Brazil in August 2026: the most important developments in economy
Brazil's economy in August 2026 was shaped mainly by oil and by pressure from Washington. On August 16 the Financial Times reported that the United States was considering new sanctions on a Brazilian judge. Petrobras, the state-controlled oil company, reported on August 6 that second-quarter net profit rose 96.8% to R$52.4 billion on higher oil prices, though it indicated that an extra dividend was unlikely. Its chief executive confirmed an oil discovery near the mouth of the Amazon River, with the volume still unknown, and the company reported hydrocarbons in its first offshore find in Amapá. Petrobras plans to invest $3.3 billion in wells there, and President Lula was set to visit a Petrobras ship in Amapá to highlight the discoveries. The company also announced a natural gas discovery in Colombia. On August 7 it halted fuel sales to a distributor linked to the PCC criminal organization, while the regulator ANP moved to reduce Petrobras's market power in natural gas.
In industry and investment, the development bank BNDES approved a $3.7 billion loan on August 3 to support Embraer's jet exports to Canada, and Embraer's subsidiary Eve completed the first transition flight of its electric aircraft. Indonesia's sovereign wealth fund Danantara took a $2.5 billion stake in JBS's Australian and New Zealand operations. Brazil announced a $2 billion investment in two AI supercomputers sourced from the United States and China, and opened its free energy market to small consumers. Didi partnered with the Brazilian company Movida on green mobility.
Consumer prices returned to the central bank's target range in July, according to data released on August 12, although economists warned of external risks and El Niño. The inflation forecast for 2026 remained above the target. On August 26 the European Union banned poultry and beef imports from Brazil.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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