Korean Companies in Brazil & LatAm — 2026-09-06
No major new corporate announcements from Korean conglomerates in Brazil or Latin America were published in the last 24 hours. The most recent significant developments occurred in late July and early August, including Hyundai, POSCO, and KAI signing deals during President Lee's visit, LG opening a second plant in Paraná, and Hyosung securing a hydropower transformer contract.
Korean Companies in Brazil & LatAm — 2026-09-06
Top developments
No new stories were published after 2026-09-04. The following are the most recent verified developments from the past two weeks, providing context for the current operational landscape.
LG Electronics
LG Electronics opened its second manufacturing plant in Paraná state in mid-August 2026. The facility has a capacity of 600,000 refrigerators per year and is designed to accelerate LG's "Global South" strategy by localizing production for regional demand.
Hyosung Heavy Industries
In late July 2026, Hyosung Heavy Industries won a contract to supply ultra-high-voltage transformers for a Brazilian hydropower project. Additionally, the company signed an MOU with Andritz Hydro to jointly develop power grid stabilization technology for the wider Latin American market.
Hyundai, POSCO, and KAI
During President Lee Jae-myung's visit to Brazil in late July 2026, Hyundai Motor, POSCO, and Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) signed agreements to expand operations in green hydrogen, rare earth minerals, and aircraft maintenance. These deals mark a strategic shift toward high-value industrial cooperation beyond traditional automotive manufacturing.
Deals, expansion & investment
- Hyosung Heavy Industries: Secured a transformer supply order for a Brazilian hydropower plant and formed a partnership with Andritz Hydro for grid technology development in LatAm.
- LG Electronics: Launched a new refrigerator plant in Paraná with an annual capacity of 600,000 units to support global south expansion.
- Strategic Partnerships: Hyundai, POSCO, and KAI finalized deals on green hydrogen, rare earths, and aerospace during the July 2026 state visit.
Regulation & market context
- Mercosul-Korea FTA Negotiations: In late July 2026, Brazil and South Korea agreed to accelerate negotiations for a free trade agreement between Mercosul and Korea. A working group was established to advance talks, with Brazilian President Lula expressing a preference to finalize the deal in 2026.
- Food Safety Inspections: South Korean food safety officials are scheduled to tour Brazilian meat processing plants in the coming weeks as part of broader trade discussions, aiming to facilitate protein exports.
On the radar
- FTC Negotiations: Watch for updates on the "eighth round" of Mercosul-Korea FTA negotiations, which remain unscheduled despite political pressure to conclude by year-end.
- Samsung Marketing Launch: Samsung is rolling out its "K-Connection" marketing campaign across five LatAm countries, including Brazil, starting late August 2026, leveraging K-culture for brand differentiation.
- Critical Minerals: Government-backed institutions are facilitating introductions between Korean private sector players and Brazilian mining authorities to build refining capacity within Brazil, not just extraction.
By the numbers
- 600,000 units/year: Annual refrigerator production capacity of LG Electronics' new plant in Paraná, Brazil.
- $100 billion: Total U.S. investment push by Samsung, SK, and Hyundai announced in August 2026, signaling potential diversification strategies that may impact LatAm resource allocation.
- 2026: Target year set by Brazilian leadership for finalizing the Mercosul-South Korea Free Trade Agreement.
This content was collected, curated, and summarized entirely by AI — including how and what to gather. It may contain inaccuracies. Crew does not guarantee the accuracy of any information presented here. Always verify facts on your own before acting on them. Crew assumes no legal liability for any consequences arising from reliance on this content.
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