U.S. Trade Office Flags Brazil Payment System Pix in Section 301 Determination

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative determined last week that several Brazilian trade practices are actionable under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. The notice cited Brazil's instant payment system Pix among the practices under review.

The determination listed familiar concerns including ethanol tariffs, alleged discrimination against U.S. social media companies, and illegal deforestation. It also stated that Pix "unfairly disadvantaged U.S. companies," marking the first time a Section 301 case has treated a country's domestic payment system as a trade enforcement issue.

USTR concerns Pix allows individuals, businesses, and government entities to send and receive money in seconds. In 2025 the platform recorded $6.7 trillion in transaction volume and is projected to account for half of Brazil's e-commerce transactions by 2028.

USTR argued that Brazil's central bank creates a conflict of interest by serving as both regulator and owner-operator of Pix. The office identified four features as potentially unfair: mandatory participation by large financial institutions, prominent placement of Pix in banking apps, free access for individuals, and capped fees for businesses.

Earlier payment-related trade actions In 2010 the United States brought a WTO case against China's restrictions on foreign electronic payment suppliers. The U.S. won parts of that case in 2012, though foreign providers continued to face licensing delays.

USTR's 2026 National Trade Estimate Report also raised concerns about India's Unified Payments Interface, stating that its policies appear to favor domestic suppliers over foreign ones.