Trump Threatens Tariffs If ‘Witch Hunt’ Trial Is Not Stopped
Trump Threatens Tariffs Against Brazil Over ‘Witch Hunt’ Trial Against Former President
Not sure what business the United States has with South American politics, but that didn’t stop President Trump from threatening Brazil with a stunning 50% tariff if they didn’t stop the “witch hunt” against its right-wing former President, Jair Bolsonaro.
The president took to his personal Twitter, Truth Social, to post a letter he reportedly sent to Brazil’s current President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva claiming that he and his administration are participating in “Witch Hunt that should end IMMEDIATELY!”
Bolsonaro and Trump are friends. So much so that the former president brags about how close the two men are. Meanwhile, Bolsonaro is facing trial for reportedly planning a coup against the current president.
Lula da Silva doesn’t appear worried as he’s threatened to retaliate should Trump follow through with his tariffs.
“Brazil is a sovereign nation with independent institutions and will not accept any form of tutelage,” Lula said in a post on X, CNN reports. “Any measure to increase tariffs unilaterally will be responded to in light of Brazil’s Law of Economic Reciprocity,” he added.
From CNN:
Unlike the 21 other countries that have received letters from Trump this week, Brazil ran a $6.8 billion trade surplus with the US last year, meaning the US exported more goods to there than it imported from there. Top US exports to the South American country last year included aircraft and spacecraft, fuels, industrial machinery like nuclear reactors, and electrical equipment, according to US Census Bureau data. So a 50% Brazilian tariff on American goods could severely harm these industries.
Imports from Brazil to the US have faced a minimum 10% tariff since Trump’s announcement of “reciprocal” tariffs in April – the baseline rate he has applied to most goods from most countries during the 90-day negotiation period, which has now been extended to August 1.
This is not the first time Trump has used the threat of tariffs to try to change other countries’ domestic policy decisions.
Threatening tariffs against other countries is what Trump does. Earlier this year, he extorted Colombia under the threat of tariffs. He claimed that he would issue 25% tariffs on Colombian exports and that number could go as high as 50% if the country didn’t accept U.S. deportees.
Colombia bent the knee and accepted the deportees and avoided those tariffs, CNN reports.
Trump claimed that Mexico, Canada, and China have played a role in illegal migration to the U.S. and enabling fentanyl use and despite little proof, has imposed tariffs on goods coming from each of these countries.
Because Trump has trouble staying on topic, he noted that he wouldn’t issue tariffs against Brazil if “…companies within your Country, decide to build or manufacture product within the United States.”
So this isn’t about Bolsonaro?
Got it.
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Photo: Getty
