中文title: “US to Impose 25% Tariff on Brazilian Footwear: Industry Warns of Devastating Fallout Across the Americas” original_url: “https://www.worldfootwear.com/news/us-imposes-25-tariffs-on-brazilian-goods-raising-concerns-in-the-footwear-industry/11651.html” source: “World Footwear” publish_date: “2026-07-21” seo_description: “The US will impose a 25% tariff on Brazilian footwear from July 22, 2026. Abicalçados warns the move will make many export operations unviable, revising its 2026 export forecast to -7.1%.” seo_tags: [“US tariffs Brazil”, “Brazilian footwear tariffs”, “trade war footwear”, “Abicalçados”, “Section 301”, “footwear trade policy”, “US Brazil trade”] seo_slug: “us-25-percent-tariff-brazilian-footwear-2026”
US to Impose 25% Tariff on Brazilian Footwear: Industry Warns of Devastating Fallout Across the Americas
The United States is set to impose a 25% tariff on Brazilian footwear and several other goods starting July 22, 2026 — a move that the Brazilian footwear industry warns will render many export operations unviable and has already triggered a sharp downward revision of the sector’s annual export forecast.
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer announced the tariffs under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, concluding a year-long investigation that found Brazil’s policies on digital trade, intellectual property, ethanol market access, anti-corruption enforcement, and illegal deforestation place “an unreasonable burden” on American interests.
The timing is particularly brutal for the footwear sector. The tariffs take effect just two days before the temporary 10% global tariff imposed under the previous administration is set to expire — meaning Brazilian footwear exporters face a sudden and dramatic increase in the effective duty rate paid by their US customers.
The Industry Responds
Haroldo Ferreira, Executive President of the Brazilian Footwear Industries Association (Abicalçados), minced no words in his assessment. “This additional tariff significantly reduces the competitiveness of Brazilian footwear in the United States and renders many operations unviable — operations that had resumed since the additional 40% tariff was lifted in February this year,” he stated.
Speaking after attending the USTR public hearing on July 7, Ferreira emphasized that the damage extends far beyond Brazilian factories. “This measure penalizes not only Brazilian exporters, but also US importers, brands, retailers, and consumers, given the interdependence of production and trade between the two countries.”
Broad Opposition from American Industry
Ferreira’s argument found unlikely allies on the American side. Representatives from the Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America (FDRA), the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA), and the United States Fashion Industry Association (USFIA) all spoke out against the tariff during the USTR hearing. Major US importers and retailers — including JPT Group LLC, Bernardo Footwear, and Dillard’s Inc. — also voiced opposition.
This alignment between Brazilian exporters and American importers underscores a fundamental truth about tariffs: they function as a tax on the importing country’s consumers and businesses, not just on the exporting country’s manufacturers.
The Revised Forecast
Abicalçados has slashed its 2026 export projection, now expecting a 7.1% decline in total footwear exports compared to its previous forecast of a 3.6% drop. Brazilian President Lula da Silva has described the tariffs as unjustified and indicated Brazil will invoke its Reciprocity Law while challenging the measures through the World Trade Organization — though such challenges typically take years to resolve.
For global footwear supply chains, the US-Brazil tariff escalation adds another layer of uncertainty to an already volatile trading environment. Brands and retailers that have invested in Brazilian sourcing relationships face difficult choices: absorb the tariff cost, pass it to consumers, or pivot sourcing to alternative origins. None of those options is painless — and all of them take time that the July 22 deadline does not allow.
Source: World Footwear — US imposes 25% tariffs on Brazilian goods, raising concerns in the footwear industry, based on USTR and Abicalçados statements, July 2026.
