Brasilia, July 16, 2026 (Lusa) - The 25% tariffs imposed by the United States on Brazilian goods affect more than $11 billion worth of Brazilian exports, the American Chamber of Commerce for Brazil (Amcham Brasil) said on Thursday.
These exports, equivalent to €9.61 billion at current exchange rates, cover around 3,000 industrial and agribusiness products.
This non-profit organisation, which represents more than 3,500 US companies operating in Brazil, described the measure as “very negative” for bilateral relations, emphasising that Washington’s decision places Brazil amongst the countries with the most restrictive conditions for access to the US market.
The reaction was made public after the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) confirmed the imposition of the new tariff, which comes into force on 22 July, with a list of exemptions.
Amcham Brasil argues that the measure stands in contrast to the US trade surplus with Brazil, which reached US$41.8 billion in goods and services in 2025, equivalent to €36.5 billion.
In a statement, the organisation argues that the tariffs harm Brazilian exporters and producers, increase costs for US companies and consumers, and “reduce the competitiveness of US industries that use Brazilian inputs”.
Amcham Brasil added that the measure could increase US dependence on Asian suppliers and limit bilateral cooperation in areas such as critical minerals, energy, the digital economy and intellectual property.
The organisation also warned that the tariff increase “is likely to deepen the decline in bilateral trade”, which has fallen by 13% this year, and could negatively affect investment between the two countries.
Amcham Brasil viewed the exclusion of a significant series of products from the new tariffs as positive, believing that the decision mitigates some of the economic impacts.
The organisation also advocated the creation of a mechanism to assess further exclusions of products where tariffs might have a disproportionate economic impact on businesses and consumers or fail to address the United States’ trade concerns.
On 1 June, the USTR concluded a trade investigation and accused Brazil of “unfair practices” that harm US companies and exporters, recommending a 25% tariff on Brazilian products.
The deadline for Washington to decide whether to impose new tariffs on Brazil expired on Wednesday.
The Brazilian government today described Washington’s decision to impose the tariff as a “regrettable milestone” in bilateral relations and will invoke the Reciprocity Act against the US.
The Planalto Palace also noted that, at the public hearings held by the USTR last week, 63 of the 78 statements from representatives of the Brazilian and US private sectors opposed the imposition of tariffs.
MYMA/ADB // ADB.
Lusa
