Trump Threatens 50% Tariffs on Brazil, Sends Letters Dictating Levies on 7 M...

　　TMTPOST -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday sent another slew of letters dictating new reciprocal tariffs set to enter effect next month.

　　Credit：Xinhua News Agency

　　Trump first posted letters to the leaders of seven countries on his social media platform Truth Social, informing all the goods imported from the Philippines, Brunei, Moldova, Algeria, Iraq, Libya and Sri Lanka will face tariffs ranging from 20% to 30%, effective August 1.

　　Trump assigned Libya, Iraq, Algeria and Sri Lanka each a tariff rate of 30% tariffs, Brunei and Moldova were assigned tariff rates of 25%, and a 20% tariff will be imposed on the Philippines, according to the letters.

　　Many of the abovementioned tariff rates were slightly lower than those Trump announced on April 2, a date the president proclaimed “Liberation Day”, or unchanged. Malaysia’s was 1 percentage point higher, while Cambodia appeared as the big winner, with a rate of reciprocal tariff down 13 percentage points from the previous target.

　　Later Wednesday, Trump announced new reciprocal tariffs of 50% on all Brazilian imports, also starting on August 1. Brazil became the big loser as the tariff rate of 50% it now faces is the highest so far announced of the levies which are poised to begin in August, and the rate suggested a massive jump from the 10% tariffs the Trump administration imposed in early April.

　　In his letter to Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Trump claimed the 50% tariffs were in part due to “Brazils insidious attacks on Free Elections, and the fundamental Free Speech Rights of Americans”, calling on the Brazilian government to drop charges against its former far right president Jair Bolsonaro, his political ally. For Trump, the way that Brazil has treated Bolsonaro is “an international disgrace”, and the trial should not be taking place. “It is a Witch Hunt that should end IMMEDIATELY!” Trump wrote.

　　The upcoming high tariffs on Brazil also resulted from “unsustainable Trade Deficits against the United States” caused by many years of Brazil’s trade policies, said Trump in the letters, noting that the deficit is a major threat to U.S. economy and its national security. Moreover, Trump said he was directing U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer to immediately open a Section 201 investigation into Brazil because of the country’s “continued attacks on the Digital Trade activies of American Companies, as well as other unfair Trading Practices.”

　　Trump on Monday announced new tariffs on 14 countries set to hit on August 1. In his letters to the leaders of these countries, Trump informing them of tariffs ranging from 25% to 40%, affecting all imports from Japan, South Korea, Kazakhstan, Malaysia,Tunisia, South Africa, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Serbia, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.

　　Trump at Monday also signed an executive order, delaying the tariff deadline on Wednesday to August 1. “I have determined, based on additional information and recommendations from various senior officials, including information on the status of discussions with trading partners, that it is necessary and appropriate to extend the suspension effectuated by Executive Order 14266 until 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time on August 1, 2025,” Trump said in the order released by the White House.

　　The executive order effectively extended the July 9 deadline by more than three weeks. Trump said in a social media post on April 9 that he has authorized a 90-day pause and “a substantially lowered reciprocal tariff” of 10% during this period, both effective immediately. The decision was made as more than 75 countries have called the U.S. to negotiate a solution to trade, trade barriers, tariffs, currency manipulation, and non-monetary tariffs, and these countries have not retaliated against the U.S., Trump wrote.