Trump singles out Brazil for 50 percent tariffs, citing political motives
But on Wednesday, one of those letters was different from the rest.
While most of the letters are virtually identical, denouncing trade relationships that are 'far from reciprocal', Trump's letter to Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva took a decidedly more personal — and more confrontational — approach.
'Due in part to Brazil's insidious attacks on Free Elections, and the fundamental Free Speech Rights of Americans', Trump wrote that he would be charging Brazil an extra 50-percent tax on any goods it exports to the US, separate from existing 'sectoral tariffs'.
'Please understand that the 50% number is far less than what is needed to have the Level Playing Field we must have with your Country,' Trump added. 'And it is necessary to have this to rectify the grave injustices of the current regime.'
The letter marked the biggest attack yet in Trump's escalating feud with Lula, as he seeks to pressure Brazil to drop criminal charges against a fellow far-right leader, Jair Bolsonaro.
Known as the 'Trump of the Tropics', Bolsonaro, a former army captain, led Brazil for a single term, from 2019 to 2023.
Like Trump, Bolsonaro refused to concede his election loss to a left-wing rival. Like Trump, Bolsonaro also raised questions about the accuracy of the results, including by voicing doubts about electronic voting machines.
And like Trump, Bolsonaro has faced legal repercussions, with court cases weighing whether he could be criminally liable for alleged actions he took to overturn his defeat.
In Bolsonaro's case, the election in question took place in October 2022, against the current president, Lula. The results were narrow, but Lula edged Bolsonaro out in a run-off race, earning 50.9 percent of the vote.
Still, Bolsonaro did not acknowledge his defeat and instead filed a legal complaint to contest the election results.
Meanwhile, his followers attacked police headquarters, blocked highways, and even stormed government buildings in the capital, Brasilia, in an apparent attempt to spark a military backlash against Lula.
Prosecutors, meanwhile, have accused Bolsonaro of conspiring with allies behind the scenes to stage a coup d'etat, one that might have seen Supreme Court justices arrested and a new election called.
According to the indictment, Bolsonaro, as the outgoing president, considered provoking these changes by calling a 'state of siege', which would have empowered the military to take action.
One of the other possibilities reportedly discussed was poisoning Lula.
Bolsonaro and 33 others were charged in February, and the ex-president's case is ongoing before the Brazilian Supreme Court.
The charges came as the result of a federal police investigation published in November 2024, which recommended a criminal trial. Bolsonaro, however, has denied any wrongdoing and has framed the trial as a politically motivated attack.
Trump himself has faced two criminal indictments – one on the state level, the other federal – for allegedly seeking to overturn his loss in the 2020 election. He, too, called those cases attempts to derail his political career.
In recent days, Trump has highlighted what he sees as parallels between their cases. On July 7, he wrote on social media that he empathised with what was happening to Bolsonaro: 'It happened to me, times 10.'
He reprised that theme in Wednesday's letter, announcing the dramatic increase in tariffs against Brazil.
'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,' Trump said.
'This trial should not be taking place,' he added. 'It is a Witch Hunt that should end IMMEDIATELY!'
In addition to ramping up tariffs against Brazil, Trump revealed in his letter that he had directed US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer to investigate Brazil for unfair practices under the Trade Act of 1974.
This is not the first time that Trump has lashed out at Brazil, though. In February, the Trump Media and Technology Group filed a Florida lawsuit against Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, arguing that his decisions curtailed online freedom of speech in the US.
De Moraes had also overseen the investigation into Bolsonaro's alleged coup attempt, and he is a target of criticism among many on the far right.
While Trump's tariff letter contained the standard language alleging that the US's trading relationship with Brazil was 'very unfair', the US actually enjoys a trade surplus with the South American country.
According to the Office of the US Trade Representative, in 2024, the US imported a total of $42.3bn from Brazil. But that was dwarfed by the amount it exported to the country: $49.7bn.
In short, Brazil's purchases from the US amounted to about $7.4bn more than US purchases from Brazil.
Still, Trump has cited uneven trade relationships as the motivation for his tariffs, though he has also used them to influence other countries' policies, particularly with regards to immigration, digital services and transnational drug smuggling.
On Wednesday, Bolsonaro took to social media to once again proclaim his innocence. In a separate case, he was barred from holding public office in Brazil for a period of eight years.
'Jair Bolsonaro is persecuted because he remains alive in the popular consciousness,' the ex-president wrote in the third person. 'Even out of power, he remains the most remembered name – and the most feared. That's why they try to annihilate him politically, morally, and judicially.'
He also reposted a message from Trump himself: 'Leave the Great Former President of Brazil alone. WITCH HUNT!!!'
Lula, meanwhile, responded to Trump's previous tariff threats on Monday by saying, 'The world has changed. We don't want an emperor.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Jazeera
42 minutes ago
- Al Jazeera
China's Xi says Australia ties have ‘turned around' as he hosts Albanese
Chinese President Xi Jinping says relations with Australia have 'turned around' as the two countries stress dialogue and seek to stabilise trade in the face of global tensions. Xi made the remarks as he hosted Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Tuesday. The six-day visit by Albanese – his second as prime minister – aims to boost economic cooperation with Beijing, Australia's top trading partner. 'No matter how the international landscape may evolve, we should uphold this overall direction unswervingly,' Xi said, acknowledging that China-Australia ties had 'risen from the setbacks'. Relations between Beijing and Canberra have charted a bumpy course over the past decade, a period marked by repeated disagreements over national security and competing interests across the vast Pacific region. Ties improved in December when China called off a ban on imported Australian rock lobster, removing the final obstacle to ending a damaging trade war waged between the countries from 2017. Albanese said he welcomed 'the opportunity to set out Australia's views and interests' and stressed that 'dialogue' must be at the heart of the ties between the two countries. 'Australia values our relationship with China and will continue to approach it in a calm and consistent manner, guided by our national interest,' Albanese, the leader of Australia's centre-left Labor government, said. 'It's important we have these direct discussions on issues that matter to us and to the stability and prosperity of our region. As you and I have agreed previously, dialogue needs to be at the centre of our relationship,' he said. The meeting between the two leaders came as China tries to capitalise on United States President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs by presenting itself as a stable and reliable partner. Australia, which regards the US as its major security ally, has also pursued a policy on China of 'cooperate where we can, disagree where we must' under Albanese. Chinese officials have expressed interest in expanding a decade-old free trade deal and cooperating in artificial intelligence. Xi said China was willing to 'promote further development in the China-Australia relationship'. Al Jazeera's Katrina Yu, reporting from Beijing, described the meeting as 'warm', noting the 'positive tone' Xi and Albanese projected. 'Prime Minister Albanese is really credited for bringing the Beijing-Canberra ties back to stability', she said. On Tuesday, the state-owned China Daily newspaper published a glowing opinion piece about Albanese's visit and said it showed countries with different political systems could still cooperate. However, any cooperation is likely to be constrained by longstanding Australian concerns about China's military build-up and the jailing of Australian writer Yang Hengjun, who was sentenced to death in China over allegations of espionage. Beijing has also separately criticised Canberra's increased screening of foreign investment in critical minerals and Albanese's pledge to return a Chinese-leased port to Australian ownership. Later on Tuesday, Albanese is scheduled to meet Chinese Premier Li Qiang with trade, the energy transition and security tensions being the key topics for discussions between them.
Al Jazeera
6 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
Trump slaps 17 percent tariff on tomatoes from Mexico
The administration of United States President Donald Trump has announced that it will impose a 17 percent tariff on fresh tomatoes from Mexico, scrapping a three-decade-old agreement to spare the produce from anti-dumping duties. Trump's withdrawal from the agreement to suspend anti-dumping measures on Monday came as the clock ticked down for Mexico to reach a comprehensive trade deal with the US by August 1 or face a general tariff of 30 percent on its goods. 'Mexico remains one of our greatest allies, but for far too long, our farmers have been crushed by unfair trade practices that undercut pricing on produce like tomatoes,' US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick said in a statement. 'That ends today. This rule change is in line with President Trump's trade policies and approach with Mexico.' The Commerce Department had in April announced its intention to exit the agreement in 90 days, saying it had 'failed to protect U.S. tomato growers from unfairly priced Mexican imports'. Mexico supplies nearly 70 percent of tomatoes in the US, up from about 20 percent in 1994, according to the Florida Tomato Exchange. The Tomato Suspension Agreement, which was first signed in 1996, put a hold on duties stemming from a US trade court decision that found Mexican exporters were selling their produce at artificially low prices. Under the agreement, the US agreed to suspend the tariffs provided that Mexican producers did not sell their produce below agreed-upon 'reference prices.' The two sides renewed the deal on four occasions, most recently in 2019. In a joint statement, Mexico's economy and agriculture ministries condemned the move as 'unjust' and 'against the interests not only of Mexican producers but also of the US industry'. 'The gains made by Mexican fresh tomatoes in the U.S. market are due to the quality of the product and not to any unfair practices,' the ministries said, adding that the tariffs would 'only hurt American consumers' wallets, as it will be impossible to replace Mexican tomatoes.'
Al Jazeera
6 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
US Supreme Court backs Trump push for mass firings at Education Department
The United States Supreme Court has ruled that the administration of President Donald Trump can proceed with plans to slash funding and resources for the federal Department of Education. The conservative-majority court ruled on Monday that the government could move forward with plans to lay off nearly 1,400 employees as part of Trump's push to effectively dismantle the department. 'While today's ruling is a significant win for students and families, it is a shame that the highest court in the land had to step in to allow President Trump to advance the reforms Americans elected him to deliver using the authorities granted to him by the US Constitution,' Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in a statement celebrating the decision. Monday's ruling cancels a previous order on the administration's efforts to fire about 1,400 workers at the Education Department, which US District Judge Myong Joun had ruled against in May, stating that it would 'likely cripple the department'. A US Court of Appeals agreed in a ruling on June 4 that the cuts would make it 'effectively impossible for the Department to carry out its statutory functions', which include overseeing student loans and enforcing civil rights law in US education, the site of previous political battles over issues such as federal efforts to combat racial segregation. Critics have accused the Trump administration of working to effectively abolish federal agencies, established and funded by Congress, through a maximalist interpretation of executive power. Trump and his Republican allies have depicted federal agencies as being at odds with their political agenda, and as hotbeds of leftist ideology and bureaucratic excess. The Trump administration has also sought to impose greater control over US universities, seeking a larger role in shaping curricula and threatening to withdraw federal funds if universities do not comply with government demands concerning issues such as cracking down on pro-Palestine student activism. In response to the court's decision on Monday, a liberal legal group that helped bring the challenge to Trump's efforts lamented that the ruling 'dealt a devastating blow to this nation's promise of public education for all children'.
