Trump announces a 50 % tariff to retaliation for Jair Bolsonaro’s trial

After years to discuss a better agreement, the letter indicated that the US must move away “from the long -standing commercial relationship and very unfair generated by tariff and non -tariff policies and the commercial barriers of Brazil.”

The American president threatened the document With that if Brasilia decides to increase taxes on US imports, “the amount to upload them will be added to 50 %” that will begin to charge from next month.

“If you want to open your commercial markets, so far closed, to the US and eliminate your tariff and non -tariff policies, as well as commercial barriers, Maybe let’s consider an adjustment to this letter. These levies can be modified upwards depending on our relationship with their country, “said his message.

The text, sent to the president of Brazil, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, is the first whose content significantly modifies the letters sent so farin which the name of the country was barely changed and the percentage of the tax contemplated.

The increase planned to Brazil occurs the same day that the 90 -day commercial truce that Trump granted on April 9 to its partners to negotiate new rates, although the Republican leader extended that period until August until August 1.

However, since then he began sending letters to countries with which he has not yet reached an agreement warning them that if they do not open their market and eliminate tariffs and tariff barriers, Les It will impose tariffs set unilaterally.

Lula’s answer

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s government has summoned an emergency meeting After the announcement of President Trump to impose a 50 % tariff on Brazilian imports in retaliation for the trial against former president Jair Bolsonaro for coup, official sources reported.

The Vice President and Minister of Commerce, Geraldo Alckmin, as well as the heads of exterior portfolios, Mauro Vieira; and Hacienda, Fernando Haddad, among others, participate in the meeting, which is held at the Planalto presidential palace, in Brasilia.

According to the presidency sources, cited by local media, The objective is to discuss the way in which the Brazilian government will proceed before the announcement of the Republican leader.

Since the Republican made the first taxpayers, last April, Lula has been emphatic in pointing out that Brazil reserves the right to act in a reciprocal waywith the application of tariffs equivalent to American products, and that could take the matter to the World Trade Organization (WTO).

However, the Government has also insisted on negotiations which has advanced Vice President Alckmin directly with senior Trump government officials.

Until now, about Brazil 10 % of tariffs that Trump imposed to dozens of countriesand the 25 % that applied to US imports of steel and aluminum, two important sectors for the Brazilian industry.

The announcement of a 50 % tariff on Brazilian imports arrived hours after the Brazilian Foreign Ministry summoned the business manager of the US Embassy, ​​Gabriel Escobar.

At the meeting, Brazil transmitted his “discomfort” to the diplomat for a note that disclosed that legation in defense of former president Jair Bolsonaro.

Official sources told Efe that the secretary for North America of the Foreign Ministry, María Luisa Escorel, told Escobar that the “protest” of the Brazilian government was due to the “undue intrusion” of the US government in internal affairs.