Brazil is not the only country targeted by an investigation based on Section 301, which allows the American government to investigate practices considered harmful to US trade Getty Images via BBC The new United States tariff against part of Brazil's exports – which comes into force this Wednesday (22/07) – is part of a larger strategy by Donald Trump's government to circumvent a ban imposed by the American Supreme Court and reconstruct the largest and most comprehensive tariffs implemented at the beginning of his second term. ? According to experts interviewed by BBC News Brasil, the taxation applied against Brazilian products following an investigation into commercial practices considered unfair may just be the first in a series of new protectionist measures based on similar inquiries. "In response to the Supreme Court decision, the Trump administration is implementing a plan B and identifying a more robust strategy from a legal point of view", summarizes Oliver Stuenkel, researcher at Harvard University and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and professor at FGV. Since before assuming the White House for the second time, Trump has defended a conservative and protectionist economic agenda for the USA. Trump's 25% tariff against Brazil comes into effect today; see what changes Still in the first months of 2025, the American president announced the so-called reciprocal tariffs, which were at the core of the government's tariff strategy. Dozens of countries were targeted with extra rates between 10% and 41%, imposed based on the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). According to Trump, national legislation from 1977 would authorize him to adopt this type of measure in exceptional situations. But between bilateral negotiations and back and forth announced by the White House itself, the Supreme Court decided in February this year that the Republican exceeded his authority and that IEEPA does not allow the president to create tariffs on his own. Immediately after the court ruling, Trump signed an executive order to impose a new 10% global tariff, this time using Section 122 of the US Trade Act of 1974. This section of US legislation allowed the president to impose tariffs of up to 15% for up to 150 days on imports from all countries, without the need for Congressional approval. The 150-day period, however, expires this week, on July 24th. READ ALSO Canada cancels joint inauguration of bridge with the USA after Trump's tariffs Spanish city presents World Cup champions with tomatoes equivalent to their own weight; watch video In search of legal bases It is in this context that investigations into unfair commercial practices and threats to national security conducted by the American government come into play. This was the alternative found by Trump and his advisors to maintain his protectionist agenda, say economists and political analysts consulted by BBC News Brasil. In an interview with The Daily podcast, from The New York Times, the United States Trade Representative, Jamieson Greer, said that the government is rebuilding the legal bases to reinstate part of the surcharges that were removed or impose new ones. He also spoke about another front of tariffs in preparation, which could affect more than 40 countries accused of practices such as industry subsidies and currency manipulation. According to Ana Swanson, a reporter for the newspaper who interviewed Greer, the American administration believes that this path can be much more lasting and foresees the entry into force of tariffs of around 10% against more than 80 countries, probably by the end of this month. The first country effectively taxed following this strategy in Trump's second term is Brazil. After an investigation lasting almost a year, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) announced the application of 25% tariffs on a series of Brazilian products. The inquiry is based on another part of the same 1974 law used by the Republican president to apply temporary tariffs that expire this week. Section 301 of the US Trade Law allows the US government to investigate practices considered harmful to US commerce. The instrument follows a procedure that includes the beginning of dialogue with the commercial partner, investigation, mediation and, finally, measures to correct any irregularities. The complete process lasts at least 12 months and can be extended. In the Brazilian case, the tariff was justified by the US alleging practices such as favoring Pix, access to the ethanol market and problems related to corruption and deforestation. According to Jamieson Greer, the measure is necessary "to confront unfair trade practices and ensure that American workers and companies can compete under fair conditions." New US tariff against Brazil follows the American government's new strategy to circumvent the Supreme Court decision Getty Images via BBC The list of products targeted by the tariffs includes ethanol, agricultural machinery, clothing and footwear and electrical material. Items such as coffee, oranges, orange juice and beef were included in the list of exceptions. But Brazil is not the only country targeted by a Section 301 investigation. The USTR is currently conducting an inquiry that targets sixteen of the United States' largest trading partners—China, the European Union (EU), Singapore, Switzerland, Norway, Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand, South Korea, Vietnam, Taiwan, Bangladesh, Mexico, Japan, and India—for engaging in allegedly unfair trade practices. This investigation is ongoing and results are expected soon. Another recent lawsuit, also based on 301, concluded that 60 US trading partners, including the EU, Japan and Brazil, adopted unfair trade practices by failing to prevent trade in products made with forced labor. The US