Brazil Opens Formal Reciprocity Review Over U.S. Tariffs

Overview

• Brazil formally opened an ordinary reciprocity review under the 2025 Lei da Reciprocidade Econômica and notified U.S. agencies and the Camex trade committees on Aug. 13–14, requesting diplomatic consultations with Washington.
• The law empowers Brazil to adopt countermeasures such as equivalent tariffs, suspension of commercial concessions or intellectual‑property obligations, and provisional measures, but it sets a defined administrative process for decisions.
• The government said the review will follow Camex procedures, include public consultations and a domestic report that can be completed in about 60 days, and stressed that opening the process does not mean immediate retaliation.
• Officials estimate U.S. measures affect roughly 23.1% of Brazilian exports to the United States and that surtaxes reach 37.5% for a subset of goods, prompting the government to consult affected businesses and offer sector support through the Plano Brasil Soberano.
• Brasília is pursuing parallel tracks — WTO dispute consultations in Geneva and the domestic reciprocity review — while President Lula seeks direct talks with President Trump and business groups warn that escalation could harm supply chains and investment.