Brazil Warns U.S. Trade Probe Must Not Be a Pretext for Tariffs

Overview

• Dario Durigan, speaking in Washington on Friday, said the Section 301 case cannot become a “theater” to justify new U.S. tariffs and urged that Brazil’s answers be weighed.
• Brazilian and U.S. teams held two days of technical consultations this week in Washington, where Brazil offered clarifications on the probe and no announcements were expected.
• The United States launched the investigation under Section 301, a U.S.-run process that can find foreign practices unfair, with questions touching Pix, ethanol, digital payments, e‑commerce rules, technology policies, and environmental enforcement.
• Brazil seeks a negotiated solution, rejects pressure to change Pix—the Central Bank’s instant-payment system—and cites a newly approved Reciprocity Law that allows possible responses if the dispute escalates.
• Section 301 can lead the U.S. to impose extra tariffs after its internal review, and the United States is Brazil’s second-largest trading partner with a trade surplus, raising the stakes for both sides.