US imposes additional 25% tariffs on imports from Brazil, implementation begins July 22

The administration of US President Donald Trump has announced that it will apply new 25% tariffs on a number of products imported from Brazil.

These measures are expected to take effect on July 22. According to authorities in Washington, they are intended to address trade practices that the United States considers unfair to American companies.

The White House said the decision is linked to barriers that, according to the United States, Brazil has imposed on US technology companies and payment systems. Other reasons cited include restrictions on US ethanol exports, insufficient protection of intellectual property rights, and preferential tariff treatment for certain other countries.

The US administration also believes that weak enforcement of laws against illegal deforestation gives Brazilian producers an unfair cost advantage.

Some staple goods and products of strategic importance will be exempt from the new tariffs. Coffee, beef, oranges, certain oil and gas products, as well as parts and components for the aviation industry, will not be affected by the measure. The US administration said the exemptions are intended to prevent disruptions to supply chains and reduce the impact on prices for American consumers.

The decision is based on an investigation conducted under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, which allows the US government to take trade measures against practices considered unfair.

US officials stressed that the investigation focused on trade barriers, rather than the overall balance of trade between the two countries, even though the United States has a trade surplus with Brazil.

The Brazilian government reacted immediately, condemning the decision. In a statement, the office of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva denied the allegations of unfair trade practices and called the imposition of tariffs on Brazilian products unjustified.