The federal government stated this Thursday (16) that it will reinforce measures to protect the national industry in the face of tariffs announced by the United States against Brazilian products. At a press conference, ministers argued that the surcharges imposed by Washington are “unfair”, announced the strengthening of the Sovereign Brazil Plan and reaffirmed that Brazil will resort to the mechanisms provided for in the Reciprocity Law and the World Trade Organization (WTO).
When presenting the measures, the interim Minister of Finance, Dario Durigan, stated that the government already has instruments to reduce the impacts on companies and workers. “We already have the mechanisms to protect our companies and our jobs ready. The affected sectors will, once again, be called to dialogue and we will expand and reinforce the Sovereign Brazil Program,” he said. According to him, the application of the Reciprocity Law will occur “at the appropriate time”, while the government keeps diplomatic channels open.
Durigan added that support lines for the productive sector have already been tested previously. “We have already successfully tested the support lines for national businesspeople. What we are going to do is listen to the sectors and reinforce the existing lines”, he stated.
The executive secretary of the Ministry of Development, Industry, Commerce and Services (MDIC), Márcio Elias Rosa, classified the tariffs as “unfair” and said that the government’s priority is to protect the affected segments. According to him, around 2,400 exporting companies could be affected, especially in the wood, electrical machinery and equipment, furniture, ceramics, footwear and sugar sectors.
The secretary also highlighted that Brazilian dependence on the US market has decreased in recent decades. “The government’s priority is to serve and support sectors affected by the unfair tariff. […] The United States’ share of Brazilian exports fell from 12.4% to 9.4%,” he stated.
In a note released after the press conference, the MDIC refuted the justifications presented by the United States for opening the trade investigation and imposing the tariffs. The Brazilian government stated that it has maintained permanent dialogue with the US authorities since the beginning of the process, with more than 30 meetings held since July 2025, but maintained that “there is no justification for unilateral measures against our country”.
Source: www.brasildefato.com.br
