Probes cover welded steel pipes, lactic acid, PET resin, and safety glass, signalling rising trade friction
BRASÍLIA — July 13, 2026. Brazil has recently launched a flurry of anti‑dumping investigations and reviews against a range of products originating from China, covering welded carbon steel pipes, lactic acid and its salts, PET resin, and safety glass for refrigeration equipment – signalling a marked rise in trade tensions between the two countries.
On July 6, 2026, Brazil’s Foreign Trade Secretariat (SECEX) issued Circular No. 51 of 2026, initiating an anti‑dumping investigation into welded carbon steel pipes imported from China, following a petition filed by Brazilian company Confab Industrial S.A.-Tenaris. The products in question are circular‑section welded steel pipes with a yield strength below 60 ksi and nominal outside diameters ranging from 14 inches (355.6 mm) to 48 inches (1,219.2 mm). The dumping investigation period covers July 2024 to June 2025, while the injury investigation period spans July 2020 to June 2025.
Earlier, on June 29, 2026, SECEX issued Circular No. 48 of 2026, initiating an anti‑dumping investigation into lactic acid and its salts originating from China, following a petition filed by Brazilian company Corbion Produtos Renováveis Ltda. The products fall under Mercosur tariff code 2918.11.00, with the dumping investigation period set from July 2024 to June 2025. On June 17, 2026, Brazil also initiated a changed‑circumstances review of anti‑dumping duties on PET resin with an intrinsic viscosity of 0.70 to 0.88 dl/g originating from China, following applications from Alpek Polyester Pernambuco S.A. and Indorama Venture Polímeros S.A.
In addition, on June 24, 2026, the Executive Management Committee of Brazil’s Foreign Trade Chamber (GECEX) issued Resolution No. 921 of 2026, concluding a second sunset review of anti‑dumping duties on safety glass for refrigeration equipment originating from China. The ruling maintains duties of US$2.74 to US$5.45 per square metre for a period of five years. The products fall under Mercosur tariff code 7007.19.00. Analysts note that Brazil’s intensified use of trade remedies against Chinese products reflects growing pressure on its domestic industries from Chinese imports. The petitioner in the welded steel pipe case, Tenaris, is a globally leading pipe manufacturer, and its Brazilian subsidiary’s filing is considered industry‑representative. As protectionist sentiment rises among Brazilian industries, more Chinese products are expected to face trade investigations in the future.