Trump Imposes 50% Tariff on Brazil Amid Trial of Ally Jair Bolsonaro
President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that he intends to impose a 50% tariff on imports from Brazil. This decision partially stems from his concerns over how Brazil has treated former President Jair Bolsonaro, a close ally of Trump. In a letter posted on his Truth Social platform, Trump expressed disapproval of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s administration, characterizing its treatment of Bolsonaro as an “international disgrace.”
Bolsonaro, often dubbed the “Trump of the tropics,” is currently facing legal troubles, including charges related to alleged efforts to overturn his 2022 election defeat. Trump strongly defended Bolsonaro, declaring that the ongoing trial against him is unwarranted. He accused the Brazilian government of engaging in “insidious attacks on Free Elections” and infringing upon the free speech rights of Americans through censorship on U.S. social media platforms.
Earlier, Brazil’s Supreme Court ruled that social media companies could be held accountable for their content. Elon Musk’s platform, X, faced temporary bans in Brazil after Musk defied a court order to remove specific accounts. Trump contended that Brazil’s trade policies have been unfair to the United States, citing unsustainable trade deficits as a factor in his tariff decision.
However, contrary to Trump’s claims, the U.S. actually enjoyed a trade surplus of over $7 billion with Brazil last year. Lula responded to Trump’s tariff threat via a post on X, stating that the claim of a trade deficit was inaccurate and promised that any tariff increase would be managed according to Brazil’s Economic Reciprocity Law. He asserted Brazil’s sovereignty and insisted that the judicial proceedings against Bolsonaro fall exclusively within the jurisdiction of Brazilian courts.
Trump further threatened to escalate tariffs should Brazil retaliate, emphasizing that the proposed 50% tariff is only a step towards creating a more equitable trade relationship.