Brazil renews antidumping duties on heavy plate from China, South Korea, Ukraine

Brazil has extended its antidumping duties on imports of heavy plate from China, South Korea and Ukraine for another five years, tightening the trade barrier at a time when domestic mills face pressure to consolidate price increases.

Brazil's Foreign Trade Chamber sharply raised the duty on Chinese-origin plate to $678.51/mt from $211/mt, while maintaining duties of $135.84/mt on South Korean material and $52.02/mt on Ukrainian plate, according to Brazil's official gazette.

The measure covers low-carbon and low-alloy hot-rolled heavy plate in coils above 4.75 mm in thickness and 600 mm in width under NCM codes 7208.51.00, 7208.52.00 and 7308.90.10.

According to trade data, Brazil's annual imports of heavy plate have fluctuated significantly over the past years. After peaking at 219,582 mt in 2018, volumes dropped sharply to 11,810 mt in 2020, before recovering to 119,533 mt in 2023. Until August 2025, imports have reached 20,285 mt.

The duties were first implemented in October 2013, after an investigation initiated at the request of Brazilian steel company Usiminas found evidence of material injury caused by dumped imports. Their renewal underscores Brazil's intent to shield domestic producers from renewed import pressure at a moment of volatility in global steel trade.

"I just spoke with an old client who used to import heavy plate from China," a trader said. "But in recent months, prices have dropped so much that there's no longer any margin to operate this product. Last time I checked, apparent demand had reached only 50% of installed capacity."

A second market observer said that because there was already a measure in place, its renewal did not make much difference to the market.

"It was just a renewal," the second source said. "If it hadn't been renewed, then yes, there would've been an impact."

Still, the measure reinforces a broader pattern of trade defense in Brazil's flat steel segment, where ongoing probes into hot-rolled coil, cold-rolled coil and coated products are to conclude in the coming months.