Trump Slaps 50% Tariff on Brazil, Expands Trade Offensive to Eight Nations Ahead of August Deadline
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced a sweeping escalation of his trade agenda, imposing a 50% tariff on Brazilian imports and expanding fresh tariff measures against seven additional nations in a move he described as essential to correcting “unfair trade imbalances” and protecting US national security.
The 50% tariff on Brazil, the highest in Trump’s current trade offensive, will take effect from August 1. Trump stated that the measure was partly in retaliation for the ongoing prosecution of Brazil’s former President Jair Bolsonaro, along with addressing what he called a “very unfair trade relationship” between the US and Brazil.
In addition to Brazil, Algeria, Brunei, Iraq, Libya, Moldova, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka will face new tariffs ranging from 20% to 30%, according to notices shared on Trump’s Truth Social platform and in letters sent to the respective governments.
Trump justified the measures by stating that years of “tariff and non-tariff barriers” had led to unsustainable trade deficits, calling the situation a threat to the US economy and national security. “Please understand that these tariffs are necessary to correct the many years of tariff, and non-tariff, policies and trade barriers, causing these unsustainable trade deficits against the United States,” Trump wrote.
The announcement follows similar moves earlier this week, when Trump imposed 25% tariffs on imports from Japan and South Korea, and extended the tariff regime to 12 additional countries, including Myanmar, Laos, South Africa, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, and Thailand, citing trade imbalances and protection of American manufacturing.
Trump has also targeted the Brics bloc, including Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, stating that these nations would soon face 10% tariffs for what he claimed were attempts to undermine the US dollar’s role as the global reserve currency. “Anybody that’s in Brics is getting a 10 per cent charge pretty soon,” Trump declared, arguing that the bloc was formed to hurt America and to replace the dollar.
The White House has defended the moves, framing them as critical to rebalancing global trade, while offering an exemption path for international manufacturers willing to shift production to the United States. Trump warned that any retaliatory tariffs from affected countries would trigger further increases in US tariffs, signalling a combative stance that is expected to add strain to global trade relations.
The sudden escalation has triggered sharp reactions across markets, with analysts warning of potential disruptions to global supply chains, price hikes, and retaliatory actions from targeted nations. Social media reactions were split, with supporters praising Trump’s aggressive trade stance, while critics warned that the measures could backfire on American exporters and consumers.
The announcement comes amid Trump’s broader focus on trade imbalances as a key pillar of his economic agenda, using tariffs as leverage to push nations into renegotiating trade terms that Washington considers unfavourable.
