On the 15th of the month, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) officially announced the initiation of a "Section 301 Investigation" targeting Brazil. This investigation will scrutinize Brazil's governmental actions, policies, and practices in various sectors, including digital trade, electronic payments, tariff preferences, anti-corruption measures, intellectual property protection, ethanol market access, and illegal deforestation. The aim is to assess the extent to which these factors restrict and impact U.S. commerce. The "Section 301 Investigation" is rooted in Section 301 of the U.S. Trade Act of 1974, which empowers the USTR to conduct investigations into "unreasonable or unfair trade practices" of foreign nations and to recommend unilateral sanctions to the President. Notably, former President Trump had previously threatened to impose a 50% tariff on Brazil.