Trump has signed a presidential order that raises the tariffs on goods from Brazil from 10 to 50 percent.
The tariffs are motivated in part by the fact that the Brazilian government has acted in a way that "constitutes an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States", according to a press release from the White House.
"Persecution"
This is said to be about, among other things, the fact that American companies have been forced to "censor political statements, shut down users, hand over sensitive information about American users or change their content moderation guidelines".
Trump's presidential order also states that the ongoing legal process against Brazil's former president Jair Bolsonaro is part of the "politically motivated persecution" of Bolsonaro by the Brazilian government and that it "constitutes serious violations of human rights".
In early July, Trump threatened to impose 50 percent tariffs on Brazil if the country does not stop what he calls a "witch hunt" against the former president. Brazil's president Lula da Silva then stated that the country was ready to respond to such tariffs.
On trial
The right-wing radical Bolsonaro, who ruled Brazil between 2019 and 2022, is on trial for attempting to stage a coup after the election defeat in 2022. He is also accused of having led a "criminal organization" that planned to prevent the current president Lula da Silva from coming to power.
In mid-July, the United States withdrew the visa for a Brazilian judge, just hours after he ordered Bolsonaro to wear an electronic ankle monitor.
