NYT: Trump intensifies confrontation with Brazil, aiming for its economy and politics
The United States fulfilled their threats of applying 50% rates on Brazil on Wednesday two days in advance and imposed sanctions on the Supreme Court Minister who supervises the criminal case against former President Jair Bolsonaro.
The double measures showed that, precisely when Brazilian authorities sought dialogue, the White House suddenly intensified the growing diplomatic crisis between the two most populous nations of the Western hemisphere.
Tariffs against Brazil are the highest of any tax that President Donald Trump has imposed this year, although they exclude many of the major Brazilian exports to the United States, such as aircraft, fuel and orange juice. Brazil is also the only country to face rates while maintaining a commercial surplus with the US.
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Trump Poup Embraer tariff, orange juice and more; See exceptions
These exceptions had been requested by the Brazilian government in the negotiations that preceded the decision
Magnitsky Law: What is the US standard against Alexandre de Moraes
The law is American legislation that allows the US to impose economic sanctions on individuals accused of corruption or serious human rights violations
Actions against Alexandre de Moraes, Brazilian Supreme Court Minister, are a highly uncommon use of some of the most severe human rights sanctions that the US government has.
Trump is aiming for Brazil for what he calls political persecution against his political ally, Bolsonaro, and illegal censorship of conservative online voices. In an executive order on Wednesday, he stated that actions of the Brazilian government and the Supreme Court “threaten national security, foreign policy and the economy of the United States.”
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, from Brazil, publicly challenged Trump for weeks, including an interview with the published hours before the US government actions on Wednesday.
“I think President Trump consider: if he wants to have a political struggle, then let’s treat her as a political struggle,” Lula told. “If he wants to talk about commerce, let’s sit down and discuss trade. But everything cannot be mixed.”
Trump asked Brazil to remove the accusations against Bolsonaro, who is accused of orchestrating an attempt to blow after losing the 2022 elections. Lula and Moraes promised not to allow Trump to interfere with the Brazilian court proceedings.
Lula told Times on Tuesday that his government was studying retaliatory tariffs against some American products if Trump fulfilled his threats. Now he faces the decision to launch a trade war against Brazil’s second largest commercial partner after China.
Now it seems that Trump’s efforts to help Bolsonaro can soon mean higher prices for items such as coffee and beef – products that are significantly originated from Brazil.
