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Brazil Pushes to Link Pix Internationally as U.S. Tariffs Raise Stakes

Cross-border links for Pix could cut payment costs for merchants, reshaping competition with U.S. card firms

Overview

  • Brazil’s central bank said on Monday it is actively assessing bilateral and multilateral links for Pix and reiterated that Pix is critical public digital infrastructure.
  • U.S. trade authorities imposed a 25% tariff on many Brazilian goods after a July investigation that cited Pix and the central bank’s operator‑and‑regulator role as disadvantaging U.S. card networks.
  • Chinese card network UnionPay has reportedly proposed a pilot to let users of Chinese payment apps pay Brazilian merchants by scanning Pix codes, but the plan is unconfirmed and the report named no Brazilian partner or start date.
  • Pix dominates Brazil’s retail payments, with transactions near 80 billion in 2025 and volumes above 35 trillion reais, and the system has driven cheaper merchant payments and wider financial inclusion.
  • Private firms such as PayPal are adding Pix support for merchants, a trend that could lower checkout costs for sellers and make it easier for tourists to pay, even as the push to internationalize Pix risks deeper trade and diplomatic friction.