Brazil Defends PIX, Rejects US Tariff Threats as Washington Sanctions Crime Network

The U.S. Office of the United States Trade Representative accused Brazil of unfair trade practices linked to its instant payment system PIX and warned it may levy an additional 25% tariff on Brazilian exports. Brazil’s foreign ministry, led by Minister Mauro Vieira, denied the allegations, stating that PIX is a publicly‑owned infrastructure open to any qualified company and citing the U.S. FedNow system as a comparable example. The ministry also defended Brazil’s existing tariff regime as favorable to U.S. exports.

Separately, the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control imposed sanctions on two Brazilian individuals, three São Paulo‑based firms and a Portuguese company for laundering over $30 million for the Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) criminal organization through crypto and shell companies. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, speaking at the Mercosur summit, responded by emphasizing South American sovereignty, declaring that no one “owns” the continent.