Trump’s 50% tariff threat hits Brazilian chemical exports as US orders cancelled

The impact is not limited to direct chemical exports. “No one produces coffee, even grains, without some kind of chemical product in the process,” he said.

According to Cordeiro, chemical firms are also losing domestic sales to Brazilian companies that export to the US. He cited plywood manufacturers, who use chemicals for bonding and have also lost orders, and orange juice producers, who rely on chemical preservatives. Last year, 42% of Brazil’s orange juice exports went to the US.

Large firms such as Braskem and Dow Chemical may also be affected. Braskem has operations in the US, while Dow, which runs 10 plants in Brazil, exports silicon metal to the American market. Neither company commented when contacted by Reuters.

Exxon Mobil, which also operates in Brazil, declined to comment. Abiquim says the tariffs are unjustified, pointing out that Brazil’s chemical sector runs a $7.9 billion trade deficit with the United States.