Brazil Moves to Challenge U.S. Tariffs at WTO

Brazil has taken the first formal step toward contesting recent U.S. import tariffs, with the Trade Council of Ministers approving a request to enter consultations at the World Trade Organization. Vice President Geraldo Alckmin said the duties imposed on Brazilian products are “totally unjustifiable,” underscoring the government’s decision to invoke WTO dispute-settlement procedures. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva backed the move on Tuesday, pledging to use “all available methods” to defend national interests and signaling that further legal or diplomatic actions could follow if talks fail to resolve the dispute. The Brazilian government did not specify which products are affected or the value of trade at stake, but officials framed the filing as part of a broader strategy to counter what they consider unfair protectionism by Washington.