🌳 Illegal deforestation – the agency says that illegal logging in the Amazon undermines the competitiveness of the U.S. timber industry in global markets. According to the USTR, illegally sourced wood depresses international timber prices and harms American producers. The office also says there is evidence that the Brazilian government has reduced incentives aimed at combating deforestation.

💸 Preferential tariffs – the USTR claims that Brazil grants more favorable tariff treatment to countries such as Mexico and India than to the United States. According to the agency, more than 1,000 tariff lines receive preferential treatment for Mexican products, while hundreds do so for Indian products.

⛓ Anti-corruption efforts – the office says Brazil has moved away from international standards on combating corruption and bribery. As an example, it notes that the country scored 35 points on Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index.

🏴‍☠️ Intellectual property – the USTR states that Brazil has been on the Special 301 Report Watch List since 2007, a list of countries considered to provide inadequate protection for intellectual property rights and insufficient market access for U.S. companies.

⛽️ Ethanol – the agency argues that Brazil no longer provides balanced tariff treatment for U.S. ethanol and has failed to reciprocate the preferences granted by the United States to Brazilian ethanol. According to the USTR, U.S. ethanol exports to Brazil totaled US$96 million in 2025, representing an 87% decline from the peak recorded in 2018.

🪙 Pix and electronic payments – the office says that Brazil's Central Bank favors Pix over U.S. electronic payment companies. According to the USTR, the monetary authority requires financial institutions to offer Pix free of charge to individuals and limits the fees that can be charged to businesses, placing U.S. competitors at a disadvantage.