The director of the Brazil Program, Bruna Santos, participated in O Assunto, g1‘s flagship news podcast in Brazil, to discuss the United States Trade Representative’s (USTR) decision to impose a 25 percent tariff on Brazilian imports and what it means for the future of Brazil-U.S. relations.

Bruna highlighted that more than 60 percent of Brazilian exports to the United States remain exempt from the new tariffs, underscoring how deeply many Brazilian products are integrated into U.S. supply chains and how broad-based tariffs would also impose costs on the American economy.

She also discussed the dynamics behind the negotiations in Washington, the role of the private sector throughout the process, the possibility of Brazilian retaliation, and the implications of the dispute for the electoral cycles in both Brazil and the United States this year.

“I think it is very difficult to negotiate when the two sides have different understandings of what negotiation means. Washington viewed the USTR process as an opportunity for Brazil to make concessions, while Brasília saw it as a space for reciprocal exchanges, with clear and legally viable commitments from both sides.”

 

“A more U.S.-friendly Brazilian government would likely still face tariffs. It is difficult to argue that tariffs would disappear under a Brazilian government more closely aligned with President Trump. The U.S. tariff policy has not been applied only to adversaries; allies and close partners have also been subject to tariffs.”

 

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST HERE