“Brazil is a sovereign country with independent institutions that will not accept being abused by anyone,” Lula said on Wednesday(July 9), just hours after Trump’s letter accused Brazil of launching a “witch hunt” against Bolsonaro. “We will not be tutored by anyone,” he added.
Trump’s letter to Lula, delivered July 9, called the prosecution of Bolsonaro “an international disgrace” and declared the tariffs would take effect from August 1 unless Brazil halted what Trump described as political persecution.
Bolsonaro is facing trial for allegedly attempting to overturn the 2022 election results and for discussing the possibility of a military coup to remain in power after losing to Lula.
Trump, who has praised Bolsonaro repeatedly and faces his own legal battles in the US, has drawn comparisons between their cases. “It happened to me, times 10,” Trump wrote earlier this week, vowing to “watch the WITCH HUNT of Jair Bolsonaro very closely.”
Brazil’s Foreign Ministry confirmed it is considering retaliatory tariffs, raising fears of a trade war between the two countries.
What’s at stake?
The US is Brazil’s second-largest trading partner after China, with more than $92 billion in bilateral trade in 2024. Trump’s claim that the US runs a trade deficit with Brazil is inaccurate; the US had a $7.4 billion trade surplus last year, according to official figures.
Trump also accused Brazil of censoring American tech companies, referencing Justice Alexandre de Moraes of Brazil’s Supreme Court. Moraes, who is overseeing Bolsonaro’s trial, has ordered social media platforms to remove content tied to alleged disinformation campaigns.
“Freedom of expression is not to be confused with aggression or violent practices,” Lula said, defending Brazil’s legal approach to online threats.
Brazil’s key exports to the US include iron, oil, soybeans, orange juice, and aircraft. The tariffs could push prices higher for American consumers and impact supply chains in both countries.
The Brazilian Supreme Court is widely expected to convict Bolsonaro, which could lead to a prison sentence and permanently bar him from seeking public office again.
