Brazilian scholars say US putting domestic law above int'l rules in latest tariff move

Brazilian scholars have strongly condemned the latest U.S. move to impose tariffs on select Brazilian products, calling it a clear violation of World Trade Organization (WTO) rules and an act of protectionism that places U.S. domestic law above international rules.

It comes after the U.S. announced a 25 percent tariff on certain imports from Brazil starting July 22 and imposed another 12.5 percent tariff on some Brazilian products, citing so-called "failure to effectively prevent forced labor," leaving some Brazilian industries to face combined tariffs of up to 37.5 percent.

The Brazilian government has rejected the U.S. tariff decisions and said it would turn to the WTO's dispute settlement system to resolve the issue.

Legal experts have also dismissed the U.S. justifications for the measure as unfounded, noting that Brazil has long maintained a trade deficit with the United States. They said that the unilateral duties undermine the principle of reciprocity in trade established by the WTO.

"The U.S. actions violate WTO agreements. The U.S. did not base the application of these measures on international agreements, but on its domestic law. The Brazilian government has revealed that it held numerous negotiations with the U.S. to reach an agreement, but the U.S. made overly harsh demands. Basically, the U.S. demanded that Brazil surrender and make concessions, which Brazil could not accept," said Rabih Nasser, Professor of international law, international trade law and arbitration at the Sao Paulo Law School of Fundacao Getulio Vargas (FGV Direito SP).

Major Brazilian commodities including coffee, beef, and crude oil are excluded from the tariffs; while industrial machinery, tires, sugar, ethanol, tobacco, footwear, and some aluminum products are subject to high tariffs. Given this specific item list, analysts say it appears the U.S. is again prioritizing its own domestic political and economic interests through this tariff strategy which seeks to avoid steep import cost hikes that could fuel inflation.

"The U.S. exempted goods that would impact domestic inflation or be difficult to substitute in the domestic market. So the tariff measures are turned more into a negotiating lever calibrated by the internal interests of the United States," said Vitelio Brustolin, a professor of international relations at the Fluminense Federal University (UFF).

The escalating trade barriers have already contributed to a steady decline in Brazil's trade dependence on the U.S. In the first half of this year, Brazilian exports to the U.S. fell 13 percent year-on-year, accounting for just 9.4 percent of Brazil's total exports, the lowest share since records began in 1997. Meanwhile, Brazil's exports to the rest of the world grew by 11.5 percent during the same period.

Brazilian scholars say US putting domestic law above int'l rules in latest tariff move

The 9.18 Historical Museum in Shenyang, northeast China's Liaoning Province, has recently been presented with a batch of precious cultural relics and historical materials donated by a private collector on Chinese people's struggle against Japanese aggression, as this year marks the 95th anniversary of the September 18, 1931 Incident.

On the night of Sept. 18, 1931, the Japanese Kwantung Army bombed a section of the South Manchuria Railway near the Liutiao Lake on the northern outskirts of Shenyang, a city in northeast China.

The Japanese blamed Chinese troops for the act and used this as a pretext to attack Beidaying (the Great Northern Barracks), where the Chinese Northeast Army was garrisoned, and then bombarded Shenyang.

The September 18, 1931 Incident marked the start of China's war of resistance against Japanese aggression.

The collections donated to the museum include 14 pieces from Zhan Hongge, a collector of historical documents.

He donated domestic and foreign newspapers and periodicals published between 1931 and 1945, featuring historical materials about the September 18, 1931 Incident launched by Japanese militarists, Japan's military occupation of northeast China, the Northeastern Volunteer Righteous and Brave Fighters' and the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army's counterattack against the Japanese invaders, and Japan's announcement of unconditional surrender in 1945, as well as the bills issued in the period.

"This picture in the newspaper shows the Japanese Kwantung Army occupied Shenyang's Beiling. This is Zhang Xueliang's villa near Beiling. Besides Beidaying, they also invaded Jilin and occupied Changchun. These are the images recording the invasions," Zhan said.

The newspaper donated by Zhan also reflects how people in northeast China, under the influence of the Communist Party of China, established armed forces to fight Japanese invaders after the September 18, 1931 Incident.

"These two pieces of newspapers were part of the progressive publication 'Jiuwang Qingbao' (information on national salvation) at that time. The newspapers detailed some resistance of the volunteer army led by Zhao Shangzhi against the Japanese aggressor troops, covering some specific time points. It's helpful in future exhibitions for us to study these historical facts about the Northeast anti-Japanese United Army led by the Communist Party of China," said Tian Jing, a researcher at the museum.

Historical museum receives private collections about struggle against Japanese aggression