US market entry for Brazilian brands.
Brazilian brands arrive in the US with skills many foreign competitors lack: fast direct-to-consumer execution, creator-driven launches, and marketing teams used to a huge, competitive home market.
The gaps are elsewhere. A US entity and bank account, Amazon US rules, US labeling, English-first positioning, and a customer base that does not know your brand from Instagram in Sao Paulo. Theory Road is an independent growth firm in the Austin metro that has worked with South American companies entering the US. We run the commercial launch, from market read, pricing and storefront to Amazon US, paid media, creators and retail, and we coordinate the company formation, tax and customs work with your attorneys, accountants and brokers.
Questions this page answers
- How do I sell on Amazon US from Brazil?
- Do I need a US company or LLC to sell in the US?
- How do Brazilian brands export to the United States?
- Will our Brazilian influencer strategy work in the US?
- Should we start with the Brazilian community in Florida?
- How do Brazilian software companies win US clients?
Step 1 of 2
How can we help you get found?
Next: name, email and budget. That’s it.
What the US market asks of you.
Brazilian founders are often better at direct-to-consumer marketing than the US brands they will compete with. Beauty, fashion, coffee, snacks, supplements and software companies have learned to launch through creators, run tight performance campaigns and handle marketplaces at scale. The US asks them to rebuild that machine in English, around US price points, US shipping expectations and US rules, and to earn trust with buyers who have never seen the brand. Portuguese-speaking teams also meet a market where Spanish, not Portuguese, is the second language of most ads.
The common misses are predictable. A founder searches how to open an LLC in the US, forms one, and assumes the hard part is done, then discovers banking, processor reviews and state tax registration still lie ahead. Creator content gets translated rather than recast for US norms and FTC disclosure rules. Brands plan the launch around the Brazilian communities in Florida and Massachusetts, which are loyal early adopters but too small to carry a national business. Others price from reais, then lose margin to duties, freight, Amazon fees and returns.
We start with a US market read and a landed-cost price your accountant and customs broker can confirm. Then we build an English-first US storefront, set up Amazon US listings and advertising, and cast US creators alongside the Brazilian voices your community already trusts. The diaspora becomes a test audience for reviews and early sales, while search and paid social reach general-market buyers from the first month. Your attorney and accountant own entity, banking and tax; your customs broker owns import. We keep one checklist and report weekly on orders, margin and inventory.
- Weeks 1 to 4Market read and dollar pricingCompetitors, US search demand and a landed-cost price that survives duties, freight, fees and sales tax.
- Weeks 3 to 8Entity, bank and trademark in motionYour attorney files the US trademark and company; your accountant sets up tax registration; we track dates.
- Weeks 6 to 12Storefront and Amazon US buildEnglish-first store, Amazon listings, A+ content and Brand Registry once the trademark application is filed.
- Months 3 to 4Diaspora seeding and first creatorsEarly reviews from Brazilian communities in Florida and Massachusetts, plus first US creators briefed for US audiences.
- Months 4 to 8General-market paid media scaleGoogle, Amazon and Meta campaigns expanded toward the audiences with the best contribution margin.
- Months 6 to 12Retail and wholesale conversationsSpecialty retail, beauty chains or grocery buyers once reviews and sell-through data make the case.
Where US launches stall.
The LLC is only step one
Forming a US LLC is fast, but a foreign-owned LLC carries its own federal reporting, and banks, payment processors and marketplaces run separate reviews. Your attorney and accountant should map every step before paid media starts.
Creator playbooks need recasting
Brazilian creator launches rely on formats, humor and pace that do not always land in the US. US creators need different briefs, and FTC rules require clear disclosure of paid endorsements and gifted product.
Diaspora is a start, not a market
Brazilian communities around Orlando, Miami and Boston buy early and review generously. They are valuable for proof, but a national brand needs English-first creative that works for buyers with no connection to Brazil.
Currency and cross-border costs
Exchange swings and bank fees on moving money between reais and dollars can erase thin margins. Build a dollar price from landed cost and have your accountant plan how and when profits move home.
What we run for you.
US market read and pricing
Search demand, competitor pricing and a dollar price built from landed cost, Amazon fees and returns, with positioning that makes Brazilian origin a reason to buy.
US storefront
An English-first Shopify or similar store designed for US checkout habits, shipping expectations and returns, connected to email and SMS flows from launch.
Amazon US
Listings, A+ content, Brand Registry, advertising and inventory planning for the US store, run alongside direct-to-consumer so pricing and messaging stay consistent.
Creators and social
US creator casting and briefs, paired with Brazilian community voices, with FTC-compliant disclosure and paid amplification of the content that converts.
Paid search and performance
Google, Amazon and Meta campaigns measured on orders and margin, with separate budgets and tests for diaspora, bilingual and general-market audiences.
Advisor coordination
A shared launch checklist with your attorney, accountant, customs broker and fulfillment provider, so company, bank, tax and import steps land before spend.
How US demand gets built.
US rules to plan for.
Import duties and de minimis.
Duty-free de minimis treatment was suspended for all countries from August 29, 2025. Your customs broker confirms tariff classification and current duties, at the time of writing.
Cosmetics under MoCRA.
Beauty brands face FDA facility registration and product listing under MoCRA, plus US labeling rules. A regulatory consultant should own the filings before products ship.
Food, coffee and supplements.
Food facilities register with FDA, name a US agent and renew in even-numbered years; supplements follow DSHEA claim rules. Your regulatory consultant owns this.
Trademark representation.
Foreign-domiciled USPTO applicants must be represented by a US-licensed attorney, and Amazon Brand Registry needs a registered or pending mark. File early with counsel.
Endorsements and sales tax.
FTC rules govern creator disclosures and reviews; we manage those in marketing. States set sales tax and nexus, which your US accountant decides.
A good fit
- Brazilian beauty, fashion, coffee, food and supplement brands with proven direct-to-consumer demand and inventory to support a US launch.
- Founders who already run strong creator and performance teams at home and want a US partner fluent in US channels.
- Brazilian software companies ready to sell in English to US businesses and fund a real pipeline program.
- Teams willing to let US attorneys, accountants and customs brokers own the entity, tax and import work.
Probably not a fit
- Companies expecting us to open the LLC, file taxes or clear customs; we coordinate those advisors and do not provide those services.
- Brands that only want to sell to the Brazilian community in the US with no plan to reach general-market buyers.
Platforms and categories we launch into.
Reading before a US launch.
- E-commerce · Takeaway
A company in Mexico, Brazil, Colombia or most other Latin American countries can register an Amazon.com seller account without a US company, as long as its identity, address and bank documents match exactly.
E-commerce · 11 min read
Selling on Amazon US From Mexico, Brazil and Latin America.
A practical guide for Latin American founders selling on Amazon.com: how registration and payments work from Mexico, Brazil and Colombia, the tax interview, US trademarks and Brand Registry, getting stock into FBA, and a first 90 days plan.
Read - E-commerce · Takeaway
Amazon Global Selling lets a company registered outside the United States open a Seller Central account for Amazon.com without forming a US entity first.
E-commerce · 11 min read
Amazon Global Selling: How to Sell on Amazon US From Abroad.
What it takes for a company outside the United States to sell on Amazon.com: the registration and verification steps, the tax interview, getting paid, a US trademark for Brand Registry, landing inventory at FBA, and the launch sequence we run.
Read - Agency Guide · Takeaway
A foreign founder can own a US LLC or corporation without living in the US, but the right structure depends on home-country tax rules and should be chosen with an attorney and an accountant in both countries.
Agency Guide · 11 min read
US LLC for Non-Residents: A Foreign Founder's Setup Checklist.
A commercial checklist for foreign founders setting up a US company: why brands form one, the common structures at a high level, and the order of EIN, bank, sales tax and insurance that keeps a US launch on schedule.
Read
Questions from founders abroad.
- How do I sell on Amazon US from Brazil?
- Amazon's Global Selling program lets sellers in many countries, including Brazil, register for the US store, subject to identity, bank and tax verification and current eligibility rules. You will also need compliant labels, an import plan with a customs broker, and a trademark for Brand Registry. We run listings, A+ content, advertising and inventory planning, and our own Amazon Professional Seller account uses Brand Registry.
- Do I need a US company or LLC to sell in the US?
- Not always for Amazon, but most brands selling direct to US consumers form a US entity to open a US bank account, work with US payment processors and sign retail contracts. A foreign-owned LLC has its own federal reporting duties, so an attorney and accountant should choose the structure. We plan the launch around their timeline and do not form entities ourselves.
- How do Brazilian brands export to the United States?
- The export itself is handled by your freight forwarder and a US customs broker, who classify the product, file entry and pay duties. Food, cosmetics and supplements add FDA steps. The harder part is selling what arrives. We build the US price, storefront, Amazon presence and paid media so inventory moves once it clears, and we keep your advisors on one shared checklist.
- Will our Brazilian influencer strategy work in the US?
- The engine works; the content usually needs rebuilding. US audiences respond to different pacing, humor and proof, and FTC rules require clear disclosure of paid posts and gifted product. We cast US creators, write briefs built on what already works for you in Brazil, and use paid amplification only behind the posts that drive orders.
- Should we start with the Brazilian community in Florida?
- It is a useful first audience. Brazilian communities around Orlando, Miami and the Boston area often buy early, leave reviews and share with friends. But they are too small to sustain a national brand, and many shop mostly in English. We use them to build proof in the first months while testing general-market audiences at the same time.
- How do Brazilian software companies win US clients?
- Close time zones, strong engineering and competitive pricing are real advantages. US buyers still expect English-first messaging, US pricing, security answers and references they can check. We build positioning, the website, search, LinkedIn and outbound programs, and a CRM pipeline aimed at a defined US buyer, and report on qualified meetings and closed revenue.
Let’s plan your US launch.
A short note on where the business is and where it needs to go. A senior partner replies within one business day.