Brazil's government on Wednesday called the United States’ (US) decision to increase tariffs on steel and aluminum imports to 25 per cent an "unjustified and mistaken" move, reported Xinhua.
"These measures will significantly impact Brazilian steel and aluminum exports to the US, which totalled around US$3.2 billion in 2024," Brazil's Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade said in a joint statement.
Officials called the decision unjustified given the "historic cooperation and economic integration between the two nations", noting that Brazil is the third-largest importer of US steelmaking coal and the largest exporter of semifinished steel to the US.
The US maintains a long-standing trade surplus with Brazil, which in 2024 amounted to roughly US$7 billion in goods alone, the government added.
Officials said Brazil will explore all possible trade responses in the coming weeks, aiming "to counteract the harmful effects of the US measures and protect legitimate national interests."