US President Donald Trump said Brazil would be subject to a 50% tariff, after accusing the country of mistreating former President Jair Bolsonaro.
Trump has said that Bolsonaro — who is facing a trial over an alleged coup attempt — was the subject of a witch hunt.
Brazil, a rare country with which the US has a trade surplus, has also drawn Washington’s ire after it hosted a summit of the BRICS bloc, with Trump threatening additional tariffs on the group.
The standoff may extend longer than other US-Latin America disputes, one expert noted: Brazil’s president may view the dispute as profitable politically, many Brazilians think the case could define the country’s democracy, and Brasília has little reason to capitulate quickly.
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