US President Donald Trump has announced sweeping new trade tariffs on eight countries, including a steep 50 per cent tariff on Brazilian imports. The announcement was made via his Truth Social platform, where he also shared official tariff letters sent to Algeria, Brunei, Iraq, Libya, Moldova, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka.
Starting August 1, the United States will impose the following tariffs: 50 per cent on Brazil, 30 per cent on Algeria, Iraq, Libya, and Sri Lanka; 25 per cent on Brunei and Moldova; and 20% on the Philippines.
Brazil Faces Unique Imposition Amid Bolsonaro Tensions
The 50 per cent tariff on Brazil is the highest among the newly announced rates and reportedly serves as retaliation for ongoing legal proceedings against former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. Trump’s letter states this increase marks a significant jump from the 10 per cent tariff imposed on Brazil in April. He emphasized that the move was in response to what he described as a “very unfair trading relationship” between the two nations.
Trump argued that years of tariff and non-tariff policies, coupled with restrictive trade barriers, have created unsustainable trade deficits that threaten both the U.S. economy and national security. While affirming the U.S. remains open to international trade, Trump stressed that such trade must be “fair and balanced.” He also offered an exemption from the new tariffs to international companies willing to relocate their manufacturing facilities to the United States.
BRICS in the Crosshairs
The decision to impose the steepest tariff on Brazil, one of the founding members of the BRICS bloc, has drawn attention amid Trump’s ongoing criticism of the group. Trump had previously accused BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) of forming with the intention to undermine the United States and warned that these countries would face 10 per cent tariffs.
Speaking on the global financial system, Trump reiterated his stance that maintaining the US dollar as the world’s reserve currency is vital. “If we lose the world standard dollar, it would be the same as losing a world war,” he said, criticizing past administrations for allegedly weakening America’s global economic leadership. He added, “If you have a smart president, you will never lose the standard. If you have a stupid president like the last president, you will lose the standard.”
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva responded critically to Trump’s threats. Dismissing them, Lula stated, “The world has changed. We don’t need an emperor.” He defended BRICS, saying the group aims to reshape the global economy through new forms of cooperation. Lula also reiterated the bloc’s push for alternatives to the US dollar in global trade. “Our central banks need to discuss this with other countries’ central banks. It’s something that will happen gradually until we unify,” he added.
Broader Tariff Threats Looming
In a separate letter also shared on Monday, Trump warned of high tariffs on a second group of countries if they fail to reach new trade deals with the United States by August 1. Countries named in the letter include Japan, South Korea, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, South Africa, Bangladesh, Kazakhstan, Indonesia, Tunisia, Malaysia, Serbia, Cambodia, and Bosnia & Herzegovina.
Among these, Myanmar and Laos face the highest proposed tariffs of 40%. Trump’s message was clear: unless new bilateral trade agreements are secured by the deadline, these tariffs will be implemented in full.
The announcement signals a renewed phase of aggressive protectionist trade policy under Trump, with potentially far-reaching impacts on global trade dynamics, particularly among emerging economies and BRICS nations.
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