In a letter addressed to Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Trump criticized the treatment of his right-wing ally Jair Bolsonaro as an “international disgrace.”
Bolsonaro is facing trial over accusations he plotted a coup after his narrow 2022 election loss to Lula.
In response to Trump’s tariff letter, Lula warned of possible reciprocation, writing on X that “any unilateral tariff increases will be addressed in light of the Brazilian Law of Economic Reciprocity.”
The 50 percent US tariff on Brazilian goods will take effect August 1, Trump said in his letter, mirroring a deadline which dozens of other economies face.
On that same date, a 50 percent tariff on US imports of copper — a key metal used in green energy and other technologies — will take effect, Trump announced Wednesday evening on social media.
He said the move followed a “robust NATIONAL SECURITY ASSESSMENT,” likely alluding to a Department of Commerce investigation into copper launched earlier this year.
– Escalation threats –
