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25/07/08

Paving Amazon road may spoil Brazil climate target

Paving Amazon road may spoil Brazil climate target

Sao Paulo, 8 July (Argus) — Brazil suspended the paving and reconstruction of the northern BR-319 highway, which would drive up deforestation and make it impossible for Brazil to meet its climate targets by 2050, according to the environment ministry. Reconstructing the highway would increased deforestation and generate 8bn metric tonnes (t) of CO2 by 2050, according to the environment ministry. This would run counter to Brazil's efforts to eliminate deforestation — both legal and illegal — by 2030, to meet its emissions reductions targets under the Paris climate agreement. A federal court decision from October 2024 allowed plans by former-president Jair Bolsonaro's administration to rebuild and pave BR-319 to move forward through a preliminary license. The federal court reassessed the case on 2 July, suspending the preliminary license for the second time. The first suspension dates back to July 2024, when a federal environmental court stopped the work under an argument of irreversible risks to the Amazon forest if the concession remained active. The 918km BR-319 connects the capitals northern Amazonia and Rondonia states, Manaus and Porto Velho, both in the Amazon forest biome. While the preliminary license was in force, deforestation around the highway more than doubled, including in conservation areas, Brazilian climate network Observatorio do Clima said. An increase in deforestation could cut water supply to large cities in the center-south and reduce agriculture and cattle raising by interfering in the rainfall pattern, according to the ministry. It also added that 95pc of Amazon's deforestation happens within 5.5km of highways. Brazil's environmental watchdog Ibama has strengthened its monitoring in the BR-319 to prevent deforestation and other illegal practices in the surrounded areas. Ibama agents have seized tractors and power generators near Tapaua city, in Amazonas, which were used to support illegal activities in the Amazon forest, such as wood extraction. Ibama also applied R8mn ($1.46mn) in environmental fines and blocked access to 1,600 hectares (ha) of deforested areas to fight ongoing illegal activities, it said today. By João Curi Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

News

Paraguay, Argentina extend Km 171 fuel shipping


25/07/08
News
25/07/08

Paraguay, Argentina extend Km 171 fuel shipping

Sao Paulo, 8 July (Argus) — Paraguay's national directorate of tax revenue DNIT and Argentina's customs revenue and control agency Arca extended operations at the transshipment zone at the Km 171 mark in the Parana Guazu River for an additional 10 months. The announcement, shared by DNIT head Oscar Orue on social media, comes after days of tension sparked by Argentina's earlier decision to suspend operations at the site, citing a lack of formal port authorization. Argentina's decision was criticized by Paraguayan authorities and industry groups last week , who warned of potential fuel supply disruptions and increased logistics costs. Km 171 is a critical hub for ship-to-barge transfers of oil products such as diesel and naphtha for landlocked Paraguay, which relies heavily on river transport for fuel imports. While the new agreement ensures continued operations in the short term, it remains unclear whether the 10-month extension will serve as a transitional period for negotiations toward a permanent solution. By Flavia Alemi Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

News

US to impose 50pc tariff on copper imports


25/07/08
News
25/07/08

US to impose 50pc tariff on copper imports

Houston, 8 July (Argus) — US President Donald Trump said today the US will impose a 50pc tariff on copper imports, with implementation expected by the end of July or early August. During a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Trump listed a number of tariffs he has imposed since taking office, saying "today we're doing copper" with a 50pc rate. In a broadcast interview with CNBC, commerce secretary Howard Lutnick said the tariff would likely be put in place by the end of July or 1 August. Following Trump's announcement, the next active Comex (CME) price rose to a record high of $5.6855/lb, a $0.6595/lb or 13pc increase from $5.026/lb on Monday. The last record was set 26 March at $5.243/lb. Copper and its derivatives have been exempt from added US tariffs , as the Department of Commerce conducts its Section 232 investigation into copper imports . Determinations from the probe were expected by the end of November, but Lutnick said in the broadcast interview today the US was done with the study. The US imported 1.7mn metric tonnes (t) of copper and its derivatives in 2024, according to customs data. By Reagan Patrowicz Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

News

Immigration raids pressure south Texas scrap flows


25/07/08
News
25/07/08

Immigration raids pressure south Texas scrap flows

Houston, 8 July (Argus) — South Texas ferrous scrap yards are facing inflow headwinds as increased efforts by US immigration officials to detain and deport non-citizens affect peddler traffic and the labor force. Several market participants speaking to Argus on condition of anonymity have reported a steep decrease in scrap inflows along the US-Mexico border in Texas since the start of President Donald Trump's second term in mid-January due to raids by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. Sources surveyed by Argus estimated a 25-50pc reduction in scrap being sold to yards in south Texas as a result of the raids, but they struggled to provide a more specific volume of scrap not delivered. Peddler traffic — scrap sold to yards by the public — accounts for a considerable percentage of material acquired by yards in the region, a market participant said. Sources said that many peddlers, as well as some workers at yards, are non-citizens and risk deportation if detained by ICE. The reduction in scrap flows is much larger than what would be seen from peddlers and yard workers who have been detained by ICE or the US Customs and Border Protection agency, they said, and is likely the result of a wider pull back from peddlers, nervous over the risk detention and deportation. Several yards reliant on peddler traffic or undocumented labor have shut in recent weeks, sources familiar with the matter said. ICE has been raiding communities along the border since early in the year when President Donald Trump started his second term. The recently-passed US budget bill allocated $45bn to, in part, hiring "thousands" of new ICE and Border Protection agents. It is unclear how much scrap is sold to US scrap yards by sellers who lack US citizenship, but continued pressure on those sellers and undocumented workers could cause supply tightness and labor shortages in south Texas yards. The monthly Texas ferrous scrap trade is expected to settle today, with several mills bidding all grades flat from June settlements. By Marialuisa Rincon Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

News

French diesel, HVO customs data mislabelled: Eurostat


25/07/08
News
25/07/08

French diesel, HVO customs data mislabelled: Eurostat

Barcelona, 8 July (Argus) — French firms have mislabelled imports of 10ppm diesel as hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) this year, following confusion over new customs codes, EU data service Eurostat has said. The confusion has come about after the introduction of a new import-export (CN) code for HVO that took effect at the start of 2025. Some French data will be restated. A diesel code of 27101943 was discontinued at the end of 2024 and was replaced by 27101944. A new CN code 27101942 for HVO was introduced. HVO is produced by treating vegetable oil with hydrogen, counts against biodiesel blend mandates, but is molecularly separate from biodiesel output by esterification. When customs data for 2025 began to be published at the end of the first quarter, France appeared to be importing large amounts of HVO from Saudi Arabia and the US. Cargoes from the former amounted to around 255,000t in the first quarter. Saudi Arabia has no HVO production known by Argus , nor does it re-export cargoes. It is France's largest diesel supplier. There were also 140,000t labelled as HVO from the US in January-March. But because the EU has anti-dumping and countervailing duties on US HVO imports, shipments of this size appeared questionable. The US is the second biggest diesel supplier to France. The mislabelling has made French and EU HVO traffic difficult to track. It has distorted French diesel import data , which show imports have fallen sharply. Argus first questioned the numbers in March when initial 2025 customs data were released. These queries were rebuffed, but after a follow up in May Eurostat said French customs had "confirmed that there has been an input error". New data will be supplied by France at an unspecified time this year, it said. By Adam Porter Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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