President Trump added Brazil to the list of countries receiving tariff letters today, though he diverged from the usual template.
Instead of citing the US’s trade imbalance, Trump issued the letter in service of former President Jair Bolsonaro, who is facing charges of planning a coup after he lost the 2022 election and potentially prison time if convicted by Brazil’s Supreme Court.
“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 wrote in the letter. “This Trial should not be taking place. It is a Witch Hunt that should end IMMEDIATELY!”
Trump stated that starting Aug. 1, imports from Brazil to the US will face a 50% tariff.
In another divergence from recent tariff announcements, which have largely tracked “Liberation Day” tariffs, the 50% rate on Brazilian goods is far higher than the 10% announced in April.
Brazil previously had a lower tariff rate because it is one of the few countries with which the United States has a trade surplus. In the first three months of the year, the US exported $650 million more in goods to Brazil than it imported.