According to Brazil's Energy Research Institute, due to rising steel production in Brazil, the country's metallurgical coal imports are expected to increase from 12-13 million metric tons annually to 21 million metric tons annually by 2020.
Brazil is expected to surpass Italy as the seventh largest economy this year, and grow further in the coming years. Steelmaking operations in the country continue to increase on a yearly basis, thus necessitating additional coke imports. Most of Brazil's coke imports come from Australia and United States, with lesser amounts coming from Colombia.