Brazil Cannot Accept New US Tariffs Proposal

Brazil’s President Lula da Silva has expressed disappointment over the proposed 25 percent tariffs on certain Brazilian imports, which were announced by the US administration just a day after he left a meeting with US President Donald Trump.

The announcement came as a surprise to Lula, who had previously stated that relations between the two countries were improving. The US tariffs are part of an ongoing investigation into alleged unfair trade practices, including issues related to illegal deforestation and anticorruption enforcement.

According to US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, the probe found that trade practices between the US and Brazil “are unreasonable and burden or restrict US commerce.” However, public data suggests that the US maintains a trade surplus with Brazil, with Brazil importing more goods from the US than it exports in some cases.

The new tariffs will be subject to a public comment period, which ends in early July. Several key Brazilian products are exempt from the tariffs, including beef, coffee, and rare earths. The announcement has sparked concerns about the impact on trade relations between the two countries.

Lula’s administration had been engaged in talks with the US over trade issues, but the new tariffs appear to be a setback for those efforts. The Brazilian president stated that his country still wants to build institutional relations with the US, but will seek other trade partners if needed.

Source: Al Jazeera