Brazil Hails U.S. Tariff Rollback but Seeks More Exemptions

Brazil’s Vice President Geraldo Alckmin has hailed U.S. President Donald Trump’s order to remove additional import tariffs on some agribusiness products as “significant progress,” but said the country will keep pushing for more exemptions, the Associated Press (AP) reported.

Brazil has long been a key supplier of beef and coffee to the U.S. (Photo: USDA Economic Research Service) 

“We want to exclude more products and move forward in the negotiation,” he told journalists in Brasilia.

Alckmin, who also serves as trade minister, led the negotiations with the U.S. along with Brazilian diplomats and business leaders. Cecafé, Brazil’s coffee exporters council, celebrated Trump’s latest order and called the previous tariff hike “a complete loss of competitiveness.”

“The tariff reversal comes after months of intense work representing the interests of Brazilian coffee. It is a historic victory for the entire coffee agribusiness production chain,” the council said in a statement.

Brazil has long been a key supplier of beef and coffee to the U.S.

On Thursday, Trump lifted tariffs on Brazilian goods as part of an effort to lower consumer costs for Americans. The decision affected coffee, fruit, and beef, among other products.