Industry Confederation and Coffee Council reinforce the need for an agreement to remove the 40% extra tax; the meat association says that measure strengthens bilateral relations
The withdrawal of 10% reciprocal tariffs by the United States for 238 agricultural products increased pressure for Brazil to move forward in negotiations that seek to eliminate the additional 40% surcharge applied exclusively to the country.
Both the CNI (National Confederation of Industry) and Cecafé (Brazilian Coffee Exporters Council) assess that the measure increases advantages for Brazilian competitors in the main destination for national industrial exports.
In a note released this Saturday (November 15, 2025), the president of the CNI, Ricardo Alban, stated that the continuation of the 40% tariff reduces the competitiveness of relevant items on the Brazilian trade agenda, such as beef and coffee, while countries not subject to the surcharge now have better conditions to access the North American market.
Preliminary analysis by the CNI shows that the removal of 10% tariffs benefits 80 products exported by Brazil in 2024, which totaled US$4.6 billion – around 11% of sales to the USA. Only 4 items, however, are completely free of charge: 3 categories of orange juice and Brazil nuts. Another 76 will continue to face the 40% tax rate, including unroasted coffee, beef and carnauba wax.
The coffee sector also signaled concern. In a note, Cecafé (Brazilian Coffee Exporters Council) stated that the country remains subject to the base tariff of 10% and the additional 40% tariff provided for in Article 301. The entity said that it is still evaluating whether the new act of the North American government changes one, the other or both charges.
“It got better for our competitors and it got worse for Brazil”, said the general director of Cecafé, Marcos Matos, to g1. Brazilian coffee was being taxed at 50% in the USA. With Friday’s announcement, the tariff dropped to 40%, but large competitors, such as Colombia and Vietnam, had their tariffs reset.
Abiec (Brazilian Association of Meat Exporting Industries) adopted a more positive tone. In a statement, the entity classified the tariff reduction on Brazilian beef as a gesture that reinforces confidence in the technical dialogue between the 2 countries. He said that the decision returns predictability to the sector and creates more suitable conditions for trade, remembering that the USA is the 2nd largest beef market in Brazil.
According to Abiec, the measure strengthens the bilateral relationship and opens up space for a more balanced and stable resumption of sales. The entity stated that it will continue working with authorities from both countries to expand opportunities and consolidate Brazil as a competitive and reliable supplier.
Despite the partial relief, the CNI highlighted that the central point remains: the new North American decision does not change the executive order that maintains the additional 40% specific to Brazil. For the entity, the Brazilian government needs to negotiate urgently to reestablish equitable trading conditions and avoid losing market share to international rivals.
