From Reuters: U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday slapped a 50% 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.
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 announced the tariffs, some of the steepest levied on any economy in the U.S. 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 U.S. and Brazilian citizens and companies,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement.
He said Moraes “is responsible for an oppressive campaign of censorship, arbitrary detentions that violate human rights, and politicized prosecutions — including against former President Jair Bolsonaro.”
President Trump signed an Executive Order addressing threats by the Government of Brazil & safeguarding U.S. interests, which:
➡️ Imposes an additional 40% tariff on Brazilian imports.
➡️ Declares a national emergency to address Brazil’s policies that violate human rights. pic.twitter.com/A1K2RmdCX4— The White House (@WhiteHouse) July 30, 2025
Faced with threats of 50 percent tariffs and demands to end a criminal case, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil said in an interview that he wouldn’t take orders from President Trump. https://t.co/GG5cZrILo9
— New York Times World (@nytimesworld) July 30, 2025
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