Brazil's Department of Trade Defense (Decom) has recommended provisional antidumping duties on polyethylene (PE) resin imports from the US and Canada.
The decision, published in the country's official gazette on 20 August, follows findings of material injury to the domestic industry caused by imports sold at unfairly low prices.
The proposed duties are R$238.49 ($43.52)/t for Canadian imports and R$199.04/t for US imports, applicable for up to six months. These rates reflect dumping margins identified during the investigation, with a 10pc reduction applied.
The investigation began on 31 July 2024, following a petition by Braskem, Brazil's sole PE producer. Decom found that dumped imports continued entering the market, posing further injury risks.
The duties are not yet in effect. The final decision rests with the foreign trade council, Gecex/Camex, which meets next on 28 August in Brasília.
The recommendation follows months of uncertainty over potential tariffs on US-origin PE. Despite concerns, US shipments continued rising, with traders reporting volumes near typical levels last week after a slowdown driven by anti-dumping duties fears.
The rebound in demand reflects resumed purchases previously postponed. Buyers who delayed orders due to potential duties were returning to the market, boosting import volumes.
Brazil imported 706,000t of PE from January to June 2025, down 9.9pc from 783,600t in the same period of 2024.
The US led with 488,800t, followed by Argentina with 93,000t, Canada with 27,000t, Egypt with 20,500t, and Saudi Arabia with 17,300t.
