The United States will impose a 25% tariff on most imports from Brazil starting July 22, Reuters reported, citing the US Trade Representative's office on Wednesday, the first action under the Trump administration's new tariff strategy that could eventually affect dozens of countries.
The new programme, launched after the US Supreme Court tore down the centrepiece of Trump's tariff system earlier this year, is based on investigations into unfair trade practices under Section 301 of the US Trade Act.
Close to 80 trade investigations have been opened by the USTR office and a new wave of tariffs could be imposed on dozens of countries, including China, the European Union, India, Japan, South Korea and Mexico.
Wednesday's announcement follows aproposalby the Trump administration in June to impose a punitive tariff of 25% on many imports from Brazil after deciding its practices were unfair on a range of issues from digital trade to illegal deforestation.
"Extensive negotiations with Brazil over the past year have not resolved these issues, but we remain open to continuing negotiations with Brazil to bring about long-needed changes to the problems identified in this investigation," US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said in a statement.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said the US decision was without any justification.
Brazil would immediately begin proceedings to invoke instruments provided for under the "Reciprocity Law" and revisit the matter within the framework of the WTO dispute settlement mechanism, he said on X.
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