Tensions are flaring between the United States and Brazil following President Donald Trump’s threats of sweeping 50% tariffs on imports from the South American nation.
What Happened: On Wednesday, Trump wrote a letter telling Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva that the trial of former President Jair Bolsonaro was “a Witch Hunt that should end IMMEDIATELY,” while accusing the nation of “insidious attacks on Free Elections,” which prompted the punitive trade measure.
The letter further accused Brazil’s Supreme Court of issuing “hundreds of SECRET and UNLAWFUL Censorship Orders to U.S. Social Media platforms,” threatening free speech and violating trade norms.
Trump also argues that Brazil’s trade practices have resulted in “unsustainable Trade Deficits against the United States,” calling it a major threat to the economy, as well as national security.
As a result, Trump says in the letter that, effective August 1, all Brazilian goods would face a 50% tariff, with additional duties on goods routed through third countries. He also ordered the U.S. Trade Representative to …