Brazilian importers moved quickly to secure most quota allocations for cold-rolled coil (CRC) and coated steel ahead of upcoming anti-dumping rulings.
The CRC probe has exceeded its expected deadline and could conclude before year-end, while the coated steel case is scheduled for 12 January.
Duties on targeted products are likely to exceed $200/metric tonne (t), market participants said, citing previous anti-dumping decisions in Brazil. Importers can still benefit from the quota system, which is less restrictive than the potential anti-dumping tariffs.
Importers can bring in up to 93,478t of CRC and 293,239t of coated steel under lower tariffs within the 10-12pc range. Volumes exceeding this threshold are subjected to 25pc tariffs.
Buyers claimed 21,600t of CRC in 19 November-2 December, up from 7,000t bought from 5-19 November. The coated steel 293,239t quota allocation has been 75pc filled in the first six weeks of quota renewal.
Quota volumes reset every four months, reducing import costs on 19 steel products. Each company is allocated a volume based on its import history. Once that limit is reached, buyers have two options: pay a 25pc tariff or wait for the next quota period, which begins on 24 February.
Buyers filled 294,985t of the 497,130t total quota for the four-month period ending 23 February. Nearly 60pc of the allocation has been filled in just six weeks since volumes reset.
| Brazil steel import quotas | metric tonnes | ||||
| Product | Full Quota | Consumed by 2-Dec | Difference from 19-Nov | Balance by 2-Dec | Share consumed (%) |
| Hot-rolled | |||||
| HRC, ≥600mm wide, 4.75–10mm thick | 1,285 | 157 | 0 | 1,128 | 12.2 |
| HRC, ≥600mm wide, 3-4.75mm thick | 3,111 | 57 | 57 | 3,054 | 1.8 |
| HRC, ≥600mm wide, ≤3mm thick, ≥275 MPa | 9,520 | 2,967 | 2,832 | 0 | 31.2 |
| HRC, ≥600mm wide, ≤3mm thick | 23,490 | 4,799 | 2,239 | 18,691 | 20.4 |
| HRC, ≥600mm wide | 9,798 | 2,512 | 1,359 | 7,286 | 25.6 |
| Flat-rolled, ≥600mm wide | 468 | 96 | 0 | 372 | 20.6 |
| Cold rolled | |||||
| CRC, ≥600mm wide, 1-3mm thick | 47,950 | 31,613 | 11,847 | 16,337 | 65.9 |
| CRC, ≥600mm wide, 0.5-1mm thick | 36,255 | 22,869 | 5,680 | 13,386 | 63.1 |
| CRC, ≥600mm wide | 9,273 | 6,311 | 4,088 | 2,962 | 68.1 |
| Galvanized | |||||
| HDG, ≥600mm wide, <4.75mm | 144,286 | 98,198 | 12,318 | 46,088 | 68.1 |
| GL, ≥600mm wide | 147,038 | 110,154 | -122 | 36,884 | 74.9 |
| HDG, ≥600mm wide | 1,915 | 946 | 208 | 969 | 49.4 |
| Wire rod | |||||
| Wire rod, circular section <14mm dia | 32,535 | 4,770 | 133 | 27,765 | 14.7 |
| Tubes | |||||
| Seamless tubes ( oil, gas industry) | 6,295 | 2,480 | 591 | 3,815 | 39.4 |
| Submerged arc welding steel pipes, >406.4mm OD | 490 | 16 | 16 | 474 | 3.4 |
| Welded circular steel pipes, >406.4mm OD | 420 | 34 | 0 | 386 | 8.1 |
| Welded circular (oil, gas industry) | 1,679 | 387 | 20 | 1,292 | 23.0 |
| Beams | |||||
| I-beam, ≥80mm | 17,121 | 5,300 | 335 | 11,821 | 31.0 |
| H-beam, ≥80mm | 4,201 | 1,319 | 0 | 2,882 | 31.4 |
| Source: Siscomex | |||||
