Rubio says 25% US tariffs on some Brazilian goods price for Lula’s ‘ego’

The US will begin charging 25 per cent tariff on imports of certain goods from Brazil following an investigation alleging that the country engaged in unfair trade practices.

The year-long inquiry “found a number of Brazil’s practices to be unreasonable and discriminatory, restricting the competitive position of American farmers, workers, innovators, and exporters,” the Office of the US Trade Representative said in a social media post late on Wednesday night.

Imports of coffee, beef, and certain ethanol products would be exempt from the new duties, a senior administration official told reporters ahead of the official announcement on Wednesday. Ethanol would be subject to the new tariffs, however.

The tariffs will go into effect on July 22, according to an official.

“Today’s action is necessary to address these unfair trade practices to ensure American workers and companies can compete on a level playing field,” US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said in a statement. “Extensive negotiations with Brazil over the past year have not resolved these issues, but we remain open to continuing negotiations with Brazil to bring about long-needed changes to the problems identified in this investigation.”

Brazil’s government denounced the tariffs and said it would take measures to insulate its economy from their effects.