July 18, 2025 — The U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has launched Section 301 investigation against what it said are potentially unfair trade practices used by Brazil, just days after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened 50 percent tariffs on the country over claims it was treating former President Jair Bolsonaro unfairly.
According to a release from the USTR, the investigation will focus on a range of topics, including digital trade and electronic payment services; unfair, preferential tariffs; anti-corruption interference; intellectual property protection; ethanol market access; and illegal deforestation and whether those acts “are unreasonable or discriminatory and burden or restrict U.S. commerce.”