Brazilian steelmaker Gerdau CEO Gustavo Werneck warned that high levels of steel imports entering Brazil could undermine the country's domestic steel industry unless effective trade protection measures are implemented. He said several companies are already operating at a loss and may struggle to maintain operations without government intervention.
Imports threaten domestic steelmakers
According to local media reports, Mr. Werneck said several steelmakers are already operating at a loss and could face difficulty maintaining operations if imports remain at current levels. “If there is no significant reduction in the influx of imported products into Brazil, it will be impossible for domestic metallurgists to survive. They may disappear,” he warned. He added that import penetration is expected to exceed 6 million tons in 2025, equivalent to almost 30 percent of domestic steel sales.
Anti-dumping measures are seen as a key solution
According to Gerdau, restoring competitive conditions will require reducing import penetration. Werneck said anti-dumping measures could reduce import levels from about 30% to 10%, allowing domestic producers to resume investment. The company's chief financial officer, Rafael Japur, added that Brazil's federal government has recently taken a more proactive approach to tackling the issue: “Technological progress has been made on this issue. Government visited
