Brazil Condemns U.S. Decision to Impose 25% Tariffs, Vows to Retaliate

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused Lula and his government of failing to negotiate in good faith after months of meetings. “Lula has put his own ego ahead of making a deal for the welfare of the Brazilian people, and these tariffs are the price for that,” he argued.

The tariffs against imports from Brazil include some notable exemptions, including beef, coffee, certain fruits, and aircraft parts. 

Brazil is the first country targeted under the Trump Administration’s new approach to tariffs which focuses on the provision of Section 301 of U.S. trade law.

The Justices had ruled that Trump lacked the authority to impose sweeping import taxes by claiming a national emergency. The ruling immediately invalidated a broad set of tariffs that Trump imposed last year on nearly all imports, including so-called reciprocal duties on dozens of countries and additional levies tied to the fentanyl crisis.