The US Trade Representative (USTR), Jamieson Greer, signaled this Wednesday, 10th, that there was progress in trade negotiations with Brazil, when participating in a question and answer session at an Atlantic Council event.
According to him, presidents Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, of Brazil, and Donald Trump, of the USA, had “constructive conversations about trade recently”, citing as an example the inclusion of Brazil in tariff exemptions on cocoa and coffee.
Greer considered that not all problems have been resolved, but that there are things that Brazilians “can do” to achieve more concessions in relation to tariffs.
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“Brazil is a good partner for the USA, but it is also a competitor, especially in agriculture,” he said, echoing comments made the day before. “They have a lot of tariff and non-tariff barriers on American goods, and President Trump also has concerns about other foreign policy issues.”
Among the concerns, Greer cited what he called “weaponized” legislation against technology companies, “secret investigative orders” against American companies and individuals without public details, and arbitrary arrests of Americans. The commercial representative, however, did not present evidence of the accusations.
“National security is very important for us. We want to have a better economic relationship with Brazil, only then can we discuss concessions”, he highlighted.
Asked about China, Greer dismissed concerns about the trade deal with Beijing, saying U.S. officials are working to figure out “what the Chinese want from the U.S.” and what goods can be traded without harming U.S. security. The representative also said that he sees greater balance in the trade of consumer goods and low-technology items, arguing that “there are no inconsistencies” in the new policies.
