Brazil’s request for WTO consultations on tariffs is accepted by the US, citing national security
Brazil requested a WTO consultation on new tariffs, and the US agreed, stating that the measures are justified on the basis of national security.
In response to a dispute over high duties recently imposed on Brazilian imports, the United States has consented to consult with Brazil at the World Trade Organization (WTO), according to a document posted on the WTO website.
President Donald Trump linked the 50% tariff he imposed earlier this month on the majority of Brazilian goods to what he called a “witch hunt” against former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, a close ally who is presently on trial for allegedly planning a coup after losing the 2022 election.
Washington defended the tariffs in its submission to the WTO on Monday, claiming that some of Brazil’s allegations relate to national security issues. According to the US, these kinds of problems are “political matters not susceptible to review or capable of resolution by WTO dispute settlement.”
Recent Brazilian practices were “undermining the rule of law and threatening the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States,” according to the memo, which also claimed that the tariffs were justified.
The disagreement raises the possibility of a test of the WTO’s jurisdiction to decide situations in which Washington has increasingly relied on the defense of national security in trade disputes. Brazil has initiated the official dispute settlement procedure at the WTO with its request for consultations.
