Vieira Expected to Seek Rubio Meeting at G7 as Brazil Presses U.S. on Tariffs, Sanctions

Overview

• Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira is seeking a Tuesday meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the margins of the G7 in Niagara, though it has not been officially confirmed.
• Brasília aims to roll back a 50% surcharge on exports such as steel, aluminum, footwear and ethanol that Washington imposed over alleged unfair competition.
• The dispute also features a Section 301 probe scrutinizing Brazil’s drug patent regime, import tariffs on industrial goods, treatment of U.S. tech companies and the Pix payment system.
• U.S. actions include visa cancellations and Magnitsky-style penalties on Brazilian officials, including Supreme Court justice Alexandre de Moraes, which the White House linked to what it called a 'witch hunt' against Jair Bolsonaro.
• The push follows Lula’s contacts with President Donald Trump at the UN, by phone and in Malaysia, with Lula saying he will reach out again if talks fail to progress.