The 50% rate on Brazilian products exported to the United States came into force on Wednesday (6), a measure imposed by US President Donald Trump. The decision directly impacts sectors such as agribusiness, the transformation industry and the Brazilian textile market.
Although the White House has exempted 694 Extra fare products, the measure affects a significant portion of exports in Brazil, especially high value items and commercial representativeness.
According to the US government, strategic products were preserved from taxation. They are among the exempt:
- Oil
- Orange juice and pulp
- Iron ore, tin, silicon, magnesium and aluminum
- Coal, natural gas and kerosene
- Cellulose, paper and cork
- Pará chestnut
- Civil aircraft, drones, helicopters and parts
- Electric motors
- Fertilizers
- Gold and silver
The justification for the exemptions, according to the US official statement, is that such products are “essential to energy security and the US production chain.”
Among the products affected by the new rate of 50%, we highlight consumer goods, food and industrial inputs, with strong weight in the Brazilian trade balance:
- Non -roasted coffee
- Bovine meat
- Tropical fruits: mango, cocoa, grape without seed and acai
- Furniture
- Textile products: clothes, bed and table
- Shoe
- Partially worked wood
- Agricultural and Industrial Machines
- Construction materials, such as lime and cement
- Sugars and moves
- Civil Engineering Equipment
The hopes of a reversal of the 50% rate imposed by the United States on several Brazilian products bump into an increasingly delicate diplomatic scenario. Despite public signs of opening to dialogue, negotiations between the two countries are looked at. Last Friday (01), Donald Trump said that President Lula “can call whenever he wants.”
However, Lula replied on Tuesday (05) that he does not intend to make contact only for commercial interest.
“I won’t call Trump to market because he doesn’t want to talk. But I’m going to call Trump to invite him to COP, because I want to know what he thinks of the climate issue,” the president said during an event at Itamaraty Palace.
According to Planalto sources, the Brazilian government only intends to open a direct conversation with Trump when there is clarity about what can be negotiated, avoiding a hurry approach that could compromise diplomatic and commercial relations more definitively.
The prospects for a breakthrough in dealings decreased further after the statement by the US Commerce Representative Jamieson Greer on Sunday, stating that it is “unlikely” for the United States to close agreements with any country in the coming days. The message is seen as a clear sign of hardening of the American posture, especially amid Trump’s presidential campaign, which tries to establish itself as a defender of the national industry.
