Brazil has formally launched the process under its Economic Reciprocity Law in response to a 25% U.S. tariff on Brazilian products imposed over alleged unfair trade practices, opening an administrative track that begins with diplomatic consultations and could run for more than four months before any countermeasures are adopted. The government said the Foreign Ministry is notifying the United States and requesting consultations, signaling that dialogue with the White House remains its first option even as trade tensions deepen. Under the ordinary procedure chosen by Brasilia, Camex bodies must first classify the case, after which a working group may propose measures for public consultation before a final decision by the Strategic Council. Economists warned the move could unsettle Brazilian markets and raise the risk of further escalation, including the possibility of higher U.S. tariffs, while any immediate impact is more likely to come through risk perception, the currency, inflation expectations, interest-rate bets and credit conditions than through direct effects on trade flows. The law, signed by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in April of last year and regulated in July, allows Brazil to respond to unilateral actions that harm its international competitiveness, including through trade, investment and intellectual property countermeasures.