Deforestation in Brazil puts US farmers at a disadvantage, says US trade representative

US Trade Representative, Jamieson Greer, speaks to the press on the day he participates in a working lunch with EU trade ministers, in Brussels, Belgium, November 24, 2025. Piroschka van de Wouw/Reuters United States Trade Representative, Jamieson Greer, stated, during a hearing at the US Senate Finance Committee this Wednesday (22), that deforestation practices in Brazil put American farmers at a competitive disadvantage. Greer also stated that "lower environmental standards in other countries justify higher tariffs" and reiterated that the US works to maintain and expand agricultural market access in other countries, such as Mexico and Canada. As g1 has already shown, illegal deforestation was one of the main arguments used by the American government to justify the new 25% tariff on Brazilian products. The measure was announced after an investigation by the Donald Trump administration concluded that Brazil adopts practices that "encumber or restrict" trade with the United States. Among these practices, according to the American investigation, would be the offering of products such as wood and meat at more competitive prices because they would be produced in areas associated with environmental crimes.

To support this accusation, the document mainly uses deforestation data, but cites outdated indicators. One of them is the increase in deforestation registered in 2021, during the Jair Bolsonaro government, when the country had one of the worst results in the recent historical series. Although the data cited is real, the document ignores more recent figures that indicate a drop in deforestation rates. An example is the fact that the country recorded, in 2025, the lowest rate of deforestation in the Amazon in more than ten years. Minister rebuts US accusations Last week, the Minister of the Environment, João Paulo Capobianco, stated that the arguments about deforestation in Brazil used by the United States to justify the new tariff against Brazilian products are "absolutely unfounded". "The arguments used by the North American government to justify the tariffs are absolutely unfounded, they have no technical foundation, they are not based on any verifiable information," said Capobianco. The minister stated that all wood exported by Brazil is certified and goes through a rigorous inspection system, reiterating that the information used by the American government is "absolutely untrue". "Today, the wood export system is one of the most rigorous in the entire environmental control system, as required by the international market. All wood exported is certified. It is monitored from its origin in the forest to shipment, Ibama and Revenue technicians monitor the cargo. It is not possible, in any Brazilian port, to export wood without verification and proof of the chain of custody," said the minister. 25% tariff comes into effect this Wednesday The statements were made on the same day that the new 25% tariff imposed by the American government on Brazilian products came into force. The justifications were widely contested by the Brazilian government, which considers the measure an attempt to interfere in internal issues that are considered non-negotiable. The assessment in Brasília is that the tariff is politically motivated. The new tax leaves out an extensive list of products, including oil, coffee and beef. On the other hand, sectors such as ethanol, agricultural machinery and paper will be affected by the measure. See questions and answers about the new tariff The expectation is that another additional tariff, estimated between 10% and 12.5%, will be announced in the coming days for around 60 countries, including Brazil. In this case, the charge would be related to investigations into alleged forced labor practices. *With information from Reuters news agency.

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