Trump Imposes 50% Tariffs on Brazil
U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed a series of executive actions imposing 50% tariffs on Brazilian imports and a wide range of semi-finished copper products, citing human rights violations and national security concerns.
According to a statement from the White House, the move marks a sharp policy turn that could inflame tensions with Brasília and disrupt global copper markets, just days before the new tariffs take effect on August 1, 2025.
The White House confirmed that Trump had warned Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva earlier this month about the looming tariffs via an official letter. In that message, Trump demanded the halt of criminal proceedings against former right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro, a close Trump ally facing trial for his alleged role in an attempted coup in Brazil.
"Failure to address this politically motivated persecution will result in serious economic consequences," Trump warned, according to sources familiar with the communication.
The tariff decision increases existing duties on Brazilian goods from 10% to a full 50%, a move that U.S. officials say is in response to 'gross human rights violations that undermine the rule of law.'
In a separate presidential proclamation, Trump imposed an identical 50% tariff on U.S. imports of semi-finished copper products—including pipes, wires, sheets, and other high-consumption derivatives. The White House described the measure as vital to "ensure fair competition and long-term sustainability" for the domestic copper industry.
"Copper is critical to our economy and national defense," the proclamation reads. "We cannot allow foreign suppliers to undercut our producers through unfair practices."
The new tariffs will include exceptions for certain automotive-related copper imports, which are already subject to tariffs under a previous Trump directive.
The U.S. imported an estimated $17 billion worth of copper in 2024, according to Commerce Department data. Chile remains the top supplier, accounting for $6 billion of that total. While Brazil is not a dominant copper exporter to the U.S., analysts warn that the broader tariff policy could cause price hikes in downstream industries, including electronics, machinery, and automobiles.
'The ripple effect of this policy could be substantial,' said industrial economist Carla Mendez. 'Copper is a foundational material, and any sudden spike in tariffs will push costs across multiple sectors.'
Critics say the decision to target Brazil appears to be more political than economic, as Bolsonaro faces serious legal jeopardy in his home country. Trump has publicly denounced the trial as 'politically motivated', framing it as part of a broader ideological battle against right-wing populism in Latin America.
'What's happening to Jair is a disgrace,' Trump said earlier this month. 'Lula and the left are trying to silence their opposition through the courts.'
The Brazilian government has yet to issue an official response but is widely expected to challenge the tariffs at the World Trade Organization (WTO) or pursue retaliatory measures if no diplomatic resolution is reached.
read more
CBE: Deposits in Local Currency Hit EGP 5.25 Trillion
Morocco Plans to Spend $1 Billion to Mitigate Drought Effect
Gov't Approves Final Version of State Ownership Policy Document
Egypt's Economy Expected to Grow 5% by the end of 2022/23- Minister
Qatar Agrees to Supply Germany with LNG for 15 Years
Business
Oil Prices Descend amid Anticipation of Additional US Strategic Petroleum Reserves
Business
Suez Canal Records $704 Million, Historically Highest Monthly Revenue
Business
Egypt's Stock Exchange Earns EGP 4.9 Billion on Tuesday
Business
Wheat delivery season commences on April 15
News
Israeli-Linked Hadassah Clinic in Moscow Treats Wounded Iranian IRGC Fighters
Arts & Culture
"Jurassic World Rebirth" Gets Streaming Date
News
China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier
News
Ayat Khaddoura's Final Video Captures Bombardment of Beit Lahia
Videos & Features
Tragedy Overshadows MC Alger Championship Celebration: One Fan Dead, 11 Injured After Stadium Fall
Business
Egyptian Pound Undervalued by 30%, Says Goldman Sachs
Lifestyle
Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt
Arts & Culture
South Korean Actress Kang Seo-ha Dies at 31 after Cancer Battle
Arts & Culture
Lebanese Media: Fayrouz Collapses after Death of Ziad Rahbani
Sports
Get to Know 2025 WWE Evolution Results
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al-Ahram Weekly
23 minutes ago
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Trump seeks to change how census collects data and wants to exclude immigrants in US illegally - International
President Donald Trump has instructed the Commerce Department to change the way the Census Bureau collects data, seeking to exclude immigrants who are in the United States illegally, he said Thursday. The census' data collections will be based on 'modern day facts and figures and, importantly, using the results and information gained from the Presidential Election of 2024,' the Republican president said on his social media platform, an indication he might try to inject his politics into survey work that measures everything from child poverty to business operations. Trump stressed that as part of the changes, people in 'our Country illegally' will be excluded from census counts. His Truth Social post fits into an overall pattern in which he has tried to reshape basic measures of how U.S. society is faring to his liking, a process that ranges from monthly jobs figures to how congressional districts are drawn going into the 2026 midterm elections. But there could be legal challenges if he were to reshape the census, which also guides the distribution of $2.8 trillion in federal funds to the states for roads, health care, and other programs. In a 2019 decision, the Supreme Court effectively blocked Trump from adding a citizenship question to the 2020 census. The 14th Amendment says that 'the whole number of persons in each state' should be counted for the numbers used for apportionment, the process of allocating congressional seats and Electoral College votes among the states based on population. The last time the census included a citizenship question was in 1950, and the Census Bureau's experts had predicted that millions of Hispanics and immigrants would go uncounted if the census asked everyone if he or she is an American citizen. Changes to the census could also play into the efforts by Trump to urge several Republican-led states, including Texas, to redraw their congressional maps ahead of schedule in ways that would favour GOP candidates. Redistricting typically occurs once every 10 years following the census, as states adjust district boundaries based on population changes, often gaining or losing seats in the process. Despite Texas having redrawn its maps just a few years ago, Trump is pressuring Republicans in the state to redistrict again, claiming they are 'entitled' to five additional Republican seats. Texas Republicans have cited population growth as justification for redrawing the congressional map. Trump's team is also engaged in similar redistricting discussions in other GOP-controlled states, including Missouri and Indiana. Last Friday, Trump fired the head of the Bureau of Labour Statistics, Erika McEntarfer, after standard revisions to the monthly jobs report showed that employers added 258,000 fewer jobs than previously reported in May and June. The revisions suggested that hiring has severely weakened under Trump, undermining his claims of an economic boom. The White House insists that the problem was the size of the revisions and that it wants accurate numbers. Trump's census posting raised the question as to whether he would embark on a mid-decade census, or simply change the standards for 2030, or change how the estimates operate between censuses. It was unclear what his changes would be. It would be almost logistically impossible to carry out a mid-decade census in such a short period, New York Law School professor Jeffrey Wice said. Any changes in the conduct of a national census, which is the biggest non-military undertaking by the federal government, also would require approval from Congress, which has oversight responsibilities, and there likely would be a fierce fight, he said. 'This isn't something that you can do overnight,' said Wice, a census and redistricting expert. 'To get all the pieces put together, it would be such a tremendous challenge, if not impossible.' Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Al-Ahram Weekly
an hour ago
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Putin says UAE could host Trump summit - War in Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin Thursday named the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as a potential location for an upcoming summit with US counterpart Donald Trump. "We have many friends who are willing to help us organise such events. One of our friends is the president of the United Arab Emirates," Putin said standing next to UAE leader Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, adding "it (the UAE) would be one of the quite suitable places". The Kremlin said Thursday that a summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin was set for the "coming days", both sides having already agreed the venue "in principle". The Russian President, however, said that "conditions" for a potential meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky had not been met, hours after the Ukrainian leader repeated a call for direct talks. "I have nothing against it in general, it is possible, but certain conditions must be created for this. But unfortunately, we are still far from creating such conditions," Putin told reporters at the Kremlin. The summit between Trump and Putin would be the first between sitting US and Russian presidents since Joe Biden met Putin in Geneva in June 2021. It comes as Trump seeks to broker an end to Russia's military operation on Ukraine. Three rounds of direct talks between Moscow and Kyiv have failed to yield any progress towards a ceasefire. The two sides appear as far apart as ever in the conditions they have set for an end to the more than three-year-long conflict. Trump said Wednesday he was likely to meet Putin face-to-face "very soon." They last sat together in 2019 at G20 summit meeting in Japan but have spoken by phone several times since Trump returned to the White House. "At the suggestion of the American side, an agreement has been reached in principle to hold a bilateral summit in the coming days," Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said Thursday in a Kremlin statement. "We are now starting to work out the details together with our American colleagues," he added. The Kremlin said a venue had also been agreed "in principle", but did not name it. "Next week has been set as a target date," said Ushakov. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Egypt Independent
2 hours ago
- Egypt Independent
Top Kremlin aide says agreement reached for Trump-Putin meeting ‘in coming days'
Top Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov said Thursday that an agreement has been reached for US President Donald Trump to meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin 'in the coming days,' adding that the parties are already working on preparations. It is 'difficult to say' how long these preparations will take, Ushakov continued, but the goal is for the meeting to take place next week, Russian state media RIA Novosti reported. On Wednesday, Trump said there was a 'good chance' that the two leaders could meet 'very soon' to discuss a potential end to the war in Ukraine. Ushakov did not confirm where the meeting would take place but said the location has already been agreed upon, and will be 'announced later,' according to RIA. He added that Moscow has not responded to a proposal put forward by US special envoy Steve Witkoff a day earlier for trilateral talks between Putin, Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, RIA said. On Wednesday, Witkoff and Putin met in Moscow to discuss an end to Russia's war, though Trump later said that there had not been a 'breakthrough' between the two men. He was also cautious when questioned about the timeline for a deal, saying he has 'been disappointed before with this one.' The meeting, which saw Witkoff visit Russia for the fifth time this year, came after a frustrated Trump imposed a deadline on Moscow, which is due to expire on Friday, to agree to a ceasefire or face tough secondary sanctions, hitting countries that buy Russian oil with a 100 percent tariff. Just hours after the meeting, the US leader imposed an additional 25 percent tariff on India as punishment for its imports of Russian oil, according to a document posted on the White House website. Zelensky, who spoke to Trump following the Witkoff-Putin meeting, said Wednesday that 'it seems that Russia is now more inclined toward (a) ceasefire.' 'The pressure on Russia is working. But the main thing is that they do not deceive us in the details. Neither us, nor the United States,' the Ukrainian leader said during his nightly video address to the nation. This story has been updated with additional details.
