US President Donald Trump has sent letters to global trading partners, including Brazil, advising them of tariff levels as high as 50% for their exports to the US. The move comes amid controversy over former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro’s trial, who is facing charges related to an alleged plot to overturn election results.
Trump singled out Brazil, saying it “has not been good to us” and has a trade deficit with the US. In contrast to other countries that received letters this week, Brazil was not set to face reciprocal tariffs in April but instead faces minimum tariffs of 10%. The US exported more goods to Brazil than it imported from there last year.
This is not Trump’s first use of tariffs to influence domestic policy decisions. He has imposed tariffs on Colombia, Mexico, Canada, and China over issues such as deportees and fentanyl. The new tariffs on Brazilian goods go into effect August 1, pending negotiations with the US.
Trump’s letters have been met with skepticism from some countries, which view them as threats rather than offers of trade deals. The US has been negotiating new trade agreements since Trump announced “reciprocal” tariffs in April, but few deals have come to fruition.
The controversy surrounding Bolsonaro’s trial and Trump’s involvement has led some to label him the “Trump of the Tropics.” The US has a $6.8 billion trade surplus with Brazil last year, meaning it exports more goods there than it imports from there.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/07/09/economy/tariff-letters-trump