The federal government meets this Tuesday (15) with industry and agribusiness sectors to discuss the 50% taxation imposed by the United States on Brazilian products. The first meeting with industrial sector business leaders takes place in the morning. In the afternoon, it will be the agribusiness sector’s turn.
Vice-President and Minister of Development, Industry and Commerce, Geraldo Alckmin, opened the morning meeting by saying that the government will seek negotiation calmly, but without interfering in other branches of the Republic, as Trump suggested when criticizing decisions of the Supreme Federal Court (STF).
Alckmin described the US measures as inadequate and asked for collaboration from Brazilian business leaders.
“It is important for each of you to participate in your specific areas so that we can work together. The Brazilian government is committed to resolving this issue and we want to hear suggestions from each of you,” highlighted the vice-president.
The government will also talk with American companies that buy and sell to Brazil. Alckmin recalled that the taxation raises costs and harms the economies of both countries, since there is an important economic reciprocity relationship in sectors like steelmaking.
Committee
The dialogue with the private sector will be the first task of the newly created Interministerial Committee for Negotiation and Economic and Commercial Countermeasures.
This committee includes the ministries of Development, Industry and Commerce (MDIC), Finance, Foreign Affairs, and the Civil House. Other ministries were invited to participate in the meetings.
On Monday (14), Geraldo Alckmin reinforced that Brazil was already in dialogue and awaiting a response from US representatives before the announcement of the new tariffs.
“On May 16, a proposal for negotiation was sent to the United States, even on a confidential basis, which has not yet been responded to. And until Friday (18), before the announcement, there was a meeting at the technical level”.
Geraldo Alckmin highlighted the government’s full commitment to reviewing the taxation imposed by US President Donald Trump.
“The responsibility is, with full commitment, to review this issue. First, because it is totally inadequate. Brazil does not have a surplus with the United States. In fact, the opposite. Of the ten products they export the most, eight have zero tariff. So, we will work together with the private sector”.
The Brazilian government is still studying what measures it will take if the United States maintains the taxation, scheduled to begin on August 1. The economic reciprocity law, approved by Congress this year, is expected to guide the Brazilian government’s actions. The law’s regulation was published this Tuesday.
Source: Agência Brasil