United States accepts Brazil's request for WTO consultations on tariffs

(Patria) - The United States has accepted Brazil's request for consultations at the World Trade Organization (WTO) regarding tariffs imposed by Washington, even while claiming that the tariffs are a matter of national security, according to a document published on the WTO website, Reuters reported.

President Donald Trump imposed a 50% tariff on most Brazilian imports earlier this month, in response to what he called a "witch hunt" against his Brazilian ally, former President Jair Bolsonaro, who is on trial on charges of planning a coup after his defeat in the 2022 elections.

In a document submitted to the WTO on Monday, the United States claims that certain Brazilian requests relate to national security issues, which are "political matters that are not subject to review or cannot be resolved through WTO dispute settlement".

The tariffs, the document adds, were necessary because Brazil's recent policies and practices "undermine the rule of law and threaten the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States".