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PÉROU PERSPECTIVE
US HITS BRAZIL WITH 25% TARIFF, LULA INVOKES RECIPROCITY LAW
DOMINANT ANGLE
Lima is closely watching the trade dispute between Washington and Brasília, fearing fallout on its own growing trade exchanges with Brazil.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
ANALYSIS
Lima, July 17, 2026. Peru is closely watching the escalating trade tensions between the US and Brazil after the announcement, on Wednesday, of a 25% tariff imposed by the US on a series of Brazilian products. According to reports, the decision follows a trade investigation opened a year ago by the US Trade Representative (USTR) under Section 301 of the 1974 Trade Act. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer justified the measure, stating that several Brazilian policies are "unreasonable" and restrict American trade. The targeted areas include digital commerce and electronic payment services, deemed unfair preferential tariffs, a decline in anti-corruption standards, intellectual property protection, access to the ethanol market, and illegal deforestation, which Washington claims gives Brazilian agricultural producers an unfair competitive advantage.
Greer specified that negotiations with Brazil over the past year have not resolved the disputes, while ensuring that the door to dialogue remains open. He also accused Brazil of harming American tech companies and hindering access for American workers and exporters to its market.
For Peru, this confrontation goes beyond a bilateral dispute: Peru has growing economic ties with its Brazilian neighbor. According to data from Embratur, relayed by Gestión, 89,657 Peruvian tourists visited Brazil between January and May 2026, a 20.59% increase over the same period last year and a historical record. Flights between the two countries have surged 23.5%, with direct connections from Lima to São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Brasília, Curitiba, Florianópolis, and Porto Alegre.
In this context, the Peruvian press consulted does not detail the response announced by President Lula or the activation of Brazil's reciprocity law, or the decline of the Ibovespa index mentioned at the regional level. The focus is on the US justifications and Peru's own exposure, whose growth in tourism and air connectivity with Brazil could suffer from a prolonged deterioration of the regional trade climate.
KEY POINTS
- Peru's neighbor Brazil faces a 25% tariff on its products by the US after a year-long USTR investigation under Section 301, targeting digital trade, anti-corruption, intellectual property, ethanol, and illegal deforestation
- Peru's capital Lima notes that the Brazilian government's actions have been a point of discussion, with Ambassador Jamieson Greer stating that the past year's negotiations were unsuccessful, but the dialogue remains open, while also citing concerns that Brasília's policies harm American tech companies
- Peruvian tourism to Brazil has reached a record high with 89,657 visitors between January and May 2026, a 20.59% increase, and a 23.5% rise in direct flights between Lima and several Brazilian cities
COGNITIVE BIASES IDENTIFIED
Peru's government sees the issue through a US-centered lens, largely adopting the justifications of the USTR without directly incorporating the Brazilian authorities' perspective in the Peruvian sources consulted
The Peruvian media prefers to focus on the bilateral angle between Peru and Brazil, such as tourism and air connectivity, rather than the broader regional impact of the trade conflict
There is limited coverage in the available Peruvian press of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's response and Brazil's reciprocity law, as well as the reaction of Brazilian financial markets
SOURCES (2)
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