Some Last-Minute Relief for Brazil Natural Stone
WASHINGTON – With less than 48 hours to go before a looming major rise in U.S. tariffs, some natural stone from Brazil received a reprieve from the new and adusted 50% rate.
Brazilian stone-industry group Centrorochas announced late today that one category of stone will be included in a list of exemptions from the new tariff.
Monumental or building nesoi, included as HTS 6802.99.00 in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States, will be exempt from the new 40% tariff announced July 9 by President Donald Trump.
Combined with the current 10% U.S. on Brazilian goods, the adjusted rate would be 50% as of Aug. 5, according to an executive order signed yesterday by Trump, The order extended the tariff’s effective date from a previously announced Aug. 1.
The executive order included a long list of tariff exemptions that include an estimated 40% of all Brazilian exports to the United States. In addition, all shipments from Brazil in transit by Aug. 5 and cleared through U.S. ports of entry by Oct. 5 would be exempt from the new tariff.
In a statement, Centrorochas noted that “the exemption represents a partial victory for the natural stone sector, whose primary export product to the United States falls under this classification. The U.S. is the main destination for Brazilian stones, accounting for over 56% of total exports.”
Prior to the exemption confirmation, it was estimated that more than 1,200 containers ready for the United States would go unshipped, causing Btazilian losses of over $40 million.
Centrorochas, in strategic partnership with the Natural Stone Institute (NSI), will offer the symbolic delivery of a joint letter to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) at the Brazilian Embassy here on Friday, reinforcing the tariff’s potential negative impacts on the Brazilian industry and the U.S. construction supply chain.
“The signing of the decree only reinforces the importance of our presence in Washington this week. This tariff impacts Brazil but also directly affects the American supply chain. We will make this point clear—responsibly and united,” says Fábio Cruz, Vice President of Centrorochas.
This action in Washington follows the international engagement initiated by Centrorochas since the tariff was first announced and is aligned with Sindirochas and industry leaders. The letter to NAHB also requests the inclusion of all types of natural stone on the exemption list, noting that the U.S. does not produce this raw material domestically and relies on it for its construction industry.
As part of its international mobilization efforts, sector representatives will take part in an official agenda
“The sector is united in a coordinated mobilization, fostering institutional dialogue in Brazil and abroad. Our goal is to mitigate the damage caused by this abrupt measure and to preserve jobs, investments, and the global competitiveness of Brazilian natural stones,” adds Tales Machado, president of Centrorochas.