NEW YORK, July 16 (Xinhua) -- The United States on Wednesday night announced 25 percent tariffs on certain goods from Brazil under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, which will be effective on July 22.
The action is "the result of a year-long investigation that found a number of Brazil's practices to be unreasonable and discriminatory, restricting the competitive position of American farmers, workers, innovators, and exporters," said the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative on social media.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the tariffs were necessary to ensure American workers and businesses can compete on a level playing field.
The punitive duties target Brazilian policies the United States deems unfair regarding digital trade, intellectual property, and environmental regulations. Nevertheless, the United States has exempted several critical goods including coffee, beef, and certain orange products from the tariffs.
In February, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the Trump administration's 50 percent tariffs on Brazilian imports, ruling that the administration lacked the authority to impose tariffs under emergency powers. ■