According to the newspaper Jornal do Comercio, experts are exploring possible options and the measure would be an alternative to more severe policies, such as banning U.S. products in government purchases.

The proposal under consideration is to use a system of preference margins to buy non-US products, even if they cost a little more, as a response to Washington’s sanctions.

With this margin, U.S. products would not be excluded from the government’s shopping list, but could be bypassed in an effort to open the market to other nations.

If a U.S. company were to win first place in a bidding process, for example, the margin of preference would allow a reclassification so that a non-U.S. company could win the process.

An official working on the drafting of the proposal explained the report to a local newspaper on condition of anonymity, and said that the measure could ultimately result in additional costs for the government.

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