USTR imposes an additional 25% Section 301 tariff on imports from Brazil

What the July 2026 Brazil Section 301 action does

On July 20, 2026 USTR published a Notice of Action (91 FR 45516) determining, under Section 301(b) and Section 304(a) of the Trade Act of 1974, that certain of Brazil's acts, policies, and practices — spanning digital trade and electronic payment services, unfair preferential tariffs, anti-corruption enforcement, intellectual property protection, ethanol market access, and illegal deforestation — are actionable, and that action is appropriate. At the direction of the President, USTR imposed an additional 25% ad valorem duty on nearly all products of Brazil through new HTS Chapter 99 heading 9903.05.01. The additional duty applies to goods entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after 12:01 a.m. eastern time on July 22, 2026. As of the July 18, 2026 source check, the notice is on public inspection at the Federal Register ahead of its July 20 publication date; importers should verify the final published text before relying on it.

How the duty stacks and how the in-transit exception works

The new duty is additional — heading 9903.05.01 applies on top of the general (Column 1) rate that already governs the product, so a Brazil-origin good keeps its normal classification duty and adds the 25% Section 301 amount. The notice provides a narrow in-transit exception: goods loaded onto a vessel at the port of loading and in transit on the final mode of transit before 12:01 a.m. eastern time on July 22, 2026, and entered for consumption before the later date set in the notice, retain their pre-action treatment. Rate exceptions and special-treatment cases (for example, articles of civil aircraft) are handled through the companion Chapter 99 subheadings 9903.05.02 through 9903.05.09. Confirm the exact Chapter 99 heading and any exception that applies to your entry against the official notice and CBP's Cargo Systems Messaging Service (CSMS) guidance before filing.

Which products are exempt — check Annex II by HTSUS provision

The action does not cover every Brazil-origin good. Annex II lists HTSUS provisions that are not covered by the action, subject to a 'Scope Limitation' column, and personal-use goods in accompanied baggage of arriving persons are excluded. USTR determined to exempt a defined set of products — including aluminum hydroxide; antiques, collectibles, and art; ash containing precious metals or precious-metal compounds; certain animal hides, furskins, and leather; certain seafood products; certain additional pharmaceuticals and pharmaceutical ingredients; certain wood products; iron and steel waste and scrap; organic honey; pig iron; unflavored instant coffee; used clothing; and articles of civil aircraft. USTR also declined some requested exemptions. Because the carve-outs are defined by HTSUS provision (not by plain-language product name), confirm your product's exact classification and any scope limitation in Annex II before assuming it is exempt.

What the July 2026 Brazil Section 301 action does

USTR's Notice of Action (91 FR 45516) adds a Section 301 duty on Brazil-origin goods through a new Chapter 99 heading. The additional duty stacks on top of the normal Column 1 (most-favored-nation) rate rather than replacing it, and a separate set of HTSUS provisions is carved out in Annex II. Confirm the controlling Chapter 99 heading, exemption eligibility, and entry date for your specific product against the official notice and CBP CSMS guidance.

This is a distinct Section 301 investigation from the China technology-transfer actions (Lists 1–4A) that govern the HTS codes in this catalog; it does not change any China-origin Section 301 overlay. The exemption list is defined by HTSUS provision in Annex II — confirm your product's exact classification and any 'Scope Limitation' before assuming it is exempt.