BRAZIL · FUEL POLICY
Brazil’s Finance Ministry said on Friday 13 November 2026 that it will not renew the extra subsidy of R$1.40 per litre (about US$0.25) on imported diesel, which expired after 30 days. The older subsidy of R$2.12 per litre (about US$0.38) for road diesel stays in force.
Brazil buys more than a quarter of the diesel it burns abroad, so the lapse removes R$1.40 of support per litre from importers. The ministry says it may bring the aid back, depending on oil prices.
Key Facts
- What The Finance Ministry did not renew the R$1.40 (US$0.25) per litre subsidy for imported diesel.
- When The ministerial order, Portaria 3.082 of 13 October, expired after its 30-day term; the ministry said so on Friday 13 November 2026.
- Still in force The R$2.12 (US$0.38) per litre subsidy for road diesel, extended on 27 October for 30 days.
- Imports The government said on 13 November that imports supply more than 25% of Brazil’s diesel consumption.
- Next The ministry may reassess the aid depending on oil prices; it gave no date.
- Power Index Brazil ranks 1st of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 74.2 points (November 2026 edition).
What Did the Finance Ministry Decide?
The ministry said on Friday 13 November 2026 that the order creating the R$1.40 per litre subsidy, Portaria 3.082 of 13 October, had expired and would not be renewed. It added that it may reassess the benefit later, depending on how oil prices move.
The aid was announced about a month earlier, with the government citing higher oil prices tied to the conflict in the Middle East, and it ran for an initial 30 days. A subsidy here is a payment from the government to producers or importers to cut the cost of selling fuel.
What Stays in Place
The R$2.12 per litre subsidy (about US$0.38) for road diesel was extended on 27 October for another 30 days. It goes to producers and importers of “diesel A”, the pure fuel sold by refineries and importers before the mandatory biodiesel blend.
The ministry stresses that the two measures have different values and rules, so ending one does not end the programme. The two aids can therefore move separately, as this decision shows.
Why It Matters for Importers
More than 25% of Brazilian diesel consumption depends on imports, the government said on 13 November. When international prices rise, the cost of imported cargoes rises with them, and the extra subsidy was meant to cover part of that gap.
On the terms of the order, an importer now receives R$1.40 (US$0.25, at about R$5.65 per dollar at the 13 November close) less for each litre than it did over the past month. The ministry has not said whether pump prices will move.
How It Fits the Fiscal Package
Diesel subsidies sit at the centre of the debate over Brazil’s public accounts. The fiscal-adjustment bill (PLP 299/2026) won Senate approval of its base text on Thursday 12 November 2026, and, as drafted, it would take up to R$10.5 billion (about US$1.86 billion) of diesel subsidies out of the calculation of the 2026 fiscal target.
The Senate votes on four contested items, called destaques, on Tuesday 17 November 2026, and it must then pass the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house. Moving the sum out of the target calculation saves no money; it only lets the government exclude that spending when it checks whether it met its primary budget goal.
What to Watch
The R$2.12 road diesel subsidy was extended on 27 October for 30 days, so its next renewal decision falls in late November. The Senate votes on four contested items of the fiscal bill on Tuesday 17 November, and the Chamber vote has no date yet.
The ministry ties any return of the R$1.40 aid to oil prices, and it named no price level. Readers can follow both decisions on the Brazil news page and in our earlier reports on the fiscal bill and diesel aid and the Senate vote on the savings plan.
What It Means for You
For anyone who ships fuel to Brazil or runs a Brazilian trucking or freight business, the extra aid is gone, while the R$2.12 aid on road diesel still lowers costs for now. For investors following the government’s budget, the lapse ends a cost the state had carried for a month.
What Is Not Known
The ministry has not said what the lapse does to diesel prices at the pump, or how many litres the extra aid covered. No price level for bringing it back has been published.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Brazil announce on 13 November 2026?
The Finance Ministry did not renew the extra R$1.40 per litre (about US$0.25) subsidy for imported diesel. It had run for 30 days from 13 October.
Is all Brazilian diesel aid finished?
No. The R$2.12 per litre (about US$0.38) subsidy for road diesel was extended on 27 October for 30 days and continues.
How much of Brazil’s diesel is imported?
The government says imports supply more than 25% of national diesel consumption. The rest comes from domestic refineries.
Will diesel cost more at the pump?
The ministry has not said. It only says the benefit may be reassessed depending on oil prices.
Sources
Ministry of Finance of Brazil, statement of 13 November 2026 · Federal Senate, fiscal-adjustment bill vote of 12 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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