Brazilian Vice President and Minister of Development, Industry, and Commerce, Geraldo Alckmin, is expected to engage in discussions with US Commerce Secretary, Howard Lutnick, regarding the recently imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum imports by the United States.
Sources indicate that Alckmin will highlight the complementary nature of these imports to the industries of both countries. Specifically, in the case of steel, most Brazilian exports to the United States consist of semifinished products, primarily slabs, which support the rolling activities of US companies.
In 2024, Brazil exported 4.3 million metric tons of slabs to the United States, according to the foreign trade authority, SECEX. This volume may be underestimated, as the Port of Pecem authorities, from the local plant where ArcelorMittal exports slabs which has not reported export volumes for several months.
For context, the volume of finished steel products exported from Brazil to the United States in 2024 was limited to 355,000 metric tons.