Latest news with #Bolsonaro
France 24
2 hours ago
- Business
- France 24
Dozens killed in Gaza after Israeli forces open fire on crowd seeking food
01:45 31/07/2025 Trump slaps 50% tariffs on Brazilian imports over Bolsonaro trial 31/07/2025 Trump's abrupt reversal on climate policy a 'dreadful blow' to the battle against global warming Americas 30/07/2025 'It's too late: We have not prevented this genocide, but pressure is building to stop it' Middle East 30/07/2025 Tsunami alerts due to Russian quake downgraded in several nations 30/07/2025 Kenya's refugee camps suffer as US slashes aid 30/07/2025 At least 22 killed in Angola fuel hike unrest 30/07/2025 What's behind UK's possible recognition of a Palestinian state? 30/07/2025 Australia widens teen social media ban to YouTube, scraps exemption 30/07/2025 Gaza faces famine as Israeli bombings continue
France 24
2 hours ago
- Business
- France 24
France, Saudi Arabia spearhead framework for two-state solution between Israel, Palestine
02:24 31/07/2025 Dozens killed in Gaza after Israeli forces open fire on crowd seeking food 31/07/2025 Trump slaps 50% tariffs on Brazilian imports over Bolsonaro trial 31/07/2025 Trump's abrupt reversal on climate policy a 'dreadful blow' to the battle against global warming Americas 30/07/2025 'It's too late: We have not prevented this genocide, but pressure is building to stop it' Middle East 30/07/2025 Tsunami alerts due to Russian quake downgraded in several nations 30/07/2025 Kenya's refugee camps suffer as US slashes aid 30/07/2025 At least 22 killed in Angola fuel hike unrest 30/07/2025 What's behind UK's possible recognition of a Palestinian state? 30/07/2025 Australia widens teen social media ban to YouTube, scraps exemption
AsiaOne
2 hours ago
- Business
- AsiaOne
Trump hits Brazil with tariffs, sanctions but key sectors excluded, World News
SAO PAULO/BRASILIA — US President Donald Trump on Wednesday (July 30) slapped a 50 per cent tariff on most Brazilian goods to fight what he has called a "witch hunt" against former President Jair Bolsonaro, but softened the blow by excluding sectors such as aircraft, energy and orange juice from heavier levies. Trump announced the tariffs, some of the steepest levied on any economy in the US trade war, as his administration also unveiled sanctions on the Brazilian supreme court justice who has been overseeing Bolsonaro's trial on charges of plotting a coup. "Alexandre de Moraes has taken it upon himself to be judge and jury in an unlawful witch hunt against US and Brazilian citizens and companies," Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement. Bessent said Moraes "is responsible for an oppressive campaign of censorship, arbitrary detentions that violate human rights, and politicised prosecutions — including against former President Jair Bolsonaro." Last week, the Brazilian justice levied search warrants and restraining orders against Bolsonaro over allegations he courted Trump's interference in his criminal case, in which he is accused of plotting to stop President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva from taking office in 2023. Trump's final tariff order and the sanctions followed weeks of sparring with Lula, who has likened the US president, a close ideological ally of Bolsonaro's, to an unwanted "emperor." On Wednesday, Lula and his government closed ranks behind Moraes, calling the US sanctions "unacceptable." "The Brazilian government considers the use of political arguments to defend the trade measures announced by the US government against Brazilian exports to be unjustifiable," it said in a statement. Lula added that Brazil was willing to negotiate trade with the US, but that it would not give up on the tools it had at hand to defend itself, hinting that retaliation was possible. Still, Trump's tariff order threatened that if Brazil were to retaliate, the US would also up the ante. Diplomacy at work Despite Trump's effort to use the tariffs to alter the trajectory of a pivotal criminal trial, the range of exemptions came as a relief for many in Brasilia, who since Trump announced the tariff earlier this month had been urging protections for major exporters caught in the crossfire. "We're not facing the worst-case scenario," Brazilian Treasury Secretary Rogerio Ceron told reporters. The new tariffs will go into effect on Aug 6, not on Friday as Trump announced originally. Trump's executive order formalising a 50 per cent tariff excluded dozens of key Brazilian exports to the United States, including civil aircraft, pig iron, precious metals, wood pulp, energy and fertilisers. Planemaker Embraer, whose chief executive has met with officials in Washington and US clients in recent days to plead its case for relief, said an initial review indicated that a 10 per cent tariff imposed by Trump in April remains in place, with the exclusion applying to the additional 40 per cent. The exceptions are likely a response to concerns from US companies, rather than a step back from Trump's efforts to influence Brazilian politics, said Rafael Favetti, a partner at political consultancy Fatto Inteligencia Politica in Brasilia. "This also shows that Brazilian diplomacy did its work correctly by working to raise awareness among US companies," he said. Brazil's minister of foreign affairs, Mauro Vieira, said he met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday to express the nation's willingness to discuss tariffs after negotiations stalled in June, though he stressed Bolsonaro's legal troubles were not up for debate. It remains unclear what Brazilian authorities "are bringing to the negotiating table to, for instance, open the domestic market," Goldman Sachs said in a note to clients. Impact smaller than expected The effective tariff rate on Brazilian shipments to the US should be around 30.8 per cent, lower than previously expected due to the exemptions, according to Goldman. Oil shipments to the US, which had been suspended, are set to restart after being spared, lobby group IBP said. Meanwhile, mining lobby Ibram said the exemptions covered 75 per cent of mining exports. However, it was still too soon to celebrate, said former Brazilian trade secretary Welber Barral, estimating that Brazil exports some 3,000 different products to the United States. "There will be an impact," Barral said. Trump's tariff exemptions did not shield two of Brazil's key exports to the US, beef and coffee. Meatpackers expect to log US$1 billion (S$1.29 billion) in losses in the second half of the year on the new tariffs, lobby group Abiec, which represents beef producers including JBS and Marfrig, said. Coffee exporters will also continue to push for exemptions, they said in a statement. The government said it was readying measures to protect Brazil's businesses and workers. If Brazil were to retaliate against Trump's measures, that "would generate a larger negative impact" on activity and inflation, Goldman said. "The political inclination may be to retaliate, but exporters and business associations have been urging the Brazilian administration to engage, negotiate and de-escalate." [[nid:720806]]
Los Angeles Times
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
U.S. sanctions Brazil's Supreme Court justice overseeing case against Bolsonaro
RIO DE JANEIRO — The U.S. Treasury Department on Wednesday announced sanctions on Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes over alleged suppression of freedom of expression and the ongoing trial of former President Jair Bolsonaro. De Moraes oversees the criminal case against Bolsonaro, who is accused of masterminding a plot to stay in power despite his 2022 election loss to current President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. 'De Moraes is responsible for an oppressive campaign of censorship, arbitrary detentions that violate human rights, and politicized prosecutions — including against former President Jair Bolsonaro,' U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement. The Treasury cited the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, which targets perpetrators of human rights abuse and corrupt officials, as its authority to issue the sanctions. The decision orders the freezing of any assets or property De Moraes may have in the U.S. Brazil's Supreme Court and the presidential palace did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Wednesday's announcement follows the U.S. State Department's announcement of visa restrictions on Brazilian judicial officials, including De Moraes, on July 18. It also comes after President Trump announced a 50% tariff on Brazilian imported goods that is set to take effect Friday. In a letter announcing the tariff, Trump explicitly linked the import tax to what he called the 'witch hunt' trial of Bolsonaro that is underway in Brazil. Days later, Bolsonaro was ordered to wear an ankle monitor after being deemed a flight risk. Bolsonaro's son Eduardo celebrated the Treasury's announcement on X, calling it a 'historic milestone' and a warning that 'abuses of authority now have global consequences.' Eduardo Bolsonaro relocated to the U.S. in March and is under investigation for allegedly working with U.S. authorities to impose sanctions against Brazilian officials. Hughes writes for the Associated Press.
Indian Express
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
US sanctions Brazil's Supreme Court justice overseeing trial against Trump ally Bolsonaro
The US Treasury Department on Wednesday announced sanctions on Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes over alleged suppression of freedom of expression and the ongoing trial of former President Jair Bolsonaro. De Moraes oversees the criminal case against Bolsonaro, who is accused of masterminding a plot to stay in power despite his 2022 election defeat to current President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. 'De Moraes is responsible for an oppressive campaign of censorship, arbitrary detentions that violate human rights, and politicized prosecutions — including against former President Jair Bolsonaro,' US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement. The department cited the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, which targets perpetrators of human rights abuse and corrupt officials, as its authority to issue the sanctions. The decision orders the freezing of any assets or property de Moraes may have in the US. Brazil's Supreme Court and the Presidential Palace did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Wednesday's sanctions follow the US State Department's announcement of visa restrictions on Brazilian judicial officials, including de Moraes, on July 18. They also come after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a 50% tariff on Brazilian imported goods on July 9. In a letter announcing the tariff, Trump explicitly linked the import tax to what he called the 'witch hunt' trial of Bolsonaro currently underway in Brazil. Trump appears to identify with Bolsonaro, who is accused of trying to overturn the results of his 2022 loss to Lula. Similarly, Trump was indicted in 2023 on allegations that he tried to overturn the results of the 2020 U.S. presidential election. Bolsonaro has been ordered to wear an ankle monitor after being deemed a flight risk. Bolsonaro's son Eduardo celebrated the U.S. Treasury Department announcement on X, calling it a 'historic milestone' and a warning that 'abuses of authority now have global consequences.' Eduardo Bolsonaro relocated to the U.S. in March and is under investigation for allegedly working with U.S. authorities to impose sanctions against Brazilian officials. Also on Wednesday, Trump signed an executive order to implement the 50% tariff announced earlier this month. The White House said in a statement that the order was a response to 'recent policies, practices, and actions' of Brazil that 'constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States.' That was a shift in rationale for the tariff. The legal basis of the threat on July 9 was an earlier executive order premised on trade imbalances being a threat to the U.S. economy. But the U.S. ran a $6.8 billion trade surplus last year with Brazil, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. In Wednesday's order, Trump said Brazil's policies and criminal prosecution of former President Jair Bolsonaro constitute an economic emergency under a 1977 law. After the tariff was announced earlier this month, Lula said that Trump wasn't elected to be 'emperor of the world.' He has defended Brazil's sovereignty and the independence of Brazil's judiciary. Lula called an emergency meeting with some ministers following Wednesday's events, local newspaper O Globo reported. The left-wing president had earlier sanctioned a law banning the use of live animals in laboratory testing for personal hygiene products, cosmetics and perfumes, calling Wednesday a 'sacred day of sovereignty.' In a video posted on social media, Lula said he left the event in capital Brasilia in a hurry to defend 'the sovereignty of the Brazilian people in light of the measures announced by the President of the United States.' Originally due to come into effect on Aug 1, Wednesday's order said the tariffs would go into effect seven days after its signing. Flavia Loss, an international relations professor at Foundation School of Sociology and Politics in Sao Paulo, said the sanctions against Moraes and the tariffs order marked an escalation in the tensions between the U.S. and Brazil. 'We are not talking about a normal commercial dispute between countries, we are talking about using commercial tools to coerce what happens in Brazil,' Loss said. Human Rights Watch in Brazil said on X the sanctions 'are a clear violation of judicial independence, a pillar of democracy.'
