonder Brazil closed 2024 with 12.1% growth in e-commerce, above the global average, according to Ebit/Nielsen.
Of course, there are obstacles, such as high domestic logistics costs, bureaucratic import processes, and infrastructure weaknesses like ports, airports, roads, and railways. But there’s also a new mindset—Brazilian retailers are learning that relying solely on Chinese inputs is a vulnerability and are taking action.
This trade war won’t end anytime soon. The truth is, while the U.S. and China exchange tariffs like sparks in a lightsaber duel, Brazil—if it acts with vision and boldness—can become a player stronger, more autonomous, and faster.
In the new game of global e-commerce, the winner isn’t the one who fights harder. It’s the one who delivers better.
