Lula da Silva launches the first step in the WTO dispute settlement process.
On Monday, Brazil submitted a “Request for Consultations” to the World Trade Organization (WTO) with the United States over the new 25% and 12.5% tariffs that President Donald Trump imposed on Brazilian imports.
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The Brazilian Foreign Affairs Ministry said the measures are “unjustified and incompatible” with the obligations assumed by the United States before the WTO and argued that they violate both the 1994 General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and the rules governing the organization’s dispute settlement mechanism.
Two weeks ago, Washington announced an additional 25% tariff on some Brazilian exports as a sanction against the country for alleged “unfair” trade practices.
The measure took effect on July 22. One day later, Trump announced another 12.5% tariff, applied to Brazil and other countries, alleging “insufficient efforts to combat forced labor.”
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New tariffs on 60 trading partners took effect at 12:01 a.m. ET on July 24, 2026, under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, the latest expansion of a tariff regime that has… pic.twitter.com/HGRtgmYopk
— Owen Gregorian (@OwenGregorian) July 28, 2026
The request for consultations constitutes the first stage of the WTO dispute settlement mechanism and precedes a possible request for the establishment of a panel to examine the case.
This is the first measure taken by Brazilian President Lula da Silva following the imposition of the new U.S. tariffs. Previously, he had already indicated that he would resort to the instruments provided for under the Economic Reciprocity Law and the WTO dispute settlement system.
In 2025, Brazil had already resorted to that mechanism to challenge other U.S. tariffs of up to 50%, which were subsequently suspended by the U.S. Supreme Court.
teleSUR/ JF
Source: EFE
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