Agriculture, Land Use, Rural DevelopmentGlobal Development and UrbanizationEconomic and Technological Innovation

Hugo Carlos Dornfeld, A. S. Mansano, L. F. Paulillo

2026.1.26Agribusiness

DOI: 10.1002/agr.70069

Abstract

The 2025 U.S. tariffs on Brazilian imports exemplify the resurgence of global protectionism and its ripple effects across interconnected agri‐food systems. This study analyzes Brazil′s agribusiness response to this geopolitical shock, revealing how trade barriers disrupted key exports, while accelerating diversification toward for new markets. Through a qualitative case study, the research reveals that differences in governance amplified smallholders′ vulnerabilities, whereas large firms leveraged multinational structures and innovations to adapt. The crisis underscores broader lessons on resilience in global trade, protectionist shocks, though disruptive, can foster adaptive capacity, institutional learning, and sustainability‐oriented reconfiguration in emerging economies.

Citation format

DORNFELD, Hugo Carlos; MANSANO, A. S.; PAULILLO, L. F. US protectionist shock: Strategic response of Brazil′s agribusiness. Agribusiness, 2026.