Trump Targets Brazil's Payments System While Dollar Stablecoins Are Quietly Overtaking Country's Payments
The move follows a year-long Section 301 probe and takes effect July 22, with exemptions for some products, officials said.
- The United States is preparing to impose a 25% tariff on most Brazilian imports, citing the Pix instant-payment system as an unfair trade practice, with the duty taking effect on July 22.
- Since the Central Bank launched Pix in 2020, the system has processed 63 billion transactions worth BRL 26.4 trillion in 2024, competing directly with traditional card networks.
- Stablecoins account for about 90% of reported crypto flows in Brazil, while dollar-pegged tokens represented 40% of crypto purchases on Bitso in 2025, outpacing Bitcoin.
- Brazilian regulators are tightening rules for crypto in cross-border channels, while Tether-backed Oobit added Pix support allowing users to hold USDT.
- Washington's action follows Brazil's promotion of international settlement alternatives during its 2025 BRICS presidency, adding trade pressure to a landscape where dollar demand remains active through blockchain rails.
14 Articles
14 Articles
Brazil’s Pix becomes a trade flashpoint with the US, and the world is watching
Brazil’s instant-payment system Pix has moved from a domestic success story to the centre of a trade fight with the United States, and governments elsewhere are watching how it ends. The dispute hardened in June, when the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) determined that Brazil’s practices around digital trade and electronic payments were “unreasonable” and […] This story continues at The Next Web
The inclusion of Pix among the justifications of Donald Trump's government to impose 25% tariffs on part of Brazilian exports had an impact on the international press. The Economist and The Wall Street Journal highlighted the success of the Brazilian system of instant payments created by the Central Bank (BC), defended its contribution to financial inclusion and questioned the arguments that the platform would have been used to harm American com…
The Economist
Hindustan TimesBrazil’s beloved payments system has drawn Donald Trump’s ire
But his tariff assault on Pix just makes Brazilians love it—and Lula—more
Trump targets Brazil's payments system while dollar stablecoins are quietly overtaking country's payments
Washington views Brazil’s promotion of non-dollar payment channels, including Pix and the growth of stablecoins, as a potential threat to dollar-based trade.
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