Why investing in your own exhibition stand in Brazil makes sense now – and what the EU-Mercosur agreement has to do with it
May 7, 2026
Since May 1, new tariff rates have come into effect in Brazil for German machinery — and FEIMEC 2026 in São Paulo is already showing which companies are taking advantage of this opportunity.
With the provisional application of the trade section of the EU-Mercosur Agreement, market access for German industrial exporters has changed significantly. Machinery from the EU that was previously subject to import duties of 14 to 20 percent is now seeing immediate reductions of 1.3 to 1.7 percentage points from day one, with a gradual elimination of tariffs for 93 percent of EU exports over the next ten years.
Passenger car tariffs are immediately reduced from 35 to 17.5 percent, while duties on electric and hybrid vehicles drop from 35 to 25 percent. This is far more than a technical customs adjustment — it represents the structural market shift many exporters have been waiting for over decades.
First Official German Pavilion at FEIMEC
The seriousness with which the German industrial sector is approaching this moment is clearly visible on-site at São Paulo Expo. For the first time in FEIMEC’s history, Messe Essen is organizing an official German Pavilion as part of the foreign trade fair program of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy.
Ten exhibitors — including Erwin Halder, KIRCHHOFF Witte, J. Wagner, Laserline, Neugart, Scansonic, and wenglor — are presenting themselves under the “Made in Germany” umbrella.
At the same time, companies such as igus, with its independent presence at booth B100, demonstrate how deeply German technology is already embedded in the Brazilian market. This week in São Paulo, Alexander Mühlens, Vice President at igus and board member of the VDMA Robotics Division, reaffirmed that the company intends to “accelerate even further” in Brazil together with RBTX — a clear commitment to the market.
Bio-Chem CleanTec at booth G-119, the Brazilian joint venture subsidiary of Bio-Circle Surface Technology GmbH from Gütersloh, showcases how German cleaning and surface technologies are establishing themselves locally. Thomas Técnica, long-standing distribution partner of the Bochum-based coupling specialist REICH, demonstrates how German SMEs are also strengthening their market position through local partnerships.
Pavilion or Independent Stand – The Strategic Question for Trade Fair Construction in Brazil
For German industrial companies currently following developments in São Paulo from Europe, one key question arises: What should their own trade fair presence at FEIMEC 2028 or EXPOMAFE 2027 (May 4–8, 2027) look like?
The German Pavilion is a valuable option, especially for initial market entry — offering funding opportunities, a shared presentation environment, and logistical infrastructure. For many brands, however, an independent exhibition stand in Brazil is increasingly becoming a strategic instrument: full creative freedom, strong brand visibility, targeted positioning around automation, robotics, or Industry 4.0, and sufficient space for live demonstrations, technical consulting, and hybrid presentation formats.
Companies that create their own brand environment position themselves not merely as “one of ten German companies,” but as independent market players.
What We Deliver at CBS Neospace
At CBS Neospace GmbH, we design and realize exactly these kinds of independent international trade fair appearances — from concept development and stand design to coordination with organizers and local service providers, all the way through to the integration of machinery, use cases, and automation solutions.
International trade fair construction from a single source: professionally planned in Germany and implemented with experienced partners in Brazil. Brand presence, corporate design, and technical standards should meet expectations one hundred percent — even 9,800 kilometers away from Düsseldorf.
Legal Note
The EU-Mercosur Agreement is currently undergoing legal review at the European Court of Justice. The provisional application of the trade section remains unaffected — market access improvements and tariff reductions have been in effect since May 1, 2026.
If You Want to Be Present in São Paulo in 2027, Planning Starts Now
EXPOMAFE 2027 will open its doors in less than one year. Companies aiming for a visible and independent presence should begin conceptual planning and detailed preparation during summer 2026. Based on international trade fair experience, early 2027 is typically too late for highly customized stand concepts.
Feel free to contact us if an independent exhibition stand in Brazil becomes a concrete topic for your company — whether for EXPOMAFE 2027, FEIMEC 2028, or other international industrial events. We would be happy to provide an initial concept proposal including a preliminary budget framework.
