Brazil rejects US plan for up to 25% tariffs on its products, citing unfair trade practices and economic damage.
RIO DE JANEIRO: The Brazilian government on Tuesday rebutted a US proposal to impose new tariffs on Brazilian products, expressing “indignation” over what it called unfair trade practices by the United States, reported Xinhua.
The Office of the US Trade Representative proposed tariffs of up to 25% on Brazilian products following a trade investigation concluded on Monday. The investigation accused Brazil of adopting practices that “burden or restrict” trade with the United States.
“There was and is no justification for these unilateral measures against our country or against Brazilian assets such as PIX (Brazil’s instant payment platform), explicitly mentioned in the preliminary recommendations,” the government said in a statement.
Data from the US Bureau of Economic Analysis show that the US trade surplus in goods and services with Brazil reached USD 424.5 billion over the 15-year period from 2011 to 2025.
Last year, 76% of US imports into Brazil entered without paying import tax, and the average effective tariff rate on US products in Brazil was only 3.1%.
“The main effect of the unilateral, politically motivated tariffs has been to damage Brazil’s economy, job and income generation, as well as to diminish the US role as our trading partner,” said the government.
The statement added that the US share of Brazilian exports fell to an all-time low of 9.4% in the first quarter of 2026.
The Brazilian government reaffirmed its right to resort to reciprocal measures but reiterated that it would adopt any and all measures capable of mitigating potential damage to the economy.
The statement also criticised the Bolsonaro family’s actions against national interests, noting that the coordination between Brazil’s executive branch and the US government has been sabotaged.
