Logistics costs consume 15.5% of GDP and reinforce the importance of location

In 2025, logistics costs in Brazil totaled R$1.96 trillion. The number, collected by the Institute of Logistics and Supply Chain (ILOS) and published by SETCESP, is equivalent to 15.5% of the country's Gross Domestic Product. To compare: in the United States, this cost is around 8.8% of GDP. The distance between the two numbers, almost double, is not just statistics. It reappears in the final price of each product that leaves a Brazilian warehouse and arrives at its destination more expensive than it would need to be.

Diesel remains one of the biggest villains. According to ILOS, fuel represents between 35% and 50% of the operating cost of a heavy fleet, depending on the type of vehicle and the route. For carriers, the increase in operating costs between 2023 and 2024 was not accompanied by a proportional adjustment in freight tables, generating a mismatch that compresses margins across the entire chain.