The Ministry of Economy and Finance clarified that 77.5% of Uruguay’s exports to the US market will not be affected by the new tariff, while the government works to mitigate the impact on the products that are covered.
The US government included Uruguay among 60 countries affected by new measures under investigations conducted pursuant to Section 301, raising the tariff on some products from 10% to 12.5%.
However, the Ministry of Economy and Finance said on Friday that 77.5% of US imports of Uruguayan products are exempt from the new tariff.
The main exempt products are beef, pulp, wood and oranges. Products affected by the measure include beef tallow, chemicals, construction timber, mandarins, soybeans and honey.
To assess the potential impact, the ministry used Uruguay’s exports to the US in 2025 as a reference. These totaled US$ 1.586 billion. Of that amount, around US$ 1.229 billion would have been exempt from the tariff, while US$ 357 million—22.5% of the total—would have been subject to the new 12.5% rate.
The government has also opened a path for the situation to be reviewed. As part of the Competitiveness and Cost of Living Reduction Bill, an article was included banning imports of products made using forced or child labour.
Should the initiative be approved, Uruguay could request a reassessment of its case by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), which could result in a reduction or elimination of the tariff.
