Trump threatens Brazil with 50% tariff over Bolsonaro trial

[ad_1] <img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/8907/live/7b3d1400-5d07-11f0-a844-279cd2217db0.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/8907/live/7b3d1400-5d07-11f0-a844-279cd2217db0.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/8907/live/7b3d1400-5d07-11f0-a844-279cd2217db0.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/8907/live/7b3d1400-5d07-11f0-a844-279cd2217db0.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/8907/live/7b3d1400-5d07-11f0-a844-279cd2217db0.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/8907/live/7b3d1400-5d07-11f0-a844-279cd2217db0.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/8907/live/7b3d1400-5d07-11f0-a844-279cd2217db0.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/8907/live/7b3d1400-5d07-11f0-a844-279cd2217db0.jpg.webp" loading="eager" alt="Bloomberg/Getty US President Donald Trump during a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Tuesday, July 8, 2025" class="sc-d1200759-0 dvfjxj"/> Bloomberg/Getty US President Donald Trump stated he was planning to impose a 50% tax on items made in Brazil, escalating his combat with the South American nation.

He introduced the plan in his newest tariff letter, shared on social media, accusing Brazil of "assaults" on US tech firms and conducting a "witch hunt" in opposition to former far-right president Jair Bolsonaro, who's going through prosecution over his position making an attempt to overturn the 2022 election.

Trump had already sparred with Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva over Bolsonaro's trial earlier this week.

On the time, President Lula stated Brazil wouldn't settle for "interference" from anybody and added: "Nobody is above the regulation."

He had additionally stated Trump was "irresponsible" for threatening tariffs on social media.

Trump has posted 22 letters to international locations around the globe this week, together with commerce companions reminiscent of Japan, South Korea and Sri Lanka, outlining new tariffs on their items he says will come into pressure on 1 August.

The strikes have largely served to revive plans he had put ahead in April however that have been placed on maintain after monetary markets recoiled on the measures.

However the message to Brazil was a much more focused missive and threatened a big improve from the ten% tax the White Home had beforehand introduced on items from the nation.

Not like many different international locations, the US loved a commerce surplus with Brazil final 12 months, promoting extra items within the nation than it bought from it.

Within the letter, Trump stated known as the 50% price "crucial ... to rectify the grave injustices of the present regime".

Trump and Bolsonaro loved a pleasant relationship when their presidencies overlapped, with the pair assembly in 2019 on the White Home throughout Trump's first time period.

Each males subsequently misplaced presidential elections and each refused to publicly acknowledge defeat. Bolsonaro has denied involvement in any plot in opposition to Lula.

Trump's social media firm, Trump Media, can be among the many US tech firms preventing Brazilian court docket rulings over orders suspending social media accounts.

Final month, Brazil's Supreme Courtroom additionally dominated that social media firms could possibly be held accountable for content material on their platforms.

Within the letter Trump posted on Wednesday, he stated he would order the US Commerce Consultant to launch a so-called 301 investigation into Brazil's digital commerce practices.

Such a transfer would would mark a flip to extra established authorized course of that US has used to impose tariffs previously, toughening the risk. In his first time period, Trump took an identical step over the nation's consideration of a tax concentrating on tech corporations.