Orsini: Italy and Brazil Can Make a 'Qualitative Leap' with Mercosur

The president of Confindustria, Emanuele Orsini, stated that Italy and Brazil now have the opportunity to make a "qualitative leap" in their industrial relations, driven by the trade agreement between the European Union and Mercosur. The statement was made in an interview with Comunità Italiana, in which the leader of Italy's main business association detailed the sectors considered priorities for deepening business between the two countries.

What Orsini Told Comunità Italiana

According to Comunità Italiana, Orsini believes the moment is right for Italy and Brazil to move beyond occasional partnerships and begin building integrated production chains, rather than concentrating cooperation in a single sector. For the Confindustria president, this broader integration tends to generate more lasting gains than bilateral agreements restricted to specific industry niches.

Orsini's vision relies on the idea that complementarity between the Italian and Brazilian economies can be exploited in a more structured way, with companies from both countries working together across different production stages — from raw materials to applied technology.

Sectors of Complementarity Between Countries

According to Comunità Italiana, the sectors pointed out by Orsini as most promising for this approach include:

• Energy, with emphasis on renewable sources and energy transition;
• Industrial machinery, a traditionally strong area of Italian industry;
• Digital technology;
• Pharmaceuticals;
• Agribusiness;
• Sustainable infrastructure.

A figure cited in the report reinforces Brazil's potential in the digital sector: the country attracted US$ 68 billion in digital investments in 2025, a number that demonstrates growing international interest in the Brazilian technology sector and which, according to Orsini's interpretation, can become an entry point for Italian companies in the field.

Impact of the EU-Mercosur Agreement

The agreement between the European Union and Mercosur appears as a central backdrop to Orsini's statements. Italian exports to the South American bloc totaled €7.5 billion in 2025 and recorded growth of 21.1% in May 2026 on a year-over-year basis, according to figures presented by Comunità Italiana.

The agreement text provides for the liberalization of 95% of European Union tariff codes and 91% of Mercosur codes, which should result in estimated tariff savings of €4 billion annually for companies involved in trade exchanges between the two blocs. For Orsini, this gain in tariff competitiveness is precisely what can enable the "qualitative leap" in relations between Italy and Brazil, making Italian products and services more competitive in the Brazilian market — and vice versa.

The News from Italy published over recent months have tracked the evolution of negotiations between Brussels and Mercosur, a topic that has gained even greater relevance in light of the new phase of commercial rapprochement announced by Confindustria.

Business Mission to Brazil

The interview with Comunità Italiana also revealed details of a business mission set to bring more than 100 Italian companies to South America, with stops in Argentina and Brazil. According to the survey cited in the report, more than one thousand B2B (business-to-business) meetings are planned during the mission.

The Confindustria initiative is structured around five supply chains considered strategic, which should guide meetings between Italian and Brazilian entrepreneurs and direct discussions toward the energy, machinery, digital, pharmaceutical, and agribusiness sectors mentioned by Orsini.

Why This Matters for People of Italian Descent in Brazil

For Brazilians of Italian descent, the advancement of commercial relations between the two countries can translate into concrete effects: more jobs, new investments, and the arrival of Italian companies in regions of Brazil with strong communities of Italian origin. Historically, these cultural ties have also paved the way for economic partnerships, and the movement now signaled by Confindustria tends to reinforce this connection.

The rapprochement also rekindles the interest of many Brazilians in Italian Citizenship, since strengthened ties between Italy and Brazil are typically accompanied by greater circulation of professionals, students, and entrepreneurs between the two countries. Those who also follow the daily lives of those already living in Europe can find more context in the Life in Italy section.

Orsini's announcement reinforces a moment of economic rapprochement between Rome and Brasília, driven by the EU-Mercosur agreement and an investment agenda that, according to Comunità Italiana, should take shape in the coming months with the Confindustria business mission across South America.

Source: Comunità Italiana