Brazil condemns U.S. tariffs, moves to invoke reciprocity law in trade dispute

RIO DE JANEIRO, July 16 (Xinhua) -- Brazil on Thursday strongly condemned the U.S. decision to impose a 25 percent tariff on certain imports from the country and said it would invoke its newly enacted Economic Reciprocity Law in response.

In a statement, the Brazilian government rejected the legitimacy of "unilateral measures" imposed by the United States, noting that Washington has recorded a cumulative trade surplus of 424.5 billion U.S. dollars in goods and services with Brazil over the past 15 years.

Brazil will immediately begin procedures to activate the Economic Reciprocity Law and bring the dispute before the World Trade Organization, according to the statement.

The U.S. tariffs, scheduled to take effect on July 22, cover steel, industrial inputs and agricultural products.

The measures were approved by U.S. President Donald Trump following an investigation by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative into some of Brazil's trade and tariff policies. Enditem