The United States has announced a 25 per cent tariff on selected imports from Brazil following a year-long investigation that concluded the South American country engaged in unfair trade practices.
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer announced the measures on Wednesday, saying the investigation found that Brazilian policies harmed American interests in areas including digital trade, preferential tariffs, ethanol market access and other trade practices.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused the Brazilian government of failing to negotiate in good faith.
“President Lula and his government have not negotiated with the US in good faith. His economic policies are bad for Americans and bad for Brazilians. For the past year, Lula has put his own ego ahead of making a deal for the welfare of the Brazilian people, and these tariffs are the price for that,” Rubio said in a post on X.
The new tariffs, first proposed last month, will take effect on July 22.
However, the Office of the US Trade Representative said exemptions would apply to certain products not produced in the United States or whose tariffs could significantly disrupt supply chains.
These include some raw materials, pharmaceuticals and coffee.
Greer said Washington remains open to further negotiations with Brazil to address the issues identified in the investigation.
The probe was launched in July 2025 under Section 301 of the US Trade Act of 1974, which allows the US to investigate and respond to foreign trade practices considered harmful to American commerce.
Last month, President Donald Trump had threatened to impose a 50 per cent tariff on Brazil over what he described as human rights concerns linked to the prosecution of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. That proposal was later withdrawn.
According to US trade data, the United States recorded a goods trade surplus of $14.4 billion with Brazil in 2025, an increase of 112.8 per cent from the previous year.
