An addendum approved by ApexBrasil adds 65 new international buyers to sector initiatives and outlines rounds of negotiations with the potential to generate US$226 million in business deals.
The Brazilian natural stone industry will expand its commercial effort abroad with a new set of initiatives across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. The package presented by the Brazilian Natural Stone Association (Centrorochas), through the project It’s Natural – Brazilian Natural Stone, and approved by the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil) includes international rounds of negotiation, efforts to attract new buyers to Brazil, and initiatives geared towards commercial positioning and market intelligence gathering over the next five months.
The three initiatives with established targets alone are expected to bring in 65 new international buyers: 20 for a round of negotiations in Poland, an additional 25 for Marmomac Brazil (besides the eight buyers originally planned), and another 20 for meetings with Brazilian companies during Xiamen Stone Fair in China.
Increased U.S. tariffs on some Brazilian natural stones have emphasized the need for market diversification. In 2025, the United States accounted for 53.5% of the sector’s export value, with US$795 million in purchases. However, the search for new destinations does not mean scaling back operations in the United States, which is still the primary market for Brazilian stones. The two fronts are advancing simultaneously: expanding opportunities in other countries while maintaining trade promotion and trade defense initiatives in the U.S. market.
The package accelerates the diversification strategy the sector has been developing through market studies, prospecting missions, and commercial intelligence aimed at identifying new destinations for Brazilian stones. With these approved initiatives, engagement with these markets is moving from the prospecting phase to a more commercial stage, focused on generating business.
“We have already carried out significant intelligence and prospecting work to identify where opportunities lie for Brazilian natural stone. Now, it is time to turn this knowledge into business deals. Approving these initiatives allows us to accelerate the connection between our companies and new buyers, expanding channels to access markets that were already being explored. Diversification means creating more commercial alternatives for Brazilian companies,” says Tales Machado, the president of Centrorochas.
From prospecting to business
The amendment represents an additional investment of R$1.9 million in the sectoral project, with R$1.76 million contributed by ApexBrasil and R$142,800 as a counterpart contribution from Centrorochas. The funds will be allocated to new commercial, image promotion, and market intelligence initiatives included in the package.
Poland is one of the clearest examples of this strategy. Following a market study and a prospecting mission conducted by It’s Natural, in January 2027, the country will host a round of negotiations featuring 15 Brazilian companies and 20 international buyers, primarily from Central and Eastern Europe. The schedule will include business meetings and technical visits, with an expected 300 business meetings and a potential for US$8.5 million in deals during the event and a further US$130 million over the 12 following months.
Before that, on November 24, the sector will participate in Big 5 Dubai, strengthening the presence of Brazilian natural stones in the Middle East and relationships with buyers, specifiers, and strategic partners in the region.
In March next year, the initiative will move in two directions: bringing buyers to Brazil and promoting meetings in Asia between Brazilian companies and buyers from several markets across the region.
At Marmomac Brazil 2027, which takes place from March 2 to 4, 33 international buyers will be hosted: the eight originally planned and the 25 approved through the amendment. The initiative will also bring together 25 Brazilian companies and is expected to generate up to 825 business meetings, with potential sales of US$45.5 million during the event and over the 12 following months. The program also includes technical visits, bringing guests closer to the country’s production capacity and the diversity of Brazilian materials.
Two weeks later, the strategy reaches Asia. On March 17 and 18, during Xiamen Stone Fair, 20 international buyers will be connected with Brazilian exhibitors during a round of negotiations expected to generate up to 480 business meetings and US$42 million in potential sales during the event and over the 12 following months. Prospecting will focus on markets such as Vietnam, South Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Japan, Taiwan, and India, as well as Turkey, using the Chinese trade fair as a platform to expand Brazil’s commercial presence in the region.
Market intelligence opens new paths for diversification
Besides seeking new buyers, the sector is targeting markets that already consume Brazilian stone, though not always directly from Brazil. Identifying these trade flows could shorten supply chains and increase the share of Brazilian companies in sales of products with higher added value.
In Europe, this trend is gaining momentum with the prospects opened up by the Mercosur-EU Agreement. Approved measures include a study on its impact on the sector, focusing on competitiveness, the reduction of tariff barriers, and effects on the Brazilian industry. Countries that consume Brazilian materials after they have been processed and marketed by third parties are also being monitored, creating opportunities to expand direct trade relationships.
The strategy for the European market also includes Centrorochas’ participation in a Sectoral Plenary Session organized by ApexBrasil in Brussels from October 12 to 16. The initiative will bring together eight sectors to discuss and validate strategies for expanding Brazil’s presence in Europe, which will serve as the foundation for developing specific action plans.
The same approach applies to Asia. South Korea is among the markets under analysis, partly due to the identification of indirect trade flows involving Brazilian materials, processed in other countries before reaching their final destination. The aim is to deepen the mapping of these flows and identify opportunities for Brazilian exporters to gain more direct market access.
However, reaching new markets directly requires more than just identifying demand. Diversification also depends on the availability of routes and competitive logistical conditions. In a technical meeting with ApexBrasil, Centrorochas suggested cross-referencing markets with the greatest commercial potential against available routes, assessing alternatives to expand connectivity and make freight costs more competitive. The discussion also included potential coordination with shipping lines, taking into account the combined demand of different exporting sectors.
