The United States has agreed to hold consultations with Brazil at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) following a dispute over steep tariffs recently imposed on Brazilian imports, according to a document published on the WTO website.
Earlier this month, President Donald Trump introduced a 50% tariff on most Brazilian goods, linking the move to what he described as a “witch hunt” against former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, a close ally of his who is currently on trial for allegedly plotting a coup after losing the 2022 election.
In its submission to the WTO on Monday, Washington defended the tariffs, arguing that some of Brazil’s claims touch on matters of national security. The US maintained that such issues are “political matters not susceptible to review or capable of resolution by WTO dispute settlement.”
The document further stated that the tariffs were justified because recent Brazilian policies were “undermining the rule of law and threatening the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States.”
The dispute sets up a potential test of the WTO’s ability to adjudicate cases where national security is invoked as a defence, an argument Washington has increasingly relied on in trade conflicts. Brazil’s request for consultations is the first formal step in the WTO dispute resolution process.
Melissa Enoch
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