Minister of Foreign Affairs Mauro Vieira said on Thursday (13th) that he expected a response from the United States by next week on Brazil’s proposal to immediately suspend tariffs and then move forward with negotiations on surcharges on specific items.
Vieira made the statement after meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington for the third time this year, but his first at the State Department.
The minister did not elaborate on the content of the proposal, but the Brazilian government wants an interim agreement that would suspend the country’s 40% surcharge and then negotiate the details of sector-specific tariffs.
Negotiators believe the fate of the deal will depend on the United States, whether it agrees to a moratorium or offers a counter-offer.
This Thursday, the two sides discussed big technology-related issues that are important to Americans. One of Donald Trump’s justifications for imposing tariffs is decisions that the United States deems excessive against businesses and people on American soil.
The topic permeated the conversation, which took place in two moments. The first round lasted about 10 minutes between Rubio and Vieira, and the second round was expanded to include negotiators from both sides.
“The Secretary of State said he is always thinking carefully and wants to quickly resolve the bilateral issue with Brazil, and said he expects an answer as soon as tomorrow or next week,” Vieira said.
“He (Rubio) even said that he told President Trump today that he would meet with me. The president expressed his intention to quickly resolve this issue in order to maintain good relations with Brazil.”
On Tuesday’s agenda, Mr. Rubio and Mr. Vieira also discussed the U.S. strategy to combat drug trafficking. The Americans occupied the Caribbean by military force and marched against ships leaving Venezuela.
About The Author
