Washington Announces Investigation Into Brazilian Trade Practices, Digital Payment Services

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer announced the opening of an investigation into Brazil’s “unfair” trading practices on Tuesday. The commencement of the probe comes a week after President Donald Trump announced 50 percent tariffs on imports from the country. He said he planned to impose the exceptionally high rate, far higher than the 10 percent levy on goods from most other nations, due to Brazil’s continuing pursuit of a trial against former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro for allegedly plotting a coup d’état. Greer’s investigation will look to determine whether acts, policies, and practices enacted by Brazil—related to digital trade and electronic payment services, such as unfair, preferential tariffs, anti-corruption interference, intellectual property protection, ethanol market access, and illegal deforestation—present an “unreasonable or discriminatory and burden or restrict U.S. commerce,” the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) said in a statement....