The fight is rooted in years of political history between President Trump and the last two presidents of Brazil.
The Western Hemisphere’s two largest nations appear headed for a full-blown trade war — with a twist.
President Trump on Wednesday pledged to impose 50 percent tariffs on Brazilian imports. His rationale wasn’t entirely economic — the United States has a trade surplus with Brazil — but political. Mr. Trump said Brazil was carrying out a “witch hunt” against his political ally, former President Jair Bolsonaro, who is facing trial for attempting a coup.
A few hours later, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil said his government would respond with its own tariffs on U.S. imports. “Brazil is a sovereign nation with independent institutions and will not accept any form of tutelage,” he said in a statement.
Brazil is weighing tariffs on specific American products or sectors, according to a senior Brazilian official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss closed meetings. Seeking to minimize any jolt to Brazil’s economy, the government does not plan to apply broad-based tariffs on all American products, the official said.
The feud is the latest in a long-running saga involving Mr. Trump, Mr. Bolsonaro and Mr. Lula, and it shows how Mr. Trump is using tariffs to settle scores against his political enemies.
Here’s what you need to know:
- What did Trump threaten, and why?
- What products does Brazil export to the U.S.?
- What is Trump’s history with Bolsonaro and Lula?
- What is the case against Bolsonaro?
- What happens next?
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Source: Elections - nytimes.com
