U.S. President Donald Trump has sent a letter to Brazil President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva that threatens the country with a 50 percent tariff as of 1 August over claims the country was treating former President Jair Bolsonaro unfairly.
The letter comes after Trump, in a 7 July post on his Truth Social social media site, claimed the trial of Jair Bolsonaro was a “witch hunt.”
“The only Trial that should be happening is a Trial by the Voters of Brazil – It’s called an Election. LEAVE BOLSONARO ALONE!” Trump wrote.
Two days later, on 9 July, Trump sent the letter to Lula da Silva, again claiming the trial was a witch hunt. It also claimed the trading relationship between Brazil and the U.S. was “far from Reciprocal.”
“Please understand that the 50 percent number is far less than what is needed to have the Level Playing Field we must have with your Country,” Trump’s letter states. “It is necessary to have this to rectify the grave injustices of the current regime.”
According to the New York Times, the U.S. actually has a trade surplus with Brazil to the tune of USD 7.4 billion (EUR 6.3 billion).
Soon after the letter, Lula da Silva announced that Brazil would reciprocate against the tariffs in kind.
“Brazil is a sovereign country with independent institutions that will not accept being abused by anyone,” Lula da Silva said. He also made clear that under Brazilian law, the trial is the sole responsibility of the Brazilian Judiciary and the president is not capable of influencing it.
Brazil exported roughly USD 231 million (EUR 197 million) worth of seafood to the U.S. in 2024, according to official NOAA Fisheries statistics. Among the top species it exported were tilapia, snapper, and various species of lobster, including rock and spiny lobsters.
According to Peixe BR – a trade organization that says it represents roughly 85 percent of farmed fish production in Brazil – the Brazilian tilapia industry has a gross value of production of BRL 6.6 billion (USD 1.2 billion, EUR 1 billion) each year.
Only a fraction of that value comes from the U.S. According to NOAA Fisheries, Brazil exported just USD 51 million (EUR 43 million) worth of tilapia to the country in 2024.
