The United States Trade Representative published a Section 301 determination on June 1, 2026, finding that Brazil's digital trade and electronic payment practices are unreasonable and burden US commerce. The determination singles out the Central Bank of Brazil's dual role as owner-operator and regulator of PIX, which processes the majority of the country's digital transactions.
USTR has proposed a 25% tariff on most Brazilian goods, excluding products already covered by Section 232 tariffs on steel, aluminum, and copper. A Federal Register notice published June 4 set a public hearing for July 6 and a statutory action deadline of July 15.
US electronic payment companies including Visa, Mastercard, Apple, and Google have pushed for greater market access, arguing that BCB's fee caps and platform mandates for PIX disadvantage competing services.