US tightens Brazil trade stance with 25% tariffs on selected imports

The United States will impose a 25% tariff on a subset of Brazilian imports starting July 22 after a yearlong Section 301 investigation found Brazilian policies unfairly harmed US interests, spanning issues like digital trade, ethanol access, and deforestation. Exemptions apply to major exports such as coffee, beef, avocados, Brazil nuts, petroleum oils and aircraft parts. The U.S. says it remains open to negotiations, while Brazil’s Lula da Silva criticized the move and signaled countermeasures and WTO recourse. A separate forced-labor probe could add another 12.5% tariff (potentially bringing total duties to 37.5%), depending on next steps.