President Donald Trump said on Wednesday the United States will place a 50% tariff on Brazilian products as of August 1, a major increase in trade tensions between the two nations. The tariff will be applied broadly and is not tied to current sector-specific levies, in a letter Trump wrote to Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
In the same missive, Trump expressed support for ousted Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, extending further indication of his alignment with Brazil’s right-wing opposition. The action is alongside increasing US resentment against BRICS, a bloc with which Brazil is a leading player together with Russia, India, China, and South Africa.
The White House has not yet offered in-depth explanation for the new tariff, but experts propose that it could be intended to pressure BRICS economies and favor allies more supportive of Trump’s foreign policy interests.