The Brazilian government started a process at the World Trade Organization (WTO) on Wednesday, challenging tariffs imposed by the United States. US President Donald Trump announced an additional 40% levy on top of the previously imposed 10%, citing an "extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States." However, he previously suggested the tariff would be related to the prosecution of former President Jair Bolsonaro.
In its consultation request sent to the WTO, the Brazilian Foreign Ministry argued that the measure "destabilizes the balance built over decades of multilateral negotiations and poses a serious risk to the international trade architecture," according to Folha de Sao Paulo.
