U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order imposing an additional 40% tariff on Brazilian exports, raising total trade duties to 50%, the White House announced Wednesday.
The action targets what Trump described as political persecution of Brazil’s former president Jair Bolsonaro, a key far-right ally. A White House fact sheet accused the Brazilian government of “harassment, censorship, and prosecution” of Bolsonaro and his supporters, calling it a breach of human rights and rule of law.
The order singled out Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who is overseeing Bolsonaro’s criminal trial over an alleged post-election coup plot.
The White House also cited harmful Brazilian trade practices and threats to U.S. free speech and business interests. While the effective date of the tariffs was not specified, Trump had previously flagged August 1.
Brazil, which reported a $284 million trade surplus with the U.S. in 2024, faces sweeping restrictions on aircraft, grain, and crude oil exports under the order. Officials in Brasília say the case against Bolsonaro will proceed unless prosecutors decide otherwise.
The move adds a new flashpoint in Trump’s ongoing global trade war ahead of the November 2025 U.S. presidential election.
