The United States and Brazil appeared to have launched a sudden trade war on Wednesday.
First, President Trump said that he planned to impose a 50 percent tariff on all Brazilian imports, partly in retaliation for what he sees as a “witch hunt” against his political ally, former President Jair Bolsonaro, who is facing trial for attempting a coup.
In a letter to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil, Mr. Trump wrote that the new tariffs would take effect on Aug. 1. “The way that Brazil has treated former President Bolsonaro, a Highly Respected Leader throughout the World during his Term, including by the United States, is an international disgrace.”
A few hours later, Mr. Lula said that Brazil would reciprocate against the tariffs. “Brazil is a sovereign country with independent institutions that will not accept being abused by anyone,” he said in a statement. He added that the case against Mr. Bolsonaro “is the sole responsibility of the Brazilian Judiciary.”
The quickly escalating dispute has the potential for major economic and political repercussions, especially in Brazil. The United States is Brazil’s second largest trading partner after China, and Mr. Trump appears to be demanding an end to Mr. Bolsonaro’s prosecution to lift the steep tariffs.
Mr. Trump's effort to use tariffs to intervene in a criminal trial in a foreign nation is an extraordinary example of how he wields levies as a one-size-fits-all cudgel — and how they can yield economic destruction as a result.
In his letter, Mr. Trump said the 50 percent tariff was needed to “have the Level Playing Field we must have with your Country” and “to rectify the grave injustices of the current regime.”
Mr. Trump also incorrectly said the United States had a trade deficit with Brazil. For years, the United States has generally maintained a trade surplus with Brazil. The two countries had about $92 billion in trade together last year, with the United States enjoying a $7.4 billion surplus in the relationship. The top products traded are aircraft, oil, machinery and iron.
Mr. Trump wrote that the tariffs were also in response to “SECRET and UNLAWFUL Censorship Orders to U.S. Social Media platforms” and that he had ordered U.S. officials to open a trade investigation into Brazil for “continued attacks on the Digital Trade activities of American Companies.”
Justice Alexandre de Moraes, the Brazilian Supreme Court justice who is overseeing the case against Mr. Bolsonaro, has ordered tech companies to take down hundreds of accounts that he said threatened Brazil’s democracy. His moves have made him a top target of the right in Brazil and the United States.
Mr. Lula said on Wednesday that the Supreme Court is enforcing Brazilian law. “In Brazil, freedom of expression is not to be confused with aggression or violent practices,” he said.
Ahead of the tariff threats, Mr. Trump and Mr. Lula traded barbs on Monday.
Mr. Trump publicly criticized the criminal case against Mr. lsonaro, which focuses on the former president’s attempts to hold on to power after losing Brazil’s 2022 election. He drew comparisons to his own criminal charges after losing the 2020 election. “It happened to me, times 10,” Mr. Trump wrote online on Monday. “I’ll be watching the WITCH HUNT of Jair Bolsonaro, his family, and thousands of his supporters, very closely.”
Mr. Lula quickly fired back. “I think it’s very wrong and very irresponsible for a president to be threatening others on social media,” the Brazilian president told reporters on Monday. “He needs to know that the world has changed. We don’t want an emperor.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/09/world/americas/brazil-trump-bolsonaro-lula-coup-tariff.html
000hhh, I see now... it's a witch hunt tariff.
By
Crnr2Crnr ·
