Brazil is a hotbed of talent, natural resources, and entrepreneurial creativity. However, many of these potentials remain unknown, off the radar of international markets eager for innovation, inputs, and tropical solutions. Changing this scenario requires more than ambition: it requires strategy, coordination, and connection with global programs and ecosystems that accelerate internationalization.
International expansion is no longer a luxury reserved for large corporations. With the growth of export incentive programs, innovation hubs, and trade facilitation agreements, mid-sized companies and even startups are discovering that the world is, indeed, a market to be explored. But the key to this lies in the right dialogue and the ability to transform opportunities into real business bridges.
Current geopolitics demands that developing countries position their entrepreneurs as protagonists of global trade. This is where the connection between companies, subnational governments, and agents specializing in economic diplomacy comes in.
Export and innovation incentive programs
In Brazil, there are established mechanisms to support exporters and stimulate innovation, such as PROEX (Export Financing Program), which works to equalize financial burdens to make Brazilian exports more competitive. BNDES Exim also provides credit instruments and export guarantees, specifically to strengthen companies in the face of international competition.
Furthermore, the federal government has been stepping up its initiatives to support foreign trade for micro and small businesses. In 2024, approximately 11,400 SMEs accessed international markets, representing 40% of all Brazilian exporters, with foreign sales volume reaching US$2.6 billion. Programs like Acredita Exportação, the result of collaboration between ministries, also seek to expand the reach of these companies to global horizons.
Even with these tools, many businesses remain disconnected from these support networks. Studies show that export promotion policies historically benefit larger companies or those located in more economically structured centers. The barrier is not the lack of programs, but rather the mismatch between existing offerings and the operational or informational capacity of local companies to utilize them.
The problem is not lack of structure, but access
Despite the growing availability of financing lines, development programs, and initiatives to support internationalization, most Brazilian companies still struggle to translate these opportunities into practical results. According to FGV, 671% of business owners point to a lack of knowledge about international regulations, logistics, and taxation as real obstacles to exporting.
This gap is due to institutional fragmentation and poor coordination among implementing agencies, which hinders access to clear information and the practical implementation of existing programs. According to the report, SME Policy Index: Latin America and the Caribbean 2024, from the OECD, many countries, including Brazil, face the challenge of aligning their SME support policies with effective inter-institutional coordination mechanisms, which reduces the impact of these initiatives, especially among companies outside large urban centers.
Without access to market intelligence hubs, international legal dialogue, and tactical support to adapt products, processes, and brands to external demands, promising companies remain trapped in the domestic market. But not for lack of ambition, but rather due to a lack of infrastructure to operate abroad.
Active states and municipalities
When states and municipalities take an active role in regional economic development by creating local incentives, strengthening productive infrastructure, and stimulating the domestic value chain, the local economy's leap into the international market becomes more plausible. Through state policies to attract industries, especially those granting tax benefits conditional on job creation, it is possible to transform regional comparative advantages into global competitiveness. A study of the state of Bahia shows that ICMS exemption programs and financial incentives, over two decades, are associated with significant increases in local industrial employment.
Furthermore, experience proves that incentives for industry promote real social effects: research on the Paraíba Industrial Development Support Program (FAIN) shows that tax incentives increased, on average, industrial employment and the wage bill of the benefited units by more than 40% during the period analyzed.
Furthermore, the effectiveness of these instruments is enhanced when linked to clear goals: social counterpart requirements and oversight during implementation help ensure that the incentive translates into real development, not just tax breaks without returns.
When municipalities and states act as active agents of this strategy, adapting national programs and aligning with local profiles, it is possible to transform regional assets into competitive production chains, generate internal scale, and prepare companies to face international markets with solidity and vigor.
BRING as a facilitator
BRING operates precisely at this inflection point. As a consultancy specializing in internationalization, economic diplomacy, and investment attraction, its mission is to connect governments, entrepreneurs, and multilateral institutions to international ecosystems.
With offices in Brazil, the United Kingdom, and Portugal, and its own methodology, BRING is ready to guide Brazilian projects to investment funds, trade missions, and multilateral agendas worldwide. Our work is not only technical, but also institutional, ensuring legal and strategic support for your initiatives.
Additionally, BRING structures manuals, schedules, and customized export operations, in addition to promoting business rounds and prospecting business partners with a strategic fit for businesses at all stages of development.
In a world where trade borders are more open than ever, remaining outside global flows is a choice, and often a strategic mistake. The good news is that Brazil has the potential and vocation to be a protagonist.
If you want to understand how to access international export support programs, attract investment, or explore global innovation hubs, subscribe to the BRING newsletter and receive weekly analyses, opportunities, and practical guidance to transform your company into a borderless enterprise.
