Trump’s Collision Course With Brazil: How U.S. Policy Is Playing Into China’s Hands—and Remaking Latin America

3 comments

1. [SS from essay by Hussein Kalout, Research Scholar at Harvard University and a member of the International Advisory Board for the Brazilian Center for International Relations. He served as Brazil’s Special Secretary for Strategic Affairs from 2016 to 2018.]

   In April, when Donald Trump announced his “Liberation Day” tariffs on dozens of countries, Brazil emerged largely unscathed. Brazilian exports to the United States became subject to ten percent levies, the baseline rate, escaping the debilitating tariffs applied to the goods of some U.S. allies. In late July, however, Trump declared that Brazilian exports would now face tariffs of 50 percent, one of the highest rates Washington has imposed anywhere in the world. The announcement has raised the prospect of a trade war between the United States and Latin America’s largest economy. It also indicates Trump’s willingness to use tariffs not only to force more beneficial trade deals or balance trade deficits but also as a tool to influence the domestic politics of a foreign country.

   Announcing the new rate, the White House stated that “Brazil’s politically motivated persecution, intimidation, harassment, censorship, and prosecution of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro”—a [Trump](https://www.foreignaffairs.com/topics/trump-administration) ally on trial for staging an insurrection after his failed reelection bid in 2022—amounts to “serious human rights abuses that have undermined the rule of law in Brazil.” The United States has revoked the visas of eight of Brazil’s 11 Supreme Federal Court justices and imposed economic sanctions, under the Global Magnitsky Act, against the justice Alexandre de Moraes, who is overseeing Bolsonaro’s case. (The former president’s trial begins on Tuesday.) These measures come in response to the court’s central role in prosecuting Bolsonaro and his supporters for their involvement in an attempted post-election coup. They constitute very public attacks on the legitimacy of Brazil’s democratic institutions. The Brazilian government has perceived these actions, coupled with the new tariffs, as egregious violations of its sovereignty and as deliberate attempts to weaken the position of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who defeated Bolsonaro, ahead of planned elections in October 2026.

2. Let’s not pretend Trump is pushing Brazil into China’s hands when they’ve been close partner during Biden’s term. If you know the history of America’s crimes in SA, it’s not really surprising that they are warry of America.

   edit

   I lot of people here don’t know about the [1964 Brazilian Coup d’État](https://guides.loc.gov/brazil-us-relations/brazil-coup-1964). which led to many Brazilians oppressed and killed by the backed US dictator Castelo Branco. Don’t get me started with Edward Snowden leaks which included America spying on Brazil.

   Again, I talk to Brazilians a lot. Most of them prefer China because of this historical pretends with America , which none of you clearly know much about.

3. Why are there so many articles presenting countries aligned against the US as “friends” of the US the Trump administration is betraying.

   I don’t agree with the rationale behind trumps’ Brazil tariffs at all – but come on. They’re a founding member of BRICS and literally helped found it under the leadership of the current president.

   Lula blamed the US for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and blamed Zelensky as well (just as responsible as Putin).

   Brazil voted for a left wing politician that wants the US to lose footing to a Russia and China led coalition. Brazil has the right to make that choice, but their government is by no means a “friend” to the US.

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