The Brazilian Natural Stone Association (Centrorochas) took part on Tuesday (July 15) in the first meeting of the Interministerial Committee for Negotiation and Economic and Trade Countermeasures, led by the Vice President of Brazil and Minister of Development, Industry, Trade, and Services, Geraldo Alckmin. The meeting, held in Brasília, brought together representatives of the national productive sector and senior members of the federal government to discuss the impact of the additional 50% tariff imposed by the United States on Brazilian products.
Representing the association’s president, Tales Machado, Centrorochas’ Superintendent Giovanni Francischetto joined the group of invited industrial leaders and had the opportunity to speak during the meeting. In his remarks, he emphasized the sector’s significance and the strategic importance of the U.S. market for Brazilian natural stones, with the United States being the industry’s top export destination. He also stressed the need for negotiation as a key measure to preserve the competitiveness of Brazil’s natural stone production chain. The participation of the stone sector in the meeting was coordinated by the Government of Espírito Santo, through Governor Renato Casagrande, in direct dialogue with Vice President Geraldo Alckmin, reinforcing the state’s leadership in defending the segment and seeking diplomatic solutions.
During the meeting, it was reported that several industrial sectors are already experiencing concrete impacts from the measure, including the temporary suspension of orders by U.S. importers. In the natural stone sector, similar disruptions have already been observed.
“Brazilian exporters have received communications from clients requesting shipment holds until there is clarity regarding deadlines and the effective implementation of the tariff, scheduled to take effect on August 1,” said Francischetto at the meeting.
Geraldo Alckmin listened to representatives of the natural stone sector and other national industry segments, including Embraer, CNI, FIESP, ABIMAQ, ABICALÇADOS, ABAL, ABIT, ABIMCI, and IBÁ. The meeting also included the presence of ministers and senior officials from several ministries, such as Rui Costa (Chief of Staff), Fernando Haddad (Finance), Gleisi Hoffmann (Institutional Relations), Simone Tebet (Planning), Silvio Costa Filho (Ports and Airports), and representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Itamaraty). There was a consensus among participants that seeking new markets is not, at this moment, the most effective solution, and that the Brazilian government must urgently intensify diplomatic dialogue, aiming to postpone the tariff’s enforcement date (August 1) by at least 90 days.
The creation of the committee was announced the previous day (July 14) by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, along with the regulation of the Economic Reciprocity Law. The initiative aims to coordinate strategic actions by the Brazilian government in response to trade sanctions imposed by partner countries.
In light of this scenario, the Brazilian Natural Stone Association is coordinating a series of institutional actions and seeking international support to mitigate the impact of the measure. One of the key initiatives is dialogue with the Natural Stone Institute (NSI) in the United States, which is organizing a series of meetings this week in Washington with U.S. importer associations to seek clarification from the U.S. government.
Additionally, Centrorochas is maintaining contact with Emerald, the world’s largest event organizer and responsible for KBIS, a major trade show in the United States. The company’s CEO sent a letter to the Brazilian government via ApexBrasil, highlighting the strategic relevance of the natural stone (represented by Centrorochas) and furniture (represented by Abimóvel) sectors to the local economy.
The association is also in dialogue with ApexBrasil and has expressed its willingness to participate in negotiation rounds with U.S. government representatives, reinforcing its collaborative and constructive stance in facing the challenges imposed by the new tariff policy.
Weight of the U.S. Market
In 2024, the United States accounted for 56.3% of Brazil’s natural stone exports. In the first half of 2025, the sector recorded a historic high, with $426 million exported to the U.S. market—a 24.6% increase compared to the same period in the previous year. Espírito Santo, the leading exporting state, was responsible for over 94% of this volume.
The Brazilian Natural Stone Association continues to closely monitor the developments of this situation and actively engage with authorities and institutional partners to help achieve solutions that ensure predictability in trade relations and preserve the sector’s international competitiveness.
Productive Sector Representatives at the Interministerial Committee Meeting:
-
Francisco Gomes Neto, CEO of EMBRAER
-
Ricardo Alban, President of the National Confederation of Industry (CNI)
-
Josué Gomes da Silva, President of the Federation of Industries of the State of São Paulo (FIESP)
-
José Velloso, President of the Brazilian Machinery and Equipment Industry Association (ABIMAQ)
-
Haroldo Ferreira, Executive President of the Brazilian Footwear Industries Association (ABICALÇADOS)
-
Janaína Donas, Executive President of the Brazilian Aluminum Association (ABAL)
-
Fernando Pimentel, Brazilian Textile and Apparel Industry Association (ABIT)
-
Paulo Roberto Pupo, Superintendent of the Brazilian Mechanically Processed Wood Industry Association (ABIMCI)
-
Paulo Hartung, Executive President of the Brazilian Tree Industry (IBÁ)
-
Armando José Giacomet, Vice President of ABIMCI
-
Rafael Lucchesi, CEO of Tupy
-
Giovanni Francischetto, Superintendent of the Brazilian Natural Stone Association (CENTROROCHAS)
-
Edison da Matta, Legal and Foreign Trade Director of the National Union of Automotive Component Industry (SINDIPEÇAS)
-
Cristina Yuan, Director of Institutional Relations at Instituto Aço Brasil
-
Daniel Godinho, Director of Sustainability and Institutional Relations at WEG
-
Fausto Varela, President of SINDIFER
-
Bruno Santos, Executive Director of ABRAFE
-
Alexandre Almeida, Director of RIMA
