President Donald Trump imposed 50% tariffs on Brazilian imports Wednesday, directly linking the move to the ongoing trial of former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro. The decision highlights how Trump’s trade actions are being influenced by personal alliances rather than purely economic concerns.
Departing from his usual template, Trump explicitly tied the tariffs to what he called an unjust prosecution of Bolsonaro, who faces charges for attempting to overturn Brazil’s 2022 election results. Trump, who has long called Bolsonaro a friend and once hosted him at Mar-a-Lago, defended him in a letter posted on Truth Social.
“This trial should not be taking place,” Trump wrote. “It is a Witch Hunt that should end IMMEDIATELY!”
The situation echoes Trump’s own legal troubles—he was indicted in 2023 over efforts to reverse the outcome of the 2020 U.S. presidential election. His tariff announcement was addressed to Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who defeated Bolsonaro in the 2022 race.
Lula fired back with a strong statement, saying the tariffs would activate Brazil’s economic reciprocity law, enabling the country to suspend trade, investment, and intellectual property agreements in response to any threats to its economic interests.
