Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira said this Thursday (11/13) that the United States could present an answer this Friday (11/14) to Brazil’s proposal to reduce the 50% tariffs imposed on its products by the Donald Trump administration.
According to the prime minister, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the issue was being analyzed and that Washington wanted to move forward on the matter “very quickly.”
“The Secretary of State said he is always looking carefully at the hope of quickly resolving the bilateral issues with Brazil and that answers will be available as soon as tomorrow or next week,” Vieira declared.
The speech came after a meeting between the two men in Washington. Mr. Rubio also shared a photo of himself and Mr. Vieira side by side, and said on social media that they had discussed the “mutual importance” and “framework of reciprocity” in commercial relations.
Submission of proposal and expectation of initial agreement
Mr. Vieira acknowledged that Brazil had submitted a “general proposal” to the United States on tariffs, but did not go into details. He explained that specific topics such as the coffee tax were not discussed at the meeting.
The prime minister said he hoped the countries could reach an initial agreement by early December, which would serve as the basis for broader negotiations. The next step, he said, is in Washington’s hands.
“We have to wait for their reaction,” he said.
President Trump’s pressure and its impact on Brazil
- The 50% tariffs imposed by President Trump go into effect on August 1 and are in addition to existing charges on sectors such as steel and aluminum.
- Since the beginning of his term, North American presidents have used tariffs as a means of commercial pressure on BRICS countries, including Brazil.
- After defending Jair Bolsonaro in his standoff with the STF, President Trump said Brazil would not do “good things” for the United States and threatened to further increase trade barriers.
- It was only April and the country was already subject to an initial 10% tariff.
Itamaraty and the State Department are first working to conclude an interim agreement that would serve as a “roadmap” to final negotiations. Vieira estimates that this subsequent process could last two to three months.
The prime minister said there were signs Washington wanted to “turn the page” and resolve the conflict with Brazil. In Rubio’s message, President Trump reportedly said he would quickly resolve the impasse and maintain good relations with Lula’s administration.
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