Brazil meets 56pc of steel quotas through 13 Aug

Market: Metals
15/08/25

Brazilian steel importers met 56pc of the country's reduced-tariff steel import quotas by 13 August, according to the foreign trade secretariat.

Importers fulfilled 268,600 metric tonnes (t) of the country's four-month import quota of 475,800t, which runs through 23 October.

The foreign trade secretariat usually posts import quota figures weekly, but it did not update volumes on the week ended 8 August.

The quota regime covers 17 products, including hot-rolled coil (HRC), tube and coated flat steel. Buyers can import up to 475,800t with reduced tariffs of 9-13pc in each four-month period.

Once each item reaches its quota limit, a higher 25pc tariff applies to all additional volumes. Coated steel products have the highest quota threshold, yet they were the fastest consumed, with 64pc of their allocation already fulfilled for the current period.

Import licenses for smaller importers are no longer available for two of the three coated products included in the policy. These buyers will need to wait until the quota resets in late October to obtain new import licenses under the reduced tariff scheme.

Only 31pc of the HRC quota was filled by the second week of August.

Customs data show that most shipments have been delivered to the northern port of Manaus, where fiscal incentives support imports competitiveness.

Brazil introduced its quota policy in June 2024 to curb a surge in steel imports. The government extended the regime through June 2026, broadening its coverage to include additional steel products and reducing the volumes eligible for lower tariffs.

Still, Brazil is set for a new import record in 2025. Imports across all steel products increased to 596,000t in June, up by 39pc from a year earlier, industry chamber Instituto Aco Brazil said.

By Isabel Filgueiras

Brazil steel import quotas				metric tonnes
Product	Full Quota	Imported by 13-Aug	Difference	±%
Hot-rolled
HRC, ≥600mm wide, 4.75–10mm thick	1,285	235	1,050	18.3
HRC, ≥600mm wide, 3-4.75mm thick	3,111	1,398	1,713	44.9
HRC, ≥600mm wide, ≤3mm thick, ≥275 MPa	9,520	6,577	2,943	69.1
HRC, ≥600mm wide, ≤3mm thick	23,490	3,689	19,801	15.7
HRC, ≥600mm wide	9,798	2,690	7,108	27.5
Flat-rolled, ≥600mm wide	468	138	330	29.5
Cold rolled
CRC, ≥600mm wide, 1-3mm thick	47,950	20,980	26,970	43.8
CRC, ≥600mm wide, 0.5-1mm thick	36,255	17,256	18,999	47.6
CRC, ≥600mm wide	9,273	6,888	2,385	74.3
Galvanized
HDG, ≥600mm wide, <4.75mm	144,286	86,161	58,125	59.7
GL, ≥600mm wide	147,038	100,989	46,049	68.7
HDG, ≥600mm wide	1,915	1,413	502	73.8
Wire rod
Wire rod, circular section <14mm dia	32,535	16,977	15,558	52.2
Tubes
Seamless tubes ( oil, gas industry)	6,295	2,574	3,721	40.9
Submerged arc welding steel pipes, >406.4mm OD	490	137	353	28.0
Welded circular steel pipes, >406.4mm OD	420	43	377	10.2
Welded circular (oil, gas industry)	1,679	488	1,191	29.1
Source: Siscomex

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Brazil meets 56pc of steel quotas through 13 Aug

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