Petrobras will import diesel in July, ending a three-month period without such purchases, CEO Magda Chambriard confirmed.
The decision underscores a structural gap in Brazil's refining sector, which continues to struggle to convert record crude oil production into sufficient downstream fuel supply for the domestic market.
The return to imports exposes the limitations of Petrobras' refining infrastructure.
Despite operating at high utilization rates, the company's refineries cannot fully satisfy Brazil's diesel demand, forcing the state-owned enterprise to source fuel from international markets.
This development adds to a broader narrative of supply chain fragility in emerging markets, where upstream growth has not been matched by downstream capacity expansion.
The move comes as global refined product markets face their own constraints.