In a letter addressed to Lula, Trump cited the treatment of former President Jair Bolsonaro.
Trump has announced a 50% tariff on Brazilian goods, accusing Brazil of persecuting his ally Jair Bolsonaro and censoring U.S. social media platforms. This sharp escalation—from a previously planned 10% tariff—marks the first direct threat to Brazil since Trump returned to office.
While Brazil wasn’t among the first countries targeted by Trump’s new round of tariffs—partly because the U.S. runs a significant trade surplus with Brazil—it was always a matter of when, not if. Brazilian officials knew the country could remain under Trump’s radar only for so long. Given the ideological divergence with Lula and his growing global visibility, it was likely that Trump would eventually lash out.
There is a palpable sense of hostility among U.S. government officials in Washington vis-à-vis the Lula government. Still, it’s worth remembering: Trump also threatened tariffs on Brazilian steel back in 2019—when Bolsonaro, his ideological ally, was in power. So this isn’t just about ideology or political alignment. It’s also about Trump’s broader willingness to use trade as a geopolitical weapon.
