Brazil on Wednesday contradicted a United States’ announcement that the two countries had reached a deal on a permanent exemption from steel and aluminum import tariffs, saying the Trump administration had unilaterally cut off talks, Reuters reports.
The White House said on Monday that it had reached agreements for permanent exemptions on steel and aluminum for Brazil, Argentina and Australia, and that the details of the deals would be finalized shortly. It gave no details of the terms.
But Brazil’s Foreign and Trade Ministries said on Wednesday the U.S. government had called off talks on April 26 after giving Brazil the option of picking between tariffs or quotas.
Brazil’s aluminum industry had opted for 10 percent import tariffs, while the steel industry opted for an imports quota system, the statement said.
“The Brazilian government maintains its expectation that the United States will not proceed with the application of trade restrictions, preserving current bilateral trade flows in the aluminum and steel sectors,” the statement said.
“In any case, it remains willing to adopt, in bilateral and multilateral venues, all actions needed to preserve its rights and interests.”
Representatives for the U.S. government did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Reuters reported on April 12 that the United States had proposed a quota for tariff-free imports of Brazilian steel, offering to soften trade barriers after tough talk last month.