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Petrobras CEO: US tariffs on Brazil may cause Petrobras to redirect oil to Asia

Petrobras, the Brazilian state-owned oil company, may redirect oil sold to the United States to Asia and Pacific due to increased tariffs announced by the United States on Brazil, the chief executive said on Thursday.

Magda Chambriard, CEO of Petrobras, said that although oil and gas exports account for a large share of Brazil's trade with the United States it is not a vital market for the company. "We don't export much (to the U.S.). She said, "In general, we're not too worried" in her first comments to the public about the 50% tariff announced by President Donald Trump last week. In the first quarter of 2018, exports to the U.S. accounted for about 4% Petrobras total oil shipments. According to StoneX, the U.S. will also not feel any major effects if Brazil stops exporting, since the South American nation has only supplied less than 3 percent of the oil that the U.S. has consumed in 2025. Chambriard made his remarks amid Brazilian uncertainty over the impact of the new tariffs that will take effect August 1. The commodity was exempted from Trump's 10% tariffs. Petrobras exported 37% of its 209,000 barrels of oil per day to the U.S. in the first quarter. Analysts said that this volume could be easily redirected into other countries. (Reporting and writing by Rodrigo Viga Gaier, Fabio Teixeira, Editing by Gabriel Araujo Brad Haynes Lisa Shumaker).

(source: Reuters)