A Rio de Janeiro judge issued an initial injunction halting a 12% crude oil export tax for five international oil companies. The ruling benefits these firms, who were challenging the levy as unconstitutional in their dispute with the Brazilian government.

<p> <img alt="Judge Humberto de Vasconcelos Sampaio ruled that the sudden imposition of the 12% rate amounts in practice to the creation of a new tax burden with a &#147;merely revenue-raising&#148; purpose" height="80" src="https://en.mercopress.com/data/cache/noticias/109734/100x80/gaso.jpg" style="float: left; margin: 0 12px 6px 0; border: 1px solid #333;" width="100" /> A federal judge in Rio de Janeiro issued a preliminary injunction suspending the 12% crude oil export ...