The electronic payment system “Pix,” developed and operated by the Central Bank of Brazil (BCB), has spread rapidly across the country since its launch in 2020. More than 90% of adults in Brazil use it for payments such as shopping. Many countries in the Global South with large low‑income populations are considering introducing similar systems modeled on Pix. In response, the Donald Trump administration has been mounting strong opposition, claiming that it is taking market share from U.S.-based credit card companies and major IT firms.

According to the BCB, Pix is a payment system that allows users to instantly send and receive money 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Anyone with a bank account in Brazil can use it with an email address or phone number. Transfers are also possible simply by scanning a QR code. Fees are free for individual users and kept low for merchants and corporate transactions.

What the BCB aims for is “financial inclusion,” a system in which anyone who wishes can access the market regardless of wealth or size. Even low‑income people who cannot pass credit card screening can now make safer purchases and transactions through Pix. Such efforts are highly regarded as a model for financial infrastructure in countries in Latin America and Africa.

The Trump administration, however, has made no secret of its dissatisfaction. According to the French state‑owned broadcaster France24, Meta, which operates Facebook, tried to launch a WhatsApp payment system in Brazil in 2020, several months before Pix was introduced. However, banking authorities postponed the launch until after Pix was rolled out, effectively preventing its spread. In July 2025, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) announced that it was opening an investigation into “unfair trade practices,” without specifically naming Pix. In August of the same year, it imposed tariffs on Brazil at a world‑leading rate of 50%.

Trump has a close relationship with far‑right former president Jair Bolsonaro, who received a prison sentence of 27 years and 3 months for an attempted coup. Ahead of Brazil’s presidential election in the fall of 2026, he has been stepping up criticism of incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. In a report released at the end of March 2026, the USTR again expressed concern that Pix “disadvantages U.S. electronic payment service providers.” Lula, in turn, has taken a clearly confrontational stance, declaring that “no one can force us to change Pix.”

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Strawberries: “You can pay with Pix” (Photo: Mateus S. Figueiredo) Wikimedia Commons [CC BY-SA 4.0]