In brief
Donald Trump shows he's ready to escalate trade tensions with Brazil over Bolsonaro's legal troubles.
US President Donald Trump is stirring up controversy by threatening to impose a whopping 50% tax on Brazilian goods, ramping up tensions between the two nations. This revelation came from a letter Trump shared on social media, where he accused Brazil of attacking US tech firms and conducting a "witch hunt" against Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil's former far-right president, who is currently facing trial for his attempt to overturn the 2022 election results.Earlier this week, Trump had a heated exchange with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva regarding the Bolsonaro trial, where Lula emphasized that Brazil would not accept any external interference and asserted that "no one is above the law." In addition to Brazil, Trump has been busy sending out 22 similar letters to various countries, including Japan and South Korea, detailing upcoming tariffs that he aims to implement by August 1st. This new threat towards Brazil marks a sharp increase from the previously discussed 10% tariff and suggests a more aggressive stance from the Trump administration on trade relations.
