The United States on Wednesday made good on its threats to apply 50 percent tariffs on Brazil two days ahead of schedule and slapped sanctions on the Supreme Court justice overseeing the criminal case against former President Jair Bolsonaro.
The dual measures showed that, just as Brazilian officials sought dialogue, the White House sharply escalated the growing diplomatic crisis between the Western Hemisphere’s two most populous nations.
The tariffs against Brazil are the highest of any levy President Trump has imposed this year, though they exclude many of Brazil’s key exports to the United States, like aircraft, fuel and orange juice. Brazil is also the only country to face tariffs while carrying a trade surplus with the United States.
The actions against Alexandre de Moraes, a Brazilian Supreme Court justice, are a highly unusual use of some of the gravest human rights sanctions the U.S. government has at its disposal.
Mr. Trump is targeting Brazil for what he calls political persecution of his political ally, Mr. Bolsonaro, and illegal censorship of conservative voices online. In an executive order on Wednesday, he said actions by Brazil’s government and Supreme Court “threaten the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States.”
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil has publicly defied Mr. Trump for weeks, including in an interview with The New York Times published hours ahead of the U.S. government actions on Wednesday.
“I think it’s important for President Trump to consider: If he wants to have a political fight, then let’s treat it as a political fight,” Mr. Lula told The Times. “If he wants to talk trade, let’s sit down and discuss trade. But you can’t mix everything together.”
Mr. Trump has called on Brazil to drop the charges against Mr. Bolsonaro, who is accused of orchestrating an attempted coup after losing the 2022 elections. Mr. Lula and Justice Moraes have pledged not to allow Mr. Trump to interfere in Brazil’s judicial process.
Mr. Lula told The Times on Tuesday that his government had been studying retaliatory tariffs against some American products if Mr. Trump went through with his threats. Now he is faced with the decision of whether to launch a trade war against Brazil’s second-largest trading partner after China.
It now appears that Mr. Trump’s efforts to come to the aid of Mr. Bolsonaro could soon mean higher prices for items like coffee and beef — products that are significantly sourced from Brazil.
Yet, his executive order on Wednesday also said that many products would be exempt from the levy. The United States imports about 90 percent of its fresh orange juice from Brazil, according to data from the Agriculture Department.
The tariffs will go into effect in a week, but goods already in transit will be exempt from taxes if they arrive in the United States by Oct. 5, according to the executive order.
The Treasury Department sanctions against Justice Moraes would revoke his U.S. visa and freeze any U.S. assets. Yet, the State Department already revoked his visa this month, and Justice Moraes does not have bank accounts or financial assets in the United States, according to a spokeswoman for Brazil’s Supreme Court.
Given the broad exemptions, the actions on Wednesday could end up being more symbolic than consequential — but they are a clear signal from the Trump administration that it is prepared for a fight with Brazil.
The sanctions against Justice Moraes were issued under the Global Magnitsky Act, a measure that is usually meant to punish foreigners accused of serious human-rights violations or corruption.
“Moraes is responsible for an oppressive campaign of censorship, arbitrary detentions that violate human rights, and politicized prosecutions — including against former President Jair Bolsonaro,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a news release.
Brazil’s Supreme Court did not immediately comment.
On Tuesday, Mr. Lula said that the U.S. efforts to target Justice Moraes were a dangerous infringement on Brazil’s democracy.
“The Supreme Court of a country has to be respected not only by its own country, but it has to be respected by the world,” he said. “I will never question someone from America’s Supreme Court.”
Jack Nicas is the Brazil bureau chief for The Times, leading coverage of much of South America.
The post U.S. Hits Brazil With Tariffs and Punishes Judge with Sanctions appeared first on New York Times.
