THE HALFAX HEIMDALL AUGUR

The latest US squeeze on Brazil jeopardizes its financial autonomy Blog Name RealTime Economics The latest US squeeze on Brazil jeopardizes its financial autonomy Monica de Bolle (PIIE) Date June 9, 2026 10:10 AM Photo Credit: SOPA Images/Rafael Henrique Body The Trump administration's determination to come up with new rationales for old tariffs has now targeted Brazil. This month, the US Trade Representative (USTR) suddenly concluded that a range of Brazilian policies are "discriminatory," justifying punitive tariffs under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, the president's retaliatory authority. Among the practices singled out is PIX, Brazil's central bank–owned instant payment platform that processes most digital payments for Brazilians. Many US credit card companies have complained for years that this payment system discriminates against them. But to argue that a government-run payment system is a trade barrier is preposterous. The PIX case is not the only example of the lengths that the administration will go to justify its tariff war. But the Brazil case is compounded by obvious politics, reflected by President Donald Trump going out of his way to meet with and effectively…

Brazil-US trade row deepens as Lula slams Rubio and brands Bolsonaro a ... Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has branded his main electoral rival Senator Flávio Bolsonaro a "traitor to the nation" and attacked Secretary of State Marco Rubio as a "mortal enemy" of Latin America, as Washington proposed sweeping 25% tariffs on a broad range of Brazilian imports just weeks after the two leaders hadagreeda lull in trade tensions. The US Trade Representative, Jamieson Greer, announced the proposed measure following a Section 301 investigation that concluded Brazil had engaged in unfair trade practices, citing inadequate enforcement of intellectual property rights and anti-deforestation laws, restrictions on ethanol market access, and insufficient efforts to combat corruption. Brazil has until July 15 to take what Washington described as "responsive action", with a public hearing scheduled for July 6. Lula said the announcement had blindsided him. He and President Donald Trump, he noted, had agreed at a recent White House meeting to a 30-day window to resolve their bilateral trade differences. "This comes while we were still in negotiations," he said. The proposal marks th…

US proposes 25% tariff to punish Brazil over trade practices The Trump administration has proposed a new punitive tariff of 25 per cent on many imports from Brazil, after deciding its practices were unfair on a range of issues from digital trade to illegal deforestation, top trade official Jamieson Greer said late on Monday. The measures, under the Section 301 trade statute, cover areas such as electronic payment services, preferential tariffs, intellectual property protection and ethanol market access as well, the Office of the United States Trade...

U.S. Tariffs and Sanctions Against Brazil and the Brazilian Response As described inour prior client alert, President Trump threatened in July to impose tariffs of 50% on imports of products from Brazil in response to U.S. concerns regarding Brazil’s criminal prosecution of former President Jair Bolsonaro, recent judicial developments impactingsocial media regulation in Brazil, Brazil’s allegedly unfair trade practices, and Brazil’s support for BRICS policies that the Trump Administration has deemed to be “anti-American.”  President Trump recently followed through on these threats by issuing Executive Orders (“EOs”) imposing cumulative tariffs against Brazil under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (“IEEPA”). Separately, the United States took additional measures against certain Brazilian Supreme Court judges, primarily targeting the judge overseeing the Bolsonaro trial. In addition, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (“USTR”) is conducting an investigation of Brazil’s unfair trade policies under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 (“Section 301”), which may result in the imposition of additional U.S. tariffs or other trade measures against Brazil. These mea…

Trump administration proposes 25% tariffs on Brazil despite US trade surplus <p>US claims world’s 10th-biggest economy engages in ‘unreasonable’ trade practices that ‘restrict US commerce’</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/news/2026/feb/17/sign-up-for-the-breaking-news-us-email-to-get-newsletter-alerts-direct-to-your-inbox?utm_medium=ACQUISITIONS_STANDFIRST&amp;utm_campaign=BN22326&amp;utm_content=signup&amp;utm_term=standfirst&amp;utm_source=GUARDIAN_WEB">Sign up for the Breaking News US newsletter email</a></p></li></ul><p>The <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/trump-administration">Trump administration</a> proposed 25% tariffs on imports from <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/brazil">Brazil</a>, charging that the world’s 10th-biggest economy engages in trade practices that are “unreasonable’’ and that “burden or restrict US commerce”.</p><p>Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said he received the decision “with indignation”. The Brazil president also blamed the decision by the US administration on his rival in October’s elections, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/may/14/flavio-bolsonaro-banker-film-jair-bolsonaro">Flávio Bolsonaro</a>, t…

US targets Brazil with new tariffs over trade practices The US plans new 25 percent tariffs on Brazilian imports, citing issues like deforestation and digital trade practices.

Trump administration proposes 25% tariff on Brazilian goods over unfair ... The Office of the United States Trade Representative has proposed 25% tariffs on Brazilian goods under Section 301, determining that the South American nation had engaged in practices that "are unreasonable and burden or restrict U.S. commerce." Some of these practices also include anti-corruption enforcement, intellectual property protection, ethanol market access, and illegal deforestation, according to therelease from the U.S. Trade Representative. U.S Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said that the investigation under Section 301 was launched at the direction of U.S. President Donald Trump. While Trump has had "several constructive meetings" with Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the two sides continue to have substantial differences in resolving the issues identified in this investigation, Greer said. The USTR will hold a hearing about the proposed action on July 6. Section 301 is designed to address unfair foreign practices affecting U.S. commerce, and allows the U.S. president to impose tariffs if an investigation finds that the acts are unreasonable or discriminatory. Back in…

Flávio Bolsonaro asks U.S. to delay tariff hike until election; Lula ... Senator Flávio Bolsonaro (Liberal Party, PL, Rio de Janeiro), a presidential hopeful, has asked the U.S. to hold off on imposing tariffs on Brazil until after the October elections, arguing that keeping the 25% tariff in place right now would work in President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s (Workers’Party, PT) favor as he seeks reelection. Brazil challenges U.S. tariff case against Pix, big tech rules Brazil pessimistic on U.S. talks, sees 25% tariff as hard to avoid U.S. proposes 25% tariffs on Brazilian goods The son of former president Jair Bolsonaro filed the document with the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) on Wednesday (1)—the same day Brazil’s federal government formally rejected the justifications U.S. officials had given for a new round of tariffs. On Thursday (3), once the filing became public, Lula responded on social media, calling it “yet another act by traitors to the nation.” In the roughly 19-page filing, plus annexes, Bolsonaro’s son argues that with the presidential election just months away, raising tariffs now would only help Lula politically, since the tariffs hit Brazilian so…

Trump administration proposes 25% tariff to punish Brazil over trade practices Despite recent engagement with Brazilian President Lula and his cabinet, Jamieson Greer ⁠said the United States and Brazil ‘continue to have substantial differences in resolving issues identified in this investigation’

Trump administration proposes 25% tariffs on Brazil despite ... - AP News Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva remained defiant on Tuesday after the Trump administration proposed 25% tariffs on imports from Brazil. A farm employee processes coffee berries at Boa Esperanca farm in Braganca Paulista, Brazil, Aug. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Andre Penner, File) Goods imported from Brazil are displayed at Amazonia Brasil, a Brazilian goods store, in Newark, N.J., Aug. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File) WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration proposed 25% tariffs onimports from Brazil, charging that the world’s 10th-biggest economy engages in trade practices that are “unreasonable’’ and that “burden or restrict U.S. commerce.’’ Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said he received the decision “with indignation.” He also blamed the decision by the U.S. administration on his rival in October’s elections, Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, who visited Washington last week. The senator is the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, once nicknamed “the Trump of the Tropics” by his allies. The announcement late Monday came after an investigation by the Office of the U.S. Trade Represe…

Trump Targets Brazil With 25% Tariffs Over Trade and Digital M... Trump Targets Brazil With 25% Tariffs Over Trade and Digital Market Disputes The proposed duties follow a U.S. investigation into Brazil's digital trade, intellectual property and market access policies. By Abhay Maitreya June 2, 2026 21:58 +08 Donald Trump addresses the nation. IBT SG The Trump administration has proposed a 25% tariff on a broad range of Brazilian imports after the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) concluded that several of Brazil's trade and regulatory practices unfairly burden or restrict U.S. commerce, escalating trade tensions with Latin America's largest economy. The proposal is significant because Brazil is the largest economy in Latin America and the United States is its second-largest export market after China. The move also comes as the Trump administration expands the use of trade investigations and tariffs to address what it views as unfair foreign trade practices, making Brazil the latest target of a broader U.S. trade-enforcement strategy. The proposed measures stem from a Section 301 investigation launched by the USTR earlier this year under the Trade Act of 1974…

Trump’s tariff war pushes Brazil’s trade towards China as US share hits record low The US share of Brazilian exports fell to its lowest level since 1997 in the first half of 2026, while China widened its lead as the country’s top trading partner, according to the American Chamber of Commerce for Brazil, whose report landed as Washington held public hearings on a proposed new round of tariffs against Brazilian goods. American buyers took 9.4 per cent of Brazilian exports between January and June, down from 12.1 per cent a year earlier and the smallest share in the chamber’s...

U.S.-Brazil Trade Dispute: 50% Tariffs and Tensions A new chapter of trade tensions has opened between two of the Americas’ largest economies—Brazil and the United States—as the U.S. under President Donald Trump has announced a 50% tariff on Brazilian goods, citing economic imbalances. Brazil, under President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, has responded sharply, invoking its newly enacted Reciprocity Law and threatening… A new chapter of trade tensions has opened between two of the Americas’ largest economies—Brazil and the United States—as the U.S. under President Donald Trump has announced a50% tariff on Brazilian goods, citing economic imbalances. Brazil, under President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, has responded sharply, invoking its newly enactedReciprocity Lawand threatening to mirror the U.S. tariffs unless a diplomatic resolution is reached. With both countries adopting firm positions and theWorld Trade Organization (WTO)looming as a possible arbitrator, the potential for atrade waris increasing, stirring global economic and political concerns. The exchange of threats signals a high-stakes standoff. If neither side backs down,a full-blown trade warcould erupt, impacting billi…