Six priorities for companies with international operations

Brazilian foreign trade continues to expand in 2026. According to data from the Secretariat of Foreign Trade (Secex), the country's trade flow reached US$ 361 billion between January and the third week of July, an increase of 8.2% over the same period in 2025. During this interval, exports grew by 10.8% to US$ 204.16 billion, while imports totaled US$ 156.85 billion, up 4.9%.

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However, growth also means dealing with new challenges: greater currency exposure, the need for working capital, high financial costs, and the need for increasingly rapid decision-making.

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For companies that import or export, the second half of the year is a strategic time to review their financial structure. Here are six points that deserve your attention.

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1- Currency exposure: is the risk still under control?

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Currency volatility has become part of the daily routine for companies that trade in foreign currency. Although the dollar has fallen by approximately 6.6% against the real in 2026, its trajectory throughout the year has been marked by significant movements, driven by expectations regarding U.S. monetary policy and uncertainties in the geopolitical landscape.

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More important than tracking the daily exchange rate is asking yourself: how much of my revenue is protected? Companies that import inputs, export products, or hold contracts in foreign currency need to assess whether their foreign exchange policy remains compatible with their business profile and their ability to absorb fluctuations without compromising margins or cash flow.

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When this exposure is not reviewed periodically, commercial decisions can start to depend on exchange rate fluctuations. Hedging instruments help to reduce this unpredictability, allowing prices, contracts, and investments to be planned with greater security.

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2- Is your cash flow still keeping pace with operations?

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Plans made at the beginning of the year do not always reflect the reality of the second half. Changes in shipping volumes, payment and receipt terms, logistics costs, and currency fluctuations can significantly alter working capital requirements.

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Agribusiness is a recent example of this dynamic. In 2026, exporters across various supply chains had to re-evaluate contracts, target markets, and financial strategies in light of trade measures adopted by the United States and increased instability in international trade. This scenario led the federal government to approve a credit line of up to R$ 15 billion for exporting companies and agribusinesses affected by these changes, highlighting how external factors can rapidly alter a company's financing needs.

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This caution becomes even more relevant in a high-interest-rate environment. With the Selic rate held at 15% per year, relying on credit only when an immediate need arises tends to increase the financial cost of the operation. Therefore, it is worth reviewing whether the projected cash flow remains compatible with the company's operating cycle.

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When necessary, solutions such as working capital, receivables discounting, and structured lines for foreign trade allow for adjusting financing to the pace of operations, reducing pressure on cash flow and providing more predictability for financial planning.

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3- Are international payments still efficient?

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In recent years, international payments have evolved from a mere operational step in foreign trade to a core part of corporate financial strategy. Settlement times, transaction costs, traceability, integration with internal systems, and the ability to operate in multiple currencies have come to directly influence business competitiveness.

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This shift follows a broader transformation in the international financial market, marked by the digitization of processes, greater integration between platforms, and the development of solutions capable of consolidating different stages of an operation into a single environment.

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In practice, this means that services such as international collections, outgoing payments, multi-currency hedging, export receivables discounting, and integrated foreign exchange management no longer function in isolation but instead form a unified strategy.

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This is the logic behind the Foreign Trade Solutions Hub from Ouribank, developed to integrate financial operations and reduce the complexity of daily routines for companies operating in the international market.

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4- Is your financing still aligned with your business cycle?

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As operations grow, so does the gap between the initial outlay for production or imports and the actual receipt of sales revenue. In many cases, this interval includes production, shipping, international transit, customs clearance, and the payment terms granted to customers.

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When your financing structure fails to keep pace with this evolution, you are increasingly forced to use your own capital to keep operations running.

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In this context, Trade Finance solutions become essential because they are specifically structured to meet the needs of foreign trade. Operations such as export pre-financing (ACC), export post-financing (ACE), import financing (Finimp), and receivables discounting allow you to align credit with your company's financial cycle, preserving liquidity and providing greater predictability for your planning.

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At Ouribank, our financing strategy goes beyond simply offering credit lines. We structure operations tailored to your company's profile, integrating credit, foreign exchange, and trade solutions to ensure that financing tracks your operational cycle and contributes to more efficient financial management.

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6. Is your company prepared to seize new market opportunities?

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The growth of Brazilian foreign trade means more than just selling to traditional markets. In 2026, new opportunities are emerging in different regions around the world. Data from the Brazilian Foreign Trade Monitor shows that Brazil's export volume grew by 29.9% to the Middle East, 16.2% to Central America and the Caribbean, 8.5% to Asia, and 5.6% to Europe.

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At the same time, progress on the Mercosur-European Union agreement expands the potential for access to a market of 722 million consumers, with a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of approximately US$ 24.2 trillion.

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Entering new markets, however, often requires capital to expand inventory, adapt products, extend payment terms, or finance shipments before receiving export payments. Companies that proactively structure their financial capacity can respond to these opportunities with greater agility and negotiate better terms.

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At Ouribank, this approach translates into an ecosystem that brings together foreign exchange operations, trade finance, corporate credit, international payments, multi-currency hedging, export receivables discounting, cross-border supply chain finance, and specialized consulting. The goal is to support importers and exporters in building an integrated financial strategy capable of keeping pace with business growth and responding more efficiently to the challenges of an increasingly dynamic international market.

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