Brazil

According to LSEG and market sources, Russia's seaborne exports of oil products fell 15% a month on a monthly basis to about 3.3 mt in the first 15 days of June. This was due to?unplanned maintenance?following repeated ukranian drone attacks. Shipping data shows that the number of diesel loadings at the Baltic port Primorsk - Russia's main outlet for ultra-low sulphur fuel (ULSD) – dropped by 18% to 520,000 tonnes in the first half of June compared with the same period last year. Ukraine has intensified drone strikes on Russia's energy infrastructure, with the number of oil refining facilities targeted...

According to documents and a source close to the issue, Brazilian refineries have sold more than 100 million liters (or gallons) of naphtha allegedly to a company under investigation for an alleged fraud scheme that involves a criminal group designated as a terrorist organisation by the U.S. Documents from the oil regulator ANP reveal that Riograndense was a major supplier. It is a refinery located in southern Brazil, owned by Petrobras (the state-run oil company), Braskem, and Ultrapar. According to a source close to the investigation, the solvent producer Petrodansk received the naphtha. They were accused by the state of...

As of Friday, the U.S. designated Brazil's largest criminal groups as "Foreign Terrorist Organizations" (FTOs). This is likely to increase risks and costs of doing business in Brazil where gangs are well-established. Comando Vermelho (CV), and Primeiro Comando da Capital, both of the 'biggest Brazilian crime gangs, began in prisons during the 1970s. Since then, they have grown to dominate drug trafficking in South America and their money laundering operations have spread into the far corners of Brazil’s mainstream economy. Investigators have recently discovered that both groups are deeply embedded in sectors like fuel distribution, real-estate and finance. They also...

In a Sunday statement, Brazil's state oil company,?Petrobras?, announced that it would lower the diesel price to distributors starting June 1 by 0.3515 Reais per liter. This follows an announcement from the Brazilian government regarding a cashback program for producers and importers. Petrobras said that the average price it charges distributors for a liter of gasoline will drop to $3.30 ($0.6552) from $3.65 previously. The Brazilian 'government' announced on Saturday a new cashback scheme for diesel producers and importers of 0.35 Reais per liter. This system is also scheduled to begin in June?1. It will compensate for the ending of...

Brazil's federation tax revenues surged in April according to a report released on Thursday. The increase was attributed to higher oleo-related receipts, as the elevated oleo-price linked to the U.S./Israel war against Iran lifted government intake. Total revenue was 278.823 reais ($55.86billion), an increase of 7.82% over a year ago in real terms. This is a record month and follows a pattern that has been repeated in "every month" this year. The federal'revenue service' grew tax revenue by 7.31 percent in real terms during April. Meanwhile, receipts from?other agencies -- mainly oil royalties -- jumped by 14.89 percent. Latin America's...

Two sources familiar with the investigation said that the Brazilian federal police had targeted the former governor of Rio de Janeiro, Claudio Castro, and the owner Refit Refinery Ricardo Magro as part of an investigation into alleged tax evasion. Castro and Magro did not immediately respond to a request for comment from. The police, without naming any suspects, said that they had launched an investigation into a conglomerate in the fuel industry suspected of concealing assets, faking assets and transferring money abroad. According to a statement, the Supreme Court ordered that assets worth approximately 52 billion Reis ($10.4 Billion) be...

In a filing on Monday, Brazil's state-run Petrobras said that it had missed market expectations in its?first quarter net profit. The?impact? of higher oil prices due to the Middle East conflict has yet to be reflected in the results. Petrobras reported a net loss of approximately 32.7 billion reals ($6.68 billion) - down 7.2% compared to a year earlier. In a separate filing, the company approved a dividend payout of 9 billion reals to its shareholders. The company stated that the increase in oil prices following the U.S. - Israel conflict with Iran, which began in late February, would only...

Compass Gas e Energia SA is set to launch its initial 'public offering' on a Thursday, ending a nearly 5-year IPO stalemate on Brazil’s B3 Stock Exchange due to high interest rates. According to two sources familiar with the transaction, the offering of 89.3 millions shares by the existing shareholders of the gas distributor could generate around 3 billion Brazilian reais (about 600 million dollars). One person said that by early afternoon on Thursday, the orders had nearly tripled the size of the initial?offering. The second source said that despite the high demand, pricing may be at the lower end,...

Brazil's trade surplus in April jumped 37.5% from a year earlier to $10.5 billion. This was a record for that month. The government revealed the data on Thursday. It was boosted by the strong shipments of important commodities such as soybeans, crude oils, iron ore, and beef. However, the result was lower than the median estimate of $10.9 billion in an economist's poll. According to the Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade and Services, exports increased?14.3% compared to a year ago, to $34.1 billion. Exports rose by 18.8% in value, with soybeans, crude oils, iron ore, and beef all increasing by...

According to four sources 'close to the matter,' Brazil's state run?oil firm Petrobras will have a stronger voice in the operations of Braskem following a management revamp?by its controlling shareholder. Braskem shareholders elected a new Board of Directors on Wednesday, which included Petrobras CEO Magda Chambriard in the role of chair. The board also includes seats for Braskem's director of industrial process and chief financial officer. Helcio Brandao, Braskem's CFO and other executives will be nominated by IG4 Capital. The firm acquired a controlling interest in the engineering group Novonor. Six anonymous sources confirmed that Petrobras will name four Braskem...

Jose Guimaraes, Minister of Institutional Relations, said that Brazil will take new measures in the next few days to reduce the economic impact of the U.S.-Israeli conflict on Iran. This includes steps to lower gasoline prices. Guimaraes told reporters in Brasilia that the package is still being finalized. He also confirmed that the Finance Ministry officials are reviewing fuel prices. He said that the government was working on a scenario where there could be 'up to two months worth of conflict. However, it is still uncertain what impact this will have on the economy. SEVEN-DAY WORKWEEK Guimaraes said that the...

Brazilian pulp giant Suzano announced on Friday that toilet paper, tissue and diaper prices will increase globally as companies try to cover higher transportation and 'chemical' costs if the U.S. and Israeli war against Iran continues. Suzano is the largest producer of pulp in the world, with a market capitalization of more than $60 billion. This pulp is used to manufacture Kimberly-Clark Cottonelle toilet papers, Kleenex tissues and sanitary products, as well as diapers, cardboard packaging, and other everyday items. The Iran War has caused a spike in oil prices, which have increased Suzano’s costs for shipping, trucking and rail....

Three people with knowledge of the situation say that independent investment 'bank Moelis & Company, and financial consultancy 'firm Journey Capital are advisers of creditors of ethanol and sugar producer Raizen. They received a 'non-binding offer?from the private equity firm IG4 on Monday evening to purchase credits and control. Two of them warned?that any agreement remains far from sure, and one said that creditors are unlikely?to reach a decision any time soon. One of the creditors said that they accepted Raizen’s offer to convert their debt into equity because it was the 'best alternative available', but would not like to...

A sustainability report released on Monday revealed that Brazilian miner Vale will invest up to 13 billion reais (2,56 billion dollars) in decarbonization projects to achieve its voluntary emission reduction targets and mitigate climate-related risks. The company has not specified the timeline for the investment. The investment includes up to four billion reais in decarbonizing operations. The 8 billion reais are allocated to the construction of industrial complexes focusing on low-carbon technology, including steelmaking technologies and iron ore briquettes. The firm stated that the remaining 1 billion reais would be used for research and development. Vale has invested 9 billion...

The U.S. and Israel war against?Iran has not affected the price of iron ore, but this relative calm hides a shift in the dynamics of the steel raw material. China purchases about three quarters of the global seaborne iron ore and uses it to feed mills that produce just over half of the world's total steel. Iron ore for the United States is largely sourced by Australia and Brazil. Other producers such as South Africa and Guinea contribute a small amount. This trade bypasses the Strait of Hormuz. The narrow waterway that connects Iran to Oman has been closed off...

The U.S. and Israel war against Iran has not affected the price of iron ore, but this relative calm hides a shift in the?dynamics? for the steel raw material. China purchases about three quarters of the world's seaborne iron ore. It uses it to feed mills that make just over half the steel produced worldwide. Iron ore is mostly sourced from Australia and Brazil. Other producers such as South Africa and Guinea also contribute a small amount. This trade bypasses the Strait of Hormuz. The narrow waterway that connects Iran to Oman has been closed off since February 28, when...

The disparity between China's low steel production and its robust imports of?iron ore is still evident, but it is now starting to appear as a structural shift instead of a temporary dislocation. China, which accounts for just over half the world's total steel production, produced 86.63 metric tons of steel in April. This is a 2.8% drop from the same period in 2025 and the lowest April figure since 2018. Steel production for the first four months of the year was 331.12 millions tons, down 4.1% from last year's same period. According to official statistics, however, iron ore exports increased...

Brazil is expecting to raise $50 billion reais (9.92 billion dollars) in what will be its most ambitious auction 'yet, under the Eco Invest Program, which is focused on 'developing advanced sustainable technology -in strategic sectors. The fifth auction announced on Monday, and the last one under the current administration will continue to leverage private investments with public funds from Climate Fund. Ceron stated that Brazil was preparing to?do a roadshow? in the U.S.A., Europe, and China, seeking foreign capital. The funds will be allocated to six areas, including: sustainable fuels, battery systems and artificial intelligence for production, green chemistry...

Two 'people who are familiar with the matter' said this week that Brazilian steelmaker CSN had received non-binding offers for its cement division by Friday. The deadline was set to pursue divestment. CSN appointed Morgan Stanley to be its financial advisor for the sale. The?divestment' is part of a larger strategy to reduce debt. In April, it was reported that the cement unit could be worth more than 10 billion reais (2 billion dollars). The identity of the bidders was not known. The article in April found that both local and foreign players were interested, including Brazil's Votorantim?and J&F which...

In a press release, Brazilian labor inspectors fined Sigma Lithium after they found that the company had deposited waste into a pile which was closed because it posed a "grave" and "imminent" risk to workers and local residents. Inspectors discovered that despite three Sigma waste piles being closed last December, trucks continued to deposit waste on one of them. Sigma did not respond immediately to a comment request. The largest lithium producer in Brazil announced that it would resume mining at its flagship Grota do Cirilo Mine despite the piles having been shut down. When the piles closed late last...

The London Court of Appeal has ruled that BHP can't appeal against the UK ruling that found it liable for the 2015 collapse of a dam in southeastern Brazil. In November, London's High Court ruled BHP was legally responsible for the collapse of the Fundao dam in Mariana, southeastern Brazil, ?which was owned and operated by Samarco, a joint venture ?between Australia-headquartered BHP and Brazilian company Vale. Brazil's worst ecological disaster unleashed a toxic sludge wave that left 19 dead, thousands homeless, inundated?forests, and polluted?the length of the Doce River. The High Court refused BHP permission to appeal the ruling...

Vale, a major iron ore producer in the world, posted a 36% increase to its?first-quarter 'net profit,' as it increased?sales volume and enjoyed higher prices. However, this was below market expectations. Rio de Janeiro's Vale reported a net profit of $1.89 billion for the period January-March, which was below the $2.05 million predicted by LSEG analysts. The company reported a?quarterly adjusted earning before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA), of $3.83billion, an increase of 23% over the same period last year. Analysts predicted that this figure would be higher, at $3.96billion. In the Vale earnings report, Vale CEO Gustavo Pimenta...

Brazil's planned critical minerals rules don't involve new?tax?breaks. Finance Minister Dario Dario Durigan stated on Friday that the goal was to ensure national sovereignty and increase value through domestic processing. Durigan, the new minister who assumed responsibility last month, said from his office that the auction of Eco Invest, which offers blended financing to attract foreign investment, will prioritize critical minerals. Brazil is a small producer but has vast reserves of vital minerals for high-tech industries. The U.S. wants to integrate Brazilian miners into its supply chain to counterbalance China's dominance in the industry. Durigan stated that large fiscal incentives...

According to a presentation on the deal, Brazilian rare earth miner Serra Verde will receive price floors for four of the rare earths as part of a 15-year contract with the U.S. government and private investors. Some critics have suggested that price floors, designed to equalize the playing field between China and other dominant producers of rare earths, could distort the markets. China produces 90% of the world's rare earths. The U.S. and Europe are also racing to develop their own domestic rare earths industries, which are vital for applications in electronics, defence, and energy transition. As part of an...