The United States has agreed to hold consultations with Brazil at the World Trade Organization (WTO) after a clash over steep tariffs Washington recently imposed on Brazilian imports, according to a filing published Monday on the WTO’s website.

Earlier this month, President Donald Trump announced a 50% tariff on most goods from Brazil, linking the move to what he called a “witch hunt” against former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, a close ally now on trial for allegedly attempting to overturn the 2022 election.

In its response to Brazil’s complaint, the U.S. defended the tariffs, arguing that some of the issues raised fall under national security and therefore lie outside the WTO’s authority to adjudicate. Washington maintained that Brazil’s policies were “undermining the rule of law and threatening the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States.”

The case is shaping up as a potential test of the WTO’s ability to handle disputes when members invoke national security as a defense—an argument the U.S. has leaned on more frequently in recent trade battles. Brazil’s request for consultations marks the first formal step in the WTO’s dispute settlement process.