Trump Tightens Quota on Slabs from Brazil

The Trump administration has announced a tightening of Brazil’s steel quota that will sharply reduce the tonnage of steel slabs imported into the U.S. for the rest of the year.

“In light of recent deterioration in market conditions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic affecting domestic steel producers, the United States has deemed it necessary to reduce the remaining quota for Brazilian semifinished steel products for the remainder of 2020 to 60,000 metric tons, down from 350,000 tons, but will maintain existing quotas for other steel products,” said U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer. “The United States will hold consultations with Brazil about the semifinished steel quota for 2021 in December, by which time we hope market conditions will have improved.”