USTR Proposes to Apply Section 301 Tariffs of 25% on Certain Brazilian Products
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) in a June 1 Federal Register notice said based on its investigation of Brazil’s trade practices that certain products from the country which are imported into the U.S. should be subject to a Section 301 tariff of 25%, with exemptions for those goods already subject to Section 232 tariffs and certain products listed in the Annex provided at the end of the notice.
Proposed exemptions also include raw materials that if subject to the proposed additional tariffs could lead to the “unavailability of domestic supply,” as well as products that could cause “economywide disruptions” if subject to the proposed additional tariffs and certain products that “cannot be grown or produced in sufficient quantities” in the U.S. or obtained from other sources.
On July 15, 2025, the USTR, under direction from President Trump, initiated an investigation into Brazil’s acts, policies, and practices related to digital trade and electronic payment services, preferential tariffs, anticorruption enforcement, intellectual property protection, ethanol market access, and illegal deforestation.
As a result of this determination, USTR has requested public comments. Interested parties should submit requests to appear at the relevant USTR hearing, along with a summary of the testimony, by June 22. Written comments are due by July 1. USTR will hold a hearing about the proposed action on July 6, 2026. More details are available in the June 1 Federal Register notice.
The NCBFAA Customs Committee and Counsel of Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, P.A., will continue to monitor this USTR Section 301 tariff proposal for Brazil's products and provide updates from the Trump Administration to our customs broker members as soon as available.
