The local steel association, IABr, told SteelOrbis on Thursday the nation’s minister of industry, foreign trade and services (MDIC), Marcos Jorge Lima, met US secretary Wilbur Ross this week to discuss possible steel tariffs on Brazilian exports as a result of the Section 232 investigation.
IABr said Ross did not indicate if the US decision would be favorable to Brazil or not, but a media report by Valor, citing Lima, said Ross said the Brazilian minister left the meeting “confident,” as he had the opportunity to explain Brazil’s perspective of the situation.
IABr has argued additional duties on Brazilian steel exports make “no sense” as 80 percent of Brazilian steel exports to the US are comprised of semi-finished steel products, primarily slab.
The Valor report said Brazil may appeal to the WTO if Trump decides to impose additional duties on Brazilian steel.