Trump Hikes Brazil Tariff Rate to 50%, Sending Assets Plunging

Supporters of Jair Bolsonaro during a rally in Rio de Janeiro in March.

Photographer: Mauro Pimentel/AFP/Getty Images

Donald Trump’s threat to impose 50% tariffs on Brazilian goods sent the country’s currency plunging as the US leader sharply escalated a dispute with Latin America’s largest nation and leftist leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

In a letter posted to his social media account, Trump cited Jair Bolsonaro — the right-wing former president and Lula rival who is facing a trial on charges that he attempted a coup following his 2022 election defeat.