U.S. Imposes 25% Tariff on Select Brazilian Goods Over Trade Practices

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) announced on March 15 that it has imposed a 25% tariff on certain Brazilian goods, acting under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 as directed by U.S. President Donald Trump. According to Odaily, the decision follows a year-long USTR investigation that found several Brazilian measures — including those related to digital trade and electronic payment services, unfair preferential tariffs, anti-corruption enforcement interference, intellectual property protection, ethanol market access, and illegal deforestation — to be unreasonable and burdensome to U.S. farmers, workers, innovative businesses, and exporters. U.S. Trade Representative Greer stated that despite extensive negotiations with Brazil over the past year, these issues remain unresolved. The U.S. remains open to continued negotiations with Brazil to address the long-standing problems identified in the investigation. The new 25% tariff will exempt Brazilian beef and coffee.