Brazil has imposed safeguards against certain Chinese imports including footwear and textiles, in an attempt to protect the country’s most important manufacturing sectors. Resolution 5.556 was signed by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and published in the Official Journal on October 6, enabling industrial sectors that feel threatened by Chinese imports to request specific measures to protect the domestic industry. However the safeguards will not be implemented automatically and each sector must apply for protection.