Updates with comments from Brazil's vice president
US president Donald Trump is threatening to impose a 50pc tariff on imports from Brazil from 1 August, citing the ongoing trial of that country's former president, Jair Bolsonaro.
Trump's letter to Brazil's president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, released on Wednesday, is one of the 22 that the US leader sent to his foreign counterparts since 7 July, announcing new tariff rates that the US will be charging on imports from those countries.
But his letter to Brazil stands out for allegations of a "witch hunt" against Bolsonaro, who — much like Trump — disputed his electoral defeat and attempted to stay in office. Brazil's supreme court qualified Bolsonaro's actions in 2022 as an attempted coup, ordering him to stand trial.
Trump said he will impose the 50pc tariff because "in part to Brazil's insidious attacks on Free Elections and the Fundamental Free Speech Rights of Americans". The latter is a reference to orders by judges in Brazil to suspend social media accounts for spreading "misinformation".
Trump separately said he would direct US trade authorities to launch an investigation of Brazil's treatment of US social media platforms — an action likely to result in additional tariffs.
Trump's letter to Lula also contains language similar to that included in letters sent to 21 other foreign leaders, accusing Brazil of unfair trade practices and suggesting that the only way to avoid payments of tariffs is if Brazilian companies "decide to build or manufacture product within the US".
The Trump administration since 5 April has been charging a 10pc extra "Liberation Day" tariff on most imports — energy commodities and critical minerals are exceptions — from Brazil and nearly every foreign trade partner. Trump on 9 April imposed even higher tariffs on key trading partners, only to delay them the same day until 9 July. On 7 July, Trump signed an executive order further delaying the implementation of higher rates until 12:01am ET (04:01 GMT) on 1 August.
Trump earlier this week threatened to impose 10pc tariffs on any country cooperating with the Brics group, which includes Brazil, China, Russia, India and South Africa. Lula hosted a Brics summit in Rio de Janeiro on 6-7 July.
Brazil vice president Geraldo Alckmin, speaking to reporters before Trump made public his letter to Lula, said: "I see no reason (for the US) to increase tariffs on Brazil." The US runs a trade surplus with Brazil, Alckmin said, adding that "the measure is unjust and will harm America's economy".
Trump has justified his "Liberation Day" tariffs by the need to cut the US trade deficit, but the punitive duties also affect imports from countries with which the US has a trade surplus.
