WTO Director: Brazil Has Not Ruled out Any Response to US Tariffs

Roberto Azevedo, Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), gestures during a news conference in Brasilia, Brazil, March 12, 2018.

World Trade Organization Director-General Roberto Azevedo said on Wednesday that Brazilian government officials tell him they have not ruled out any response to U.S. steel tariffs and may resort to the WTO to settle the dispute.

Speaking to reporters at the World Economic Forum on Latin America, Azevedo said the "potential systemic risks" of reactions to the tariffs announced last week by U.S. President Donald Trump are "worrying" and increased the probability of a trade war.