Kemp’s South American trip aims to bear fruit for Georgia agriculture
Gov. Brian Kemp this week is visiting Brazil and Argentina to champion Georgia’s agriculture sector and try to recruit new investment and trade with South America’s largest markets.
The Republican governor and a delegation that includes Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper started by touring Sao Paulo to sell the Peach State as a business partner. The trip coincides with the 30th anniversary of Georgia’s state economic office in Brazil, a partnership Kemp said continues to pay dividends.
“We’ve got three projects that we met with folks on that are looking to either expand or bring new business to the state,” Kemp told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Wednesday. “Several of those would be in rural parts of our state. … They’re not done deals, but we’re certainly in the running for those.”
Details are scant on those potential projects, but Kemp and Harper said bolstering agriculture is a top goal of this economic pilgrimage.
It’s Georgia’s top industry, buoyed by its nation-leading poultry sector. Brazil and Argentina represent sizable buyers of Georgia products, purchasing roughly $868 million of Georgia exports in 2024. As Georgia farmers fight to recover from Hurricane Helene’s devastation last year, Harper said it’s paramount to deepen international trade relationships.
“It’s going to give us new market access and opportunity for those farm families that were hit hard and devastated from the hurricane and to help them even get back on their feet,” he said.
The trip comes amid changing times for global trade, including shifts that could impact Georgia agriculture producers. Much of the year has been dominated by President Donald Trump’s evolving tariff rollout, which has rattled trade partnerships including in South America. Brazil has been a target of heftier levies than most nations on the continent.
Kemp said the Brazilian leaders he’s met on this trip see the value in having Georgia as an investment or trade partner. Sao Paulo, a metropolitan area with more than 21 million people, has comparable gross domestic product metrics to Georgia and presents a large consumer base for Peach State producers and companies.
South American companies have invested $160 million in Georgia over the past six years, creating more than 1,000 jobs, state officials say. But the U.S. isn’t the only world power courting these fast-growing South American markets.
“A lot of them have told me that the Russians and Chinese are here, and they have a huge presence here,” Kemp said. “The U.S. needs to have more of a presence here.”
The delegation’s itinerary includes a mix of Brazilian, Argentinian and U.S.-based companies that already have investments in Georgia. Those include JBS Foods’ subsidiary Pilgrim’s, which announced earlier this year a $400 million prepared foods facility in LaFayette, and Duluth-based tractor maker AGCO, a major farm equipment supplier in South America.
Eric Hansotia, AGCO’s CEO, recently told the AJC it’s a challenging environment for any company to plan new investments given the tidal wave of tariff-related changes to track.
“Uncertainty is still high, so until you can have clarity on where all of this is going to land, you don’t make long-term investments,” Hansotia said.
Kemp and the delegation will cap off the trip in Argentina before returning to Atlanta on Saturday. He said the weeklong trip is designed to open the door to new investment and show Georgia is committed to having a presence with its growing South American partners.
“We’re here, we’re open for business,” he said. “ … And we want to make sure that we’re spreading that (message) not only in South American but around the world.”
About the Author
Zachary Hansen, a Georgia native, covers economic development and commercial real estate for the AJC. He's been with the newspaper since 2018 and enjoys diving into complex stories that affect people's lives.
