Portuguese 
English 
Spanish 
6 min of reading 
0 comments 
Pressure from the United States on Brazilian digital commerce gained a new chapter after the USTR proposed measures against the country, in an investigation involving Pix, intellectual property, tariffs, ethanol, and environmental issues.
The trade investigation opened by the United States against Brazil on July 15, 2025 returned to the center of the agenda after the USTR, the agency responsible for American trade policy, proposed new measures in June against Brazilian products based on Section 301 of US legislation.
According to a report published by Times Brasil, the procedure also exposed the strategic importance of the country in the technological dispute between the United States and China, by including topics related to digital infrastructure, electronic services, and intellectual property.
The procedure targets Brazilian practices related to digital commerce, electronic payment services, intellectual property, preferential tariffs, ethanol market access, anti-corruption, and illegal deforestation, according to documents released by the Office of the United States Trade Representative.
-
European Union formalizes veto that could block almost US$ 2 billion in Brazilian meat starting in September and raises maximum alert in Brazilian agriculture
-
The first US tariff hike led to Brazilian companies going bankrupt; now new tariffs of up to 47.5% threaten machinery, textiles, and fishery sectors, which cannot easily switch from the American market.
-
Inter gets the green light in the United States and prepares for an international turnaround that could bring 5.5 million Global Account customers into a new proprietary banking structure.
-
Pix grows without eliminating cards and data reveal an unexpected shift in the Brazilian digital payments market.
The investigation was formally opened by the USTR in July 2025, had a phase of receiving public comments, and included a hearing scheduled for September of that year, before advancing to the stage where the American government presented its evaluation and action proposals.
On June 2, 2026, the USTR stated that it had identified practices considered “unreasonable” by the American government and proposed a 25% tariff on certain Brazilian products, with exceptions in specific sectors and a period for public consultation before any definitive application.
US Investigation Advances on the Digital Agenda
Although the public debate has focused on tariffs on Brazilian exports, the American investigation also reaches sensitive areas of the digital economy, especially payment systems, electronic services, technological platforms, and intellectual property protection rules.
In the assessment of Thaíse Hittenband, co-founder and partner of Convex, the case should not be analyzed only as a tariff dispute between Brazil and the United States, because it involves a reorganization of strategic chains in a more fragmented international environment.
In an interview given to Times Brasil, Thaíse stated that the American pressure occurs amid the United States’ attempt to define partners and reduce vulnerabilities in sectors linked to technology, digital infrastructure, and international trade.
According to her, this movement intensifies in the context of economic and technological rivalry with China, where countries with scale, energy, territory, and digital infrastructure start to play a more relevant role in global chains.
The expert states that Brazil occupies an important position in this scenario by combining consumer market, digital infrastructure, territory, energy capacity, and the possibility of receiving investments associated with the expansion of data centers, digital services, and new production chains.
In Thaíse’s view, the investigation does not represent an isolated fact, but an unfolding of commercial and technological disputes that have gained strength in recent years, as governments began to treat data, payments, and infrastructure as strategic assets.
Pix appears among the sensitive points
Pix entered the debate because the American investigation deals with electronic payment services and digital commerce, areas in which the Brazilian system has become one of the main public infrastructures for financial transactions in the country.
Created and operated by the Central Bank, Pix is presented by the Brazilian government as an instant payment system aimed at increasing efficiency, security, competition, and financial inclusion, without discriminating against foreign companies or preventing the operation of private solutions.
In response to the United States, the Brazilian government rejected the assessment that Pix harms American companies and maintained that the model functions as neutral public infrastructure, open to different financial institutions and participants authorized by the Central Bank.
The presence of Pix in the investigation shows that the discussion has moved beyond physical goods and now involves digital infrastructure, payment methods, and market operation rules where public and private companies compete for space.
According to the interview published by Times Brasil, Thaíse assesses that the advancement of this infrastructure should be treated as a Brazilian asset in international negotiations, provided that the country preserves room for maneuver and avoids automatic alignment with a single power.
Brazil tries to preserve margin between Washington and Beijing
The expert states that the greatest risk for Brazil would be excessive dependence on just one technological matrix, whether American or Chinese, because this choice would reduce negotiation capacity in a more competitive international scenario.
In her assessment, an approach exclusively oriented by China could increase exposure to American retaliations, while automatic alignment with the United States would fail to consider the weight of Brazil’s economic relationship with Beijing.
The challenge, according to Thaíse, is to build “optionality”, maintaining channels with different partners and preserving conditions to negotiate investments, technology, and market access without rigidly compromising the country’s commercial autonomy.
In practice, this strategy would mean maintaining relations with the United States and China, negotiating based on concrete economic interests, and using Brazil’s relevance as a bargaining tool in areas such as energy, connectivity, and infrastructure.
Intellectual property increases regulatory risk
The American investigation also includes intellectual property, a topic that can affect Brazilian technology companies, digital platforms, software developers, and companies that export services or maintain contracts with clients and partners in the United States.
According to Thaíse, the direct impact on Brazilian companies may not be immediate, but the advancement of the process requires monitoring because potential commercial or regulatory measures may increase scrutiny on market practices, contracts, and protection of digital assets.
In this context, companies with international operations tend to need greater attention to intellectual property documentation, contractual compliance, technology licensing, and adaptation to rules required by foreign clients or authorities.
The risk, therefore, is not limited to the imposition of tariffs on exported goods, as the investigation may also pressure discussions on regulatory standards, market access, and competition conditions in digital sectors.
Brazilian government contests American investigation
Brazil contested the legitimacy of the investigation conducted unilaterally by the United States and argued that commercial divergences should be addressed through bilateral dialogue, diplomatic channels, and multilateral dispute resolution mechanisms.
In the response sent to the USTR, the Brazilian government rejected the allegation that its digital, tariff, and regulatory policies unfairly harm American companies, including in the case of Pix and other instruments related to the digital economy.
The dispute occurs at a time of fiscal constraint in Brazil, a factor that limits the capacity for expanding public investments in technology, infrastructure, and innovation, although the country continues to seek to attract private capital for projects related to productive transformation.
Even in this scenario, Brazil attempts to position itself as a destination for data centers, digital services, connectivity projects, and investments that depend on scale, energy, legal security, and integration with international technology chains.
Digital infrastructure gains weight in negotiations
For Thaíse, the Brazilian opportunity depends on coordination between government, private sector, and regulatory environment, especially in areas related to payments, data, technological infrastructure, and attraction of long-term investments.
The Times Brasil also highlighted that, in the expert’s assessment, merely reactive responses may reduce the country’s negotiation capacity, while a more coordinated agenda would allow treating American pressure as part of a broader debate on international integration.
The United States investigation highlights an agenda that goes beyond traditional trade between the two countries and incorporates topics such as intellectual property, instant payments, digital services, infrastructure, and technological competition.
The strategic value of Brazil is no longer limited to commodities, industry, or consumer market, but also involves data, payment methods, digital infrastructure, and negotiation capacity in a global environment marked by the rivalry between major powers.
Be the first to react!