Brazil: Energy
Key Facts
—Who. Brazil’s Finance Ministry ended an extra subsidy paid to importers of road diesel.
—What. The R$1.40 a litre (about US$0.25) add-on has expired and is not renewed.
—When. Announced Friday 13 November 2026; the add-on order was published on 13 October.
—Still open. The ministry may revisit it as oil prices move; the base subsidy’s status is not stated.
—Power Index. Brazil ranks 1st of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 74.2 points (November 2026 edition).
Brazil’s Finance Ministry has let an extra diesel import subsidy of about US$0.25 a litre expire. It says the decision could change if oil prices move.
Brazil’s Finance Ministry said on Friday 13 November 2026 that the extra subsidy of R$1.40 a litre (about US$0.25 at R$5.67 per US$) for imported diesel has expired and will not be renewed, the news agency Reuters reported in a story carried by CNN Brasil, a Brazilian news channel. The ministry said the decision could be revised in future, depending on how oil prices evolve.
A subsidy here means a payment from the federal budget to companies that bring diesel into Brazil. The report gives no figure for what the add-on cost.
How the Add-On Started
The ministry published the add-on on 13 October 2026 as a ministerial order (portaria) valid for 30 days with room for an equal extension, SBT News, a Brazilian broadcaster, reported on 14 October. It sat on top of an earlier subsidy set by Portaria MF 2.813 of 15 September 2026, lifting the total for importers from R$2.12 (about US$0.37) to R$3.52 (about US$0.62) a litre.
Thirty days from 13 October ended around 12 November by our count, which fits the ministry’s statement that the add-on “expired.” The order allowed an equal extension, which the ministry has now declined.
Why It Matters
Importers received R$1.40 for each litre of road diesel they brought in, and that payment has now lapsed. Whether pump prices or import volumes change is not known: none of the reports we read gives a forecast or a reaction from Petrobras, Brazil’s state-controlled oil company.
CNN Brasil reported on 27 October that the government had renewed the R$2.12 subsidy for another month, at a cost of R$10.5 billion (about US$1.9 billion) for the extension, and that the Finance Ministry expects extraordinary oil revenue of R$67.5 billion (about US$11.9 billion) in 2026. The ministry’s 13 November note, as relayed, does not say whether that base subsidy continues.
What to Watch
CNN Brasil described the renewed base subsidy on 27 October as valid “for a month,” which points to late November, but the end date is not confirmed. Earlier we covered the 30-day diesel subsidy extension, and more is on our Brazil page.
What is not known is the cost of the add-on, any effect on prices, and whether the ministry will restore it if oil rises. No named critic of the decision appeared in the reports we read.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Brazil end on 13 November 2026?
The Finance Ministry said an extra R$1.40 a litre (about US$0.25) subsidy for imported road diesel has expired and will not be renewed. The base R$2.12 subsidy was renewed separately on 27 October, CNN Brasil reported.
Could the diesel import subsidy return?
Possibly, since the ministry said the decision may be revisited. It said this would depend on how oil prices evolve.
Is the whole diesel subsidy over?
Not stated. The ministry’s note covers only the R$1.40 add-on.
Sources
CNN Brasil (Reuters), 13 November 2026 · CNN Brasil, 27 October 2026 · SBT News, 14 October 2026 · Exchange rate: R$5.67 per US$, 13 November 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated AI newsroom. Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief. The Rio Times also runs Ask Rio Times, which answers from 100,000+ of our own articles, the daily Latin America Power Map, and prediction-market odds on elections and markets.. How we use AI · Report an error
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