Brazil's foreign trade council, Gecex/Camex has confirmed provisional antidumping duties on polyethylene (PE) resin imports from the US and Canada effective immediately and valid for up to six months.
Gecex/Camex set the duties at $199.04/t for US-origin resin and $238.49/t for Canadian-origin resin. These rates reflect the dumping margins identified by Decom, with a 10pc reduction applied.
The decision follows a recommendation by the Department of Trade Defense (Decom), which found evidence of material injury to Brazil's domestic industry caused by US and Canadian PE imports.
The investigation began on 31 July 2024, following a petition from petrochemical producer Braskem, Brazil's sole PE producer. Decom concluded that dumped imports continued to enter the market, posing further injury to the domestic industry.
Brazil imported 706,000t of PE from January-June 2025, a 9.9pc decline compared to the same period in 2024. The US was the leading supplier, accounting for 488,800t, followed by Argentina, Canada, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia.
Despite the looming tariffs, US shipments remained strong in the weeks leading up to the decision, as buyers who had delayed orders returned to the market. Prices for PE in Brazil had not reacted to the recommendation as of 22 August. Argus reported a sharp increase in LDPE prices for Brazil and the west coast of South America (WCSA) during that week.
