Key points
- President Donald Trump has slapped a 50pc tariff on most Brazilian imports
- Tariffs were in response to what Trump called a “witch hunt” against Bolsonaro
- Bolsonaro is on trial on charges of plotting a coup following his election loss
ISLAMABAD: The United States has accepted a request for consultations from Brazil at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) regarding tariffs it imposed on its goods, even as it argued the levies are a matter of national security, according to a document posted on the WTO website.
President Donald Trump slapped a 50pc tariff on most Brazilian imports earlier this month, in response to what he has called a “witch hunt” against his Brazilian ally, former President Jair Bolsonaro, who is on trial on charges of plotting a coup following his election loss in 2022, according to Reuters.
Brazil approached the global trade body in early August after President Donald Trump raised duties on more than a third of US-bound exports from the Latin American powerhouse, including key items like coffee, beef and sugar.
“Witch hunt”
Trump hit Brazil with some of his highest tariff rates as punishment for what he calls a “witch hunt” against his ally, former far-right president Jair Bolsonaro, who is on trial for allegedly plotting to attempt a coup.
“The United States accepts the request of Brazil to enter into consultations,” read a letter dated August 15 from the Washington WTO delegation and published on the organisation’s website.
“We stand ready to confer with officials from your mission on a mutually convenient date for consultations,” it continued.
The US letter cautioned that some of the issues raised by Brazil “are issues of national security not susceptible to review or capable of resolution by WTO dispute settlement.”
Negotiated solution
The WTO consultation process involves seeking a negotiated solution before moving into arbitration.
Trump’s tariff order also charged that the Brazilian government’s recent policies and actions threatened the US economy, national security, and foreign policy.
Unlike most countries targeted by Washington’s reciprocal tariffs, the United States runs a trade surplus with Brazil, not a deficit, according to AFP.
