KABUL (Pajhwok): The Trump administration plans to impose a 25 percent tariff on certain imports from Brazil under Section 301 of the US Trade Act, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer has announced.
According to Reuters, the move follows a year-long investigation that concluded Brazil’s policies on digital trade, tariffs, intellectual property, ethanol market access and deforestation unfairly burden US commerce, the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) said in a statement.
Reuters reported a day earlier that Brazil was preparing for Washington to impose a new 25 percent tariff on thousands of imports from the South American country after months of intensive but largely unsuccessful negotiations, citing three sources familiar with the matter.
“Today’s action is necessary to address these unfair trade practices and ensure American workers and companies can compete on a level playing field,” Greer said.
He added that extensive negotiations with Brazil over the past year had failed to resolve the issues, but the United States remained open to further talks.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Brazilian government had “not negotiated with the US in good faith,” accusing President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of putting “his own ego ahead of making a deal for the welfare of the Brazilian people.”
Brazil will be the first country targeted under President Donald Trump’s new tariff strategy based on Section 301 of US trade law, which authorizes investigations into alleged unfair trade practices.
sa
