USTR Holds Hearings as Flávio Bolsonaro Defends Brazil Against Proposed U.S. Tariffs

Overview

• The USTR opened public hearings on Monday and Tuesday, with Flávio Bolsonaro scheduled to speak for five minutes on Tuesday to oppose a proposed roughly 25% tariff and to defend Brazil’s Pix payment system.
• Influencer Paulo Figueiredo withdrew from in‑person testimony and filed written remarks urging the U.S. to use Magnitsky‑style sanctions against specific Brazilian officials rather than broad trade tariffs.
• Brazil sent embassy observers to the hearings while pursuing separate high‑level diplomatic talks with U.S. officials to try to narrow or avoid any tariff measures before the July 15 deadline.
• Speakers on the first day offered technical arguments that sweeping tariffs lack legal and economic basis but some U.S. sectors such as ethanol and livestock urged strong measures, signaling a political element to the final decision.
• Flávio’s 86‑page dossier asked for a 180‑day suspension of tariff implementation and critics say his U.S. intervention has damaged his appeal with swing voters while exporters and consumers face possible higher costs if tariffs are imposed.