Brazil halts direct oil exports to Israel in 2025

In 2025 Brazil stopped all direct shipments of crude oil to Israel, ending a trade flow that had made the country the fourth‑largest supplier of Israeli crude. The cessation followed a coordinated campaign by civil‑society groups, trade unions and the BDS movement, which credited popular mobilisation for the policy shift.

Activists warned that while the direct route was closed, oil could still reach Israel through indirect channels, citing a possible transit via the Vitol refinery in Sardinia, Italy. The Brazilian government under President Luiz Inácio Lula has condemned Israel’s military actions in Gaza as genocide, withdrawn its ambassador from Tel Aviv and declared the Israeli ambassador persona non grata, signalling a broader diplomatic rift.

The move reflects Brazil’s alignment with pro‑Palestinian positions and adds pressure on the oil sector to conduct due‑diligence on export routes, even as reports indicate past increases in Brazilian crude shipments to Israel during 2024.