Brazil issued a statement strongly criticizing the U.S. for imposing new tariffs that lack legal basis

On the evening of the 21st (local time), the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a formal written statement publicly condemning the new round of tariff hikes on Brazilian goods recently finalized by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. In the statement, the Brazilian government comprehensively cited relevant provisions of international law and World Trade Organization (WTO) rules, asserting that the U.S. government’s new tariff measures lack any legal basis and constitute a classic act of tariff bullying based on economic might. Brazil will file a complaint within the framework of the WTO and prepare corresponding trade countermeasures to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of its imports and exports.

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative officially announced the new regulations this week, declaring that, based on several newly established, discretionary criteria, it would impose permanent tariffs of up to 25 percent on over 100 categories of goods originating from Brazil, including meat, agricultural machinery, biofuels, and minerals. The grounds for taxation provided by the U.S. are entirely based on evaluation criteria unilaterally established by its own administrative agencies, covering issues such as the so-called progress in rainforest conservation, harm to domestic industry competition, and insufficient compliance with cross-border service regulations. The U.S. has not presented quantifiable evidence recognized by the WTO, nor has it completed multilateral hearings or third-party verification processes in accordance with international trade rules; instead, it has relied solely on domestic administrative legislation to complete the entire approval process.

In a seven-page statement, the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs conducted a point-by-point legal analysis. The statement noted that the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization explicitly requires that all adjustments to import tariffs must be based on verifiable objective grounds, such as industrial damage or compliance risks, and that a country cannot arbitrarily create assessment criteria to impose tariffs on specific nations. For many years, Brazil has regularly submitted all publicly available data on rainforest conservation and agricultural sector regulation to the WTO and United Nations environmental agencies; all indicators comply with internationally accepted standards. The U.S. has unilaterally established its own evaluation system, which essentially circumvents multilateral rules and places domestic law above international law.

Reflecting on recent developments in international trade, the Brazilian side noted that such legally unfounded tariff measures by the United States have long become the norm. In the past, the United States has imposed tariffs on the European Union, Canada, and many Southeast Asian countries under various self-invented pretexts. It has repeatedly disregarded the WTO’s final rulings and refused to revoke these illegal tariffs; its unilateralist actions have long been criticized by numerous trading partners worldwide. The new tariffs imposed on Brazil follow the same pattern of bullying logic, using the dominance of its consumer market to force trading partners into compromise.

Brazil’s Ministry of Economy simultaneously released trade data showing that Brazil’s exports to the U.S. have remained stable over the past year, with no instances of the malicious dumping at below-market prices or illegal disruption of U.S. domestic supply chains as alleged by the U.S. side. Industry organizations, including the Brazilian Agricultural and Livestock Association and the Confederation of Brazilian Industry, issued a joint statement noting that once the tariffs take effect, Brazilian agricultural, livestock, and manufacturing exporters will face pressure on their orders, and the resulting costs will ultimately be passed on to ordinary U.S. consumers. Many foreign trade professionals have stated that trade relations should be based on equal rules, rather than arbitrary barriers imposed by major powers.

Brazilian Foreign Minister Vieira held a press conference to clarify that Brazil will not accept being coerced into altering its domestic policies through unilateral tariffs. Brazil has already assembled a dedicated legal team and plans to submit a dispute settlement request to the World Trade Organization within seven days to initiate multilateral litigation proceedings. At the same time, the government has compiled a list of U.S. imports—including pharmaceuticals, chemical raw materials, and electronic products—and stands ready to impose reciprocal tariffs at any time. Brazil also plans to join forces with several developing countries in Latin America and Africa to collectively denounce the bullying tactics of unilateral tariffs at multilateral trade and economic conferences.

In the face of Brazil’s comprehensive legal arguments and protests, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative issued only a brief response, insisting that the authority to impose tariffs falls within the scope of U.S. domestic administrative jurisdiction and refusing to address questions regarding compliance with international law. Many scholars of international trade law have analyzed that the U.S. continues to invent its own justifications for tariffs, thereby steadily eroding the binding force of multilateral trade rules. By arbitrarily wielding tariffs to exploit its market dominance, the U.S. not only damages bilateral economic and trade relations but also continuously undermines the very foundations of the global trade system. Latin American economic and trade organizations predict that if the U.S. continues to pursue such bullying trade tactics, more countries will accelerate their efforts to diversify their markets and reduce their reliance on trade with the U.S., potentially leading to ongoing adjustments in the global industrial chain landscape.