Steeper US tariffs take effect on many Brazilian goods

US tariffs on many Brazilian products surged Wednesday, as President Donald Trump moved ahead with a pressure campaign against the trial of his right-wing ally Jair Bolsonaro.

1news.media informs, citing France 24, the latest salvo brings duties on various Brazilian goods from 10 percent to 50 percent, although broad exemptions — including for orange juice and civil aircraft — are expected to soften the blow.

Brazil’s Vice President Geraldo Alckmin previously told media that the new tariff would apply to just around 36 percent of Brazil’s exports to the US.

But analysts said it still hits key goods like coffee, beef, and sugar.

In an executive order announcing the tariffs last week, the Trump administration lashed out at Brazilian officials for “unjustified criminal charges” against their country’s former president Bolsonaro, who is accused of planning a coup.

Bolsonaro is on trial for allegedly plotting to hold onto power after losing the 2022 elections to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Trump’s order, which also criticized Brazil’s digital regulation, charged that the Brazilian government’s recent policies and actions threatened the US economy, national security, and foreign policy.

The tariff hike on Brazilian goods comes a day before a separate wave of higher US duties are set to take effect on dozens of economies ranging from the European Union to Taiwan — as Trump moves to reshape global trade.

Analysts at Pantheon Macroeconomics estimate that these incoming tariff increases are expected to boost the average effective tariff rate for US imports to nearly 20 percent.

This marks the highest level since at least the 1930s, according to the Budget Lab at Yale University.