Reuters reported that the carriers had turned down an invitation from the US embassy in Sao Paulo to meet Keith Krach, under-secretary of state for economic growth.
An unnamed source was quoted as saying: "This invitation is not compatible with free-market choices that we are used to. We should be able to freely make our best financial decisions.”
In September, it was reported that Krach had warned Italy and Germany against using Huawei gear. He told a meeting of the German Marshall Fund think-tank that Huawei was an arm of the CCP surveillance state and a tool for human rights abuse".
Four Brazilian companies — Telefonica Brasil SA, Grupo Oi SA, TIM Participações SA, controlled by Telecom Italia SpA, and Claro, owned by Mexico’s America Movil — each control between 19% and 29% of the local market.
All four use Huawei equipment ahead of the spectrum auctions next year and do not support the ban on Huawei sought by the US Government.
Washington has campaigned for more than two years to try and push countries it considers allies to avoid using 5G equipment from Huawei in their networks. Thus far, Australia and Vietnam have said openly that they would follow the US' lead. Sweden recently became the third country to say so openly.
Japan, South Korea, New Zealand and Poland have indicated that they are likely to toe the US line, but have yet to make public pronouncements about what policy they would follow.
The UK broke ranks with the US in January, saying it would allow Huawei to supply up to a third of equipment for non-core parts of its 5G networks but more recently changed its stance, saying it would remove Huawei gear completely by 2027.
