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Japan Times
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Japan Times
Brazil's top court defies Trump and signals no retreat on Bolsonaro
U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff threat against Brazil over a legal probe into his political ally, former President Jair Bolsonaro, caught the Supreme Court in Brasilia off guard. The top court is in recess during July — not all its judges were even in the country — making it difficult to convene to formulate a response. But a group of justices including Alexandre de Moraes, who is overseeing the former president's case, immediately began discussing a response aimed more at asserting national sovereignty than easing tensions with the U.S. Just after Trump threatened 50% tariffs on Brazil on July 9, this group advocated for the court to issue a statement challenging the U.S. president's assertion of a "Witch Hunt,' according to two people with knowledge of how the events unfolded. In the end, Chief Justice Luis Roberto Barroso agreed in a call with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva that the first response should come from the political sphere, a third person said, all of them asking not be named discussing private deliberations. Lula then made the point, in a statement that evening, that Brazil is "a sovereign country with independent institutions.' The reaction was calibrated to underline the division between the executive and the judiciary in Brazil, and how the U.S. demands had overstepped that mark. Yet it also shows a shared determination to fight back rather than give in to his demands that the Bolsonaro case be dropped. "If there was some expectation that the threats would generate some fear in the Brazilian Supreme Court, the effect is the opposite,' said Thiago de Aragao, head of Arko International, a Washington-based consultancy. "Their willingness to go through this all the way to the end is much higher, especially because they want to demonstrate their sovereignty and independence.' Alexandre de Moraes during a session at the Supreme Federal Court in Brasilia on June 9 | Bloomberg That reality signals turbulence ahead between Latin America's economic and political heavyweight helmed by a seasoned leftist leader and an unapologetically mercantilist U.S. under a president who is now largely unfettered by legal constraints. Since then, Trump reiterated his tariff threats in an open letter, Brazil's top court ordered Bolsonaro to wear an ankle monitor alleging a flight risk, and the U.S. State Department revoked U.S. visas for Moraes and other justices. Early warnings It's a clash of personalities and political cultures that's been building for some time. Since early this year, officials from the U.S. embassy in Brasilia had reached out to Brazil's Supreme Court to warn that the ongoing investigation into whether Bolsonaro had sought to overturn his 2022 election loss threatened to harm trade relations, according to one of the people with knowledge of the conversations. Brazil's Supreme Court didn't reply to a request for comment. The U.S. embassy said it has made clear its "concern about the politicization of the investigations' involving Bolsonaro and his supporters. The issue has been raised "during interactions with Brazilian authorities, for some time now,' according to the July 18 statement issued by the embassy's press office in Portuguese. Brazilian justices aware of the advisories initially shrugged them off as absurd. There was no way, they reasoned, the U.S. would intervene in what was ultimately a domestic legal affair, one of the people said. But if Brazilian judges had underestimated the White House, it quickly became clear that Trump, too, had miscalculated. To the majority of the court's members, the Bolsonaro case is part of a larger fight to safeguard a relatively young democracy the former Army captain allegedly put in peril. And unlike the U.S. Supreme Court, which helped clear the way for Trump's return to power despite charges that he illegally conspired to overturn his 2020 defeat, Brazil's has no intention of giving in. Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil's former president (center) during a break at the Supreme Federal Court in Brasilia on June 9 | Bloomberg The court's determination is typically ascribed — by supporters and critics alike — to Moraes, the crusading justice overseeing both the coup trial and spearheading an aggressive campaign against social-media disinformation that has also drawn the ire of Trump and members of his movement. As part of his efforts, the 56-year-old judge has ordered the removal of accounts accused of spreading fake news from platforms like X, Rumble and Meta's Facebook. He's clashed with rightwing journalists and commentators who say he's abusing his power to target political opponents, and last year waged a public tussle with Elon Musk after banning access to X in Brazil. His prominent role in Brazil's most high-profile legal fights has turned him into the supervillain of Bolsonaro's movement: Eduardo Bolsonaro, a son of the former president, has spent months in the U.S. lobbying Washington to put sanctions on the judge. Moraes has declined requests for comment. U.S., Brazil parallels In reality, the majority of the court's 11 members are united in the belief that they are waging an existential fight for Brazilian democracy — one with implications that stretch far beyond Brazil's borders. It's a view that solidified in the wake of the 2023 insurrection attempt in which thousands of Bolsonaro supporters ransacked major government buildings, including the Supreme Court, the presidential palace and Congress — events that drew natural comparisons to the Capitol riots in Washington that followed Trump's 2020 defeat. Even the dates were similar: the U.S. rioting came on Jan. 6; Brazil's attempted coup was Jan. 8. 'The Justice' sculpture outside of Brazil's Supreme Court in Brasilia | Bloomberg As clear as the parallels are, the responses from the country's Supreme Courts couldn't be much different. The U.S. tribunal ruled in 2024 that Trump enjoyed some immunity from criminal charges over his efforts to overturn the results, effectively killing chances of a trial before last year's election. His subsequent victory put an end to the case altogether. "I see Brazil with mechanisms to protect its democracy that are much efficient what we've seen in the U.S.,' said Robert Dias, a professor of constitutional law at Getulio Vargas Foundation law school in Sao Paulo. "The American constitution only has force when institutional actors are loyal to it.' Brazil, by contrast, moved swiftly: In 2023, its electoral court — a separate body made up of a rotating cast of Supreme Court justices — barred Bolsonaro from holding office for eight years for spreading voter fraud conspiracies, ending any chance of a swift return to the presidency. The judicial system has moved similarly rapidly to find the culprits the Jan. 8, 2023, insurrection in Brasilia. Federal police recommended the coup attempt charges in November 2024. Within months, the Supreme Court had approved them and set the stage for a trial. More outspoken by tradition than their American counterparts, the justices have left little doubt about their motivations: They want to conclude the trial before Brazilians vote again in October 2026. That has added fuel to claims that they've predetermined the outcome and robbed Bolsonaro of due process. But in recent days, judges have pushed back, arguing that their aggressive approach was necessary to avoid the sort of democratic collapse that has happened elsewhere. "An independent and active court was necessary to prevent the collapse of institutions, as has occurred in several countries around the world, from Eastern Europe to Latin America,' Chief Justice Barroso wrote in a letter published on its website on July 13. "The Supreme Federal Court will judge independently and based on the evidence.' Eduardo Bolsonaro stands as Trump speaks during the Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Maryland, on Feb. 22. | Bloomberg Despite the July recess, Moraes continued working, and Bolsonaro's case proceeded as normal. The Prosecutor General's Office submitted its closing arguments on July 14, requesting his conviction for the attempted coup. The Supreme Court is expected to return from recess in August and likely to conclude the case soon. What remains uncertain is how far Trump is willing to go to support Bolsonaro. Eduardo Bolsonaro and conservative digital influencer Paulo Figueiredo, grandson of the last president of the military dictatorship that ruled Brazil from 1964 to 1985, spent the past several days in Washington in meetings at the State Department and, according to them, at the White House. In a sign of Trump's unconventional diplomacy, Eduardo and Figueiredo have become key sources of information about Brazil for his administration, according to diplomatic sources. "Everyone's position was unanimous: There will not be a millimeter of concession unless Brazil takes the first step,' Figueiredo said Wednesday of the meetings held in Washington. "The warning we heard was: 'If things continue at this pace, President Trump may take additional measures, which could even involve the financial market.'' Donald Trump has, so far, said he won't back down. "It is my sincere hope that the Government of Brazil changes course, stops attacking political opponents, and ends their ridiculous censorship regime,' Trump wrote in the letter addressed to Bolsonaro Thursday night. "I will be watching closely.'
Axios
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Trump defends global allies against "witch hunts"
President Trump's criminal trials are behind him, but he's now crying "witch hunt" on behalf of ideological allies overseas. Why it matters: Trump imposed 50% tariffs on Brazil — set to go into effect Aug. 1 — in part because of the prosecution of former President Jair Bolsonaro for his efforts to overturn his loss in 2022, charges that mirror those Trump himself faced. That's an extraordinary intervention in a friendly country's political and judicial processes, with tens of billions in trade at stake. It's also not the first time Trump has weighed in on judicial proceedings against right-wing politicians overseas, or claimed political and judicial elites abroad are using the same "playbook" deployed against him. Last month, he decried the "INSANITY" of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu having to juggle standing trial for alleged corruption with handling conflicts with Iran and Hamas. "It is a POLITICAL WITCH HUNT, very similar to the Witch Hunt that I was forced to endure," Trump wrote of Netanyahu's trial, which involves allegations he gave political favors in exchange for personal gifts or positive news coverage that Netanyahu denies. Trump's Truth Social post about Netanyahu's trial included an implicit threat: "The United States of America spends Billions of Dollar a year, far more than on any other Nation, protecting and supporting Israel. We are not going to stand for this." In April, he slammed French far-right leader Marine Le Pen's conviction on embezzlement charges as politically motivated "Lawfare." "It is the same 'playbook' that was used against me by a group of Lunatics and Losers," Trump wrote. Le Pen and other members of her party were convicted of misusing European Parliament funds, something Trump dismissed as a "bookkeeping error." She was banned from running for office for five years, knocking her out of the next presidential election unless she successfully appeals. What they're saying: Bolsonaro, Netanyahu and Le Pen have all denied the charges against them and echoed Trump's language by claiming they are the victims of witch hunts. State of play: Brazil now faces far higher tariffs than most other countries targeted by Trump, even though the U.S. has a trade surplus with the country. As Trump explained in a letter to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who defeated Bolsonaro in 2022 (after himself being jailed for a corruption conviction that was later annulled), that was due in part to the prosecution of Bolsonaro. "Brazil is a sovereign country with independent institutions that will not accept being taken for granted by anyone," Lula responded in a statement of his own, vowing to retaliate in kind to any U.S. sanctions. The intrigue: Trump's sympathy for fellow politicians on trial seems only to extend to fellow right-wingers.
CNN
11-07-2025
- Business
- CNN
Trump Targets Brazil Over 'Witch Hunt' Against Bolsonaro - The Source with Kaitlan Collins - Podcast on CNN Podcasts
Trump Targets Brazil Over 'Witch Hunt' Against Bolsonaro The Source with Kaitlan Collins 48 mins President Trump's personal vendettas could be a on a collision course with the economy. President Donald Trump wants to pressure Brazil into stopping the trial of its former president Jair Bolsonaro, by threatening the country with 50% tariffs on imports.
TimesLIVE
10-07-2025
- Business
- TimesLIVE
Trump sets 50% US tariffs on copper, Brazilian imports starting in August
US President Donald Trump launched his global tariff assault into overdrive on Wednesday, announcing a new 50% tariff on US copper imports and a 50% duty on goods from Brazil, both to start on August 1. 'I am announcing a 50% TARIFF on Copper, effective August 1, after receiving a robust NATIONAL SECURITY ASSESSMENT,' Trump said in a post on his Truth Social media platform, a reference to a 'Section 232" national security trade investigation into the red metal that has been under way. The announcement came hours after he also informed Brazil that its 'reciprocal' tariff on August 1 would rise to 50% from 10%, a shockingly high level for a country with a balanced US trade relationship. Trump first broached the copper tariff during a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, setting off a scramble by companies to import as much copper as soon as possible from Chile and other major suppliers. He blamed the decline of the US copper industry on past administrations, saying copper was needed for semiconductors, aircraft, electric vehicle batteries and military hardware. 'America will, once again, build a DOMINANT Copper Industry,' Trump wrote. Trump's Brazil tariff order came in a letter to Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva that vented anger over what he called the 'Witch Hunt' trial of Lula's right-wing predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro, and adding to an increasingly bitter public feud with Lula. Trump also criticised what he said were Brazil's attacks on free elections, Americans' free speech and 'SECRET and UNLAWFUL Censorship Orders to US Social Media platforms'. He ordered the US Trade Representative's office to launch a new 'Section 301" unfair trade practices investigation that could add even more tariffs, citing 'Brazil's continued attacks on the Digital Trade Activities of American companies'. Lula responded to Trump's letter by issuing a statement saying that any unilateral measure to increase tariffs would be met with a response in accordance with Brazilian law. Brad Setser, a former US trade official now with the Council on Foreign Relations, said Trump's action could easily spiral into a damaging trade war between the two democracies. 'This shows the danger of having tariffs that are under the unilateral control of one man,' Setser said. 'It's tied to the fact that Lula beat Trump's friend Bolsonaro in the election.' Brazil is the 15th largest US trading partner, with total two-way trade of $92bn in 2024, and a rare $7.4bn US trade surplus, according to US Census Bureau data. Top US exports to Brazil are commercial aircraft, petroleum products and crude oil, coal and semiconductors while Brazil's top exports to the US are crude oil, coffee, semi-finished steel and pig iron. The South American country has held off on implementing a digital services tax but has sought to advance legislation with stronger competition regulations on digital platforms. Trump earlier on his Truth Social media platform issued August 1 tariff notices to seven minor trading partners that exported only $15bn in goods to the US last year: a 20% tariff on goods from the Philippines, 30% on goods from Sri Lanka, Algeria, Iraq and Libya, and 25% on Brunei and Moldova. The latest letters add to 14 others issued earlier in the week including 25% tariffs for powerhouse US suppliers South Korea and Japan, which are also to take effect August 1 barring any trade deals reached before then. They were issued a day after Trump said he was broadening his trade war by imposing a 50% tariff on imported copper and would soon introduce long-threatened levies on semiconductors and pharmaceuticals. Trump's rapid-fire tariff moves have cast a shadow over the global economic outlook, paralysing business decision-making. NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE EU As more tariff drama unfolded in Washington, US and EU negotiators pushed closer to a trade deal to ease Trump's tariffs on the biggest bilateral US trading partner bloc. Trump said he would 'probably' tell the EU within two days what rate it could expect for its exports to the US, adding that the 27-nation bloc had become much more co-operative. EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic said good progress had been made on a framework trade agreement and a deal may even be possible within days. Sefcovic told EU legislators he hoped that EU negotiators could finalise their work soon, with additional time now from the extension of a US deadline to August 1 from July 9. 'I hope to reach a satisfactory conclusion, potentially even in the coming days,' Sefcovic said. However, Italian economy minister Giancarlo Giorgetti had earlier warned that talks between the two sides were 'very complicated' and could continue right up to the deadline. EU officials and auto industry sources said that US and EU negotiators were discussing a range of potential measures aimed at protecting the EU's auto industry, including tariff cuts, import quotas and credits against the value of EU automakers' US exports. HIGHEST TARIFF LEVELS SINCE 1934 Equity markets shrugged off the Republican president's latest tariff salvo on Wednesday, while the yen remained on the back foot after the levies imposed on Japan. After Trump's announcement of higher tariffs for imports from the 14 countries, US research group Yale Budget Lab estimated consumers face an effective US tariff rate of 17.6%, up from 15.8% previously and the highest in nine decades. Trump's administration has been touting those tariffs as a significant revenue source. Treasury secretary Scott Bessent said Washington has taken in about $100bn so far and could collect $300bn by the end of the year. The US has taken in about $80bn annually in tariff revenue in recent years. The Trump administration promised '90 deals in 90 days' after he unveiled an array of country-specific duties in early April. So far, only two agreements have been reached, with Britain and Vietnam. Trump has said a deal with India was close.
Free Malaysia Today
10-07-2025
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Trump unveils 50% tariff on Brazilian goods, blasts Bolsonaro's trial
Donald Trump cited Brazil's 'insidious attacks on free elections' in unveiling the 50% tariff, warning of further escalation if it retaliated. (EPA Images pic) WASHINGTON : President Donald Trump announced plans Wednesday to slap a 50% US tariff on Brazilian goods starting Aug 1, as he blasted the trial of the country's ex-leader Jair Bolsonaro as a 'Witch Hunt.' In a letter addressed to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Trump criticised the treatment of Bolsonaro as an 'international disgrace,' adding that the trial 'should not be taking place.' He also said Washington would launch an investigation into Brazil's trade practices. The latest tariff threat came after Brazil said it had summoned the US charge d'affaires in a diplomatic row over Trump's earlier criticism of the coup trial of Bolsonaro. Bolsonaro denies he was involved in an attempt to wrest power back from Lula in an alleged coup plot prosecutors say failed only for a lack of military backing. But Trump previously urged Brazilian authorities to 'LEAVE BOLSONARO ALONE' in a social media post. In unveiling the 50% tariff Wednesday, Trump cited 'Brazil's insidious attacks on Free Elections' among other issues, warning of further escalation if the country retaliated. While Trump has been issuing letters to trading partners, focusing on those his country runs a deficit with, Brazil had not been among those threatened with higher duties come Aug 1.
