By Brazil Stock Guide – Brazil’s antitrust authority Cade ruled on Tuesday that restrictions tied to the Soy Moratorium will take effect only in January 2026, giving companies more time to adapt. The decision was reached during Cade’s 255th ordinary trial session.
The watchdog confirmed that firms and entities involved in the pact are barred from collecting, storing or sharing commercially sensitive data such as prices, volumes and suppliers. Cade’s General Superintendence had imposed the measure in August amid an investigation into possible anticompetitive practices in Brazil’s soy market, following a referral from the lower house’s Agriculture Committee.
According to Cade, rival exporters created the Soy Working Group to monitor production and enforce the private moratorium deal, which bans purchases of soybeans grown on land deforested in the Amazon biome after 2008. The agreement applies exclusively to soy.
Reporting the case to the tribunal, councilor Carlos Jacques argued that “even when not involving prices, information such as suppliers and purchase volumes can reduce competitiveness and generate lasting anticompetitive effects.”
Councilor José Levi disagreed, calling for a transitional period to foster dialogue between public and private agents. By majority, Cade adopted his proposal to suspend the measure’s enforcement until Dec. 31, 2025.
As a result, companies and associations must align with the determination by the end of next year before the restrictions come into full force in 2026. The administrative case continues under file number 08700.005853/2024-38.
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