The Brazilian government announced on Wednesday that it is considering all possible measures to respond to new U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. Officials stated they may seek action through the World Trade Organization (WTO) to “counteract the harmful effects of the U.S. measures and protect legitimate national interests.”
The increased tariffs, enacted by U.S. President Donald Trump, took effect this week, aiming to “reorder global trade in favor of the U.S.” The move has raised concerns among major exporters, including Brazil, whose steel and aluminum exports to the United States totaled around $3.2 billion last year, according to a joint statement from Brazil’s Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Development, Industry, and Foreign Trade.
The Brazilian government called the U.S. decision “unjustified and mistaken,” highlighting the “historic cooperation and economic integration between the two nations.” Brazil plays a significant role in the global steel industry, being the third-largest importer of U.S. steelmaking coal and the largest exporter of semi-finished steel to the United States.
Despite the tariffs, the U.S. maintains a trade surplus with Brazil, amounting to roughly $7 billion in goods last year, the statement added.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has instructed his economic team to seek dialogue with the Trump administration. “President Lula told us to remain calm, noting that in the past we have negotiated under conditions that were even more unfavorable than the current ones,” Finance Minister Fernando Haddad told reporters after meeting with local steel industry representatives in Brasília.
