Representatives of business and agribusiness entities that declared support for former president Jair Bolsonaro will participate next Monday (6) in the public hearing promoted by the Office of the United States Trade Representative, the USTR, to discuss the trade investigation opened against Brazil.
The meeting takes place in Washington and is part of the final stages of the process that seeks to punish foreign commercial practices considered unfair or harmful to United States companies. In the end, the procedure could result in the adoption of a 25% tariff on Brazilian products.
Senator Flávio Bolsonaro (PL-RJ), pre-candidate for the Presidency, asked for the decision on the 25% tariff against Brazilian products to be postponed until after the elections. In a letter sent to the USTR, he stated that the measure would politically benefit the Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) government and accused Planalto of provoking the United States to maintain the tariffs.
Lula reacted to the letter, stating: “It is unacceptable that the Bolsonaro family, with its surrender, wants to subject Brazil to the interests of the United States, as is clear in the document sent today by one of its members to the North American government. We will always dialogue on an equal basis with any nation in the world.”
The hearing takes place months after Eduardo Bolsonaro publicly defended United States economic measures against Brazil. In July 2025, he stated that the surcharge announced by President Donald Trump was part of a set of “levers” that could be used to pressure Brazilian authorities.
On the occasion, Eduardo cited instruments such as the Magnitsky Law, the freezing of assets, the cancellation of visas and restrictions on the financial system. It also conditioned the end of the tariffs on the approval of amnesty for those convicted of the acts of January 8th.
“FREE Congress approves a BROAD, GENERAL AND UNRESTRICTED amnesty. It would be an excellent sign of moderation, of those who are mature and want to sit down and take advantage of the opportunity to dialogue with the greatest economic power in the world”, he wrote on his Twitter profile, formerly “Release political prisoners (broad, general and unrestricted amnesty), and this will begin to end. Simple,” he wrote.
In the same period, Eduardo intensified contacts with members of the American government. In interviews given in Washington, he stated that he sought to increase pressure on Brazilian authorities and defended new sanctions against members of the Federal Supreme Court (STF) and other authorities. He also declared that he was willing to go to “the ultimate consequences” to remove minister Alexandre de Moraes from power, in an interview with BBC News.
Eduardo is investigated by the STF on suspicion of coercion during the process, obstruction of investigation and attempted violent abolition of the Democratic Rule of Law. Among the facts discovered is his work with US authorities to encourage sanctions against Brazil. Eduardo denies wrongdoing and classifies the accusations as “fantasy”.
Who are the audience participants
The USTR opened the investigation based on Section 301 of the United States Trade Act of 1974, a mechanism used to investigate commercial practices considered harmful to American interests. Among the topics analyzed are digital commerce, electronic payment services, tariffs classified by the United States as “unfair and preferential”, anti-corruption measures, protection of intellectual property, access to the ethanol market and illegal deforestation.
In total, 85 requests for participation were registered for the public hearing, which will be divided into panels between Monday (6) and Tuesday (7).
Among the participants is, in addition to Flávio Bolsonaro, the journalist Paulo Figueiredo, an ally of Eduardo Bolsonaro and one of the group’s interlocutors with the US government. According to the application, he intends to argue that the tariff could weaken the strategic interests of the United States by bringing Brazil closer to China.
Among the Brazilian entities registered is the Sociedade Rural Brasileira, represented by Marcelo Schunn Junqueira. During the 2022 election, the entity declared formal support for Jair Bolsonaro’s candidacy.
In a note released before the second round, the organization stated that the then president “was, throughout his government, broadly committed to fundamental items on this agenda, which are legal security in the countryside, and the right to free enterprise and private property, especially on issues involving the demarcation of indigenous lands and respect for the time frame. There was also a government position that was always in favor of individual freedoms and opposed to centralized planning.”
The Brazilian Agriculture and Livestock Confederation (CNA) will also have a representative at the hearing. The entity will be represented by Fernanda Carneiro. In 2022, during the National Agro Meeting, the then president of the CNA, João Martins, gave a speech in the presence of Jair Bolsonaro and defended the continuity of the government. At the time, he stated that there was no room for “a corrupt and incompetent team” and said that it was necessary to elect “a president who will continue what we are seeing today”.
The Sugarcane and Bioenergy Industry Union (Unica) is also on the list of participants. The entity will send Welber Barral to represent its interests in the discussion about the ethanol market. During the Bolsonaro government, Unica released a statement congratulating the then president for his speech at the Climate Leaders Summit promoted by the United States and praised management initiatives related to biofuels and environmental policy.
“A very good speech! Especially for its coherence with the concrete attitudes that the private sector and the government have developed on this topic. We are helping countries like India to decarbonize their energy matrix with the use of ethanol. President Bolsonaro signed an important Memorandum of Understanding on the topic with the Indian government last year, and Minister Salles will have a lot to show at COP-26 in relation to this topic, which is fundamental to climate issues”, assessed the then president of Unica, Evandro Gussi.
Another participant will be Roberto Azevêdo, on behalf of the National Confederation of Industry (CNI) and the Federation of Industries of the State of São Paulo (Fiesp). Fiesp also maintained a close relationship with the Bolsonaro government. In 2022, the entity’s former president, Paulo Skaf, declared support for the re-election of the then president and stated that he would vote for Jair Bolsonaro in the second round. During the mandate, the federation headquarters hosted ministers and government members at frequent meetings and events.
The hearing will also bring together representatives from Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional, Klabin, Bauducco, Abimaq, the Brazilian Tree Industry, the Brazilian Rice Industry Association, the Brazilian Coffee Exporters Council and other Brazilian and American business entities.
According to the schedule released by the USTR, the hearings will be held at the United States International Trade Commission and will serve to gather statements in favor of and against the adoption of the tariffs before the final decision by the Donald Trump administration.
Check out the full list of participants
Panel 1
- Andressa Silva, Brazilian Rice Industry Association (Abiarroz)
- Mark Bitting, empresa Gehring Montgomery
- Vinicius Vanzella, Gelatin Manufacturers Association of South America (Sagma)
- Marcelo Schunn Junqueira, Brazilian Rural Society
- Mark Wilson, US Grains and Bioproducts Council
- Andrew LaVigne, American Seed Trade Association
Panel 2
- Paulo Wenceslau, company FN USA
- Bill Bullard, United Cattlemen and Cattlemen of America Legal Action Fund
- Justin Tupper, United States Cattlemen’s Association
- Fernanda Carneiro, Confederation of Agriculture and Livestock of Brazil (CNA)
- Dan Haney, Alltech company
Panel 3
- Marcos Matos, Brazilian Coffee Exporters Council (Cecafé)
- José Luiz Pimenta Junior, Brazilian Association of the Soluble Coffee Industry (ABICS)
- William Murray, US National Coffee Association
- João Marcelo Messas, Brazilian Association of Honey Exporters
- Joelma Lambertucci de Brito, consultancy Lambertucci Trade Solution
- Beth Hughes, American Apparel and Footwear Association
Panel 4
- Kristina Rosales, American Chamber of Commerce for Brazil
- James Poole, empresa Obelisk Tech Systems
- Anne Mckinney, US Chamber of Commerce
- Paulo Figueiredo, journalist
- Stefano Mozzi, Bauducco company
- Jody Bickett, empresa Wholesome Sweeteners
Panel 5
- Arlen Penner, empresa Prairie Imports
- Andrew Sargeantson, empresa Sunland Trading
- Michael Carle, empresa Sweet Harvest Foods
- Clint Hagen, American Beet Growers Association and US Beet Sugar Association
- Mark Tasman, empresa Peachtree Playthings
- Marni Karlin, empresa Stonyfield Organic
Panel 6
- Melinda St. Louis
- Dan Anthony, We Pay the Tariffs
- Vinicius Nunes Pinto
- Gustavo Pessoa
- Ashley Amidon, International Wood Products Association
Panel 7
- Rodrigo A. de Ouro Preto Santos, Brazilian Intellectual Property Association (ABPI)
- Chris Bliley, empresa Growth Energy
- Matthew Frostic, National Corn Growers Association
- Edward Hubbard, US Renewable Fuels Association
- Andrea Almeida, National Corn Ethanol Union of Brazil (Unem)
- Welber Barral, Brazilian Sugarcane and Bioenergy Industry Union (Unica)
Tuesday
Panel 8
- Flávio Bolsonaro (PL-RJ), Brazilian senator
- Roberto Azêvedo, National Confederation of Industry (CNI)
- Letícia Sperb Masselli, Brazilian Association of Footwear Industries (Abicalçados)
- Matt Priest, Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America (FDRA)
- Peter Grueterich, company JPT Group LLC Bernardo Calçado
Panel 9
- Pete Ruggiero, Crayola LLC
- Jonathan Gold, US National Retail Federation
- Lauren Gray, empresa Dillard’s Inc.
- Roberto Azêvedo, Federation of Industries of the State of São Paulo (Fiesp)
- Tim Tarpley, US Energy Technology and Workforce Council
Panel 10
- Roberto Azêvedo, Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional (CSN)
- Alais Coluchi, Brazilian Association of Manufacturers of Ceramic Tiles and Sanitary Ware and Related Products (Anfacer)
- Wilton José Machado, company Brasil Minérios
- João Baroni, company Engemasa Engineering and Materials
- Atom Saverse, empresa Isolatek International Corporation
- Timothy Brightbill, Coalition of American Woodworking Producers
Panel 11
- Colby Slaughter, empresa Rayonier Advanced Materials
- Homero Busnello, Tecumseh company from Brazil
- Nils Kah, empresa SHF Yachts
- Bret Vorhees, empresa Taurus Holdings
- Timothy Bauer, Amyris company
- Mark Kaplan, US Mill Supply Coalition
Panel 12
- Tessa Capeloto, Century Aluminum company
- Kyle Lundin, Empresa Mesabi Metallics
- Celso Figueiredo, Iron Industry Union in the State of Minas Gerais (Sindifer)
- Brandon Farris, US Steel Manufacturers Association
- Fernando Staudt, company Altus Automation Systems
- Wagner Parente, Brazilian Association of the Machinery and Equipment Industry (Abimaq)
Panel 13
- Peter Barry, empresa WEG Electric Corp.
- Matthew Barron, Sylvamo Company
- Welber Oliveira Barral, Brazilian Tree Industry (Ibá)
- Celso Figueiredo, company Klabin SA
- Patrick Bloom, empresa Cleveland-Cliffs Inc.
- Barry Schneider, empresa Steel Dynamics Inc.
Panel 14
- Fabio Cruz, Brazilian Association of Natural Stones (Centrorochas)
- James Hieb, US Natural Stone Institute (NSI)
- Janelle Edmonds, empresa Wisenbaker Builder Services
- James Durbin, Portobello America company
- Gian Carlo Ameida Marodin, Brazilian Association of the Mechanically Processed Wood Industry (Abimci)
Source: www.brasildefato.com.br
