Trump Threatens 50% Brazil Tariff, Citing Bolsonaro Trial

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By Gavin Bade and Samantha Pearson

(The Wall Street Journal) — The U.S. will charge a 50% tariff on Brazilian goods starting on Aug. 1, President Trump announced in a letter to the Latin American country’s government on Wednesday, citing legal action against its former President Jair Bolsonaro and U.S. tech firms as justification for the levies.

The 50% tariff is the highest level announced so far in Trump’s flurry of letters to world leaders this week, which were sent after he pushed back the deadline to impose his so-called reciprocal tariffs to Aug. 1. They had previously been set to take effect on Wednesday, after being paused since April. Trump also announced on social media Wednesday night that he’ll impose a 50% tariff on global imports of copper beginning on Aug. 1. Trump wrote that he had received a national security report underlining the importance of copper.