President Donald Trump finally made tariffs against Brazil official, slapping the South American nation with a 50% levy on imports. In the same way, Trump also announced 35% tariffs on Canada, the U.S.’s second-largest trading partner, while Mexico obtained more time to discuss a better trade agreement.
Trump Slaps Brazil and Canada With 50% and 35% Tariffs; Mexico Gets Breathing Room
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Trump Lashes Out at Brazil and Canada With Tariffs, Mexico Gets 90-Day Talk Extension
The Trump Administration has officially slapped Brazil and Canada with tariffs of 50% and 35% respectively, levies that will affect the trading relations between these countries.
On July 30, President Donald Trump signed an executive order making his earlier threats official, stating that this decision was an answer to the Brazilian government’s recent actions, which posed “an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States.”
The White House explained that Brazilian institutions have compelled U.S.-based social network companies to “censor political speech, deplatform users, turn over sensitive U.S. user data, or change their content moderation policies.” The prosecution of former President Jair Bolsonaro, a close friend of Trump who allegedly attempted a coup, is also mentioned as a justification for these measures.
Some products will be exempt from paying these taxes, including civil aircraft, precious metals, energy imports, and fertilizers. Coffee, on the other hand, will not.
On July 31, Trump also raised the tariff percentage collected from Canadian imports to 35%, with an executive order stating that Canada has “failed to cooperate in curbing the ongoing flood of fentanyl and other illicit drugs, and it has retaliated against the United States for the President’s actions to address this unusual and extraordinary threat to the United States.”
On Truth Social, Trump also referred to the intention of the Canadian government to recognize the Palestinian state as a pain point to achieve a better trade deal.
In contrast, Trump gave Mexico a 90-day extension of the current deal, which establishes 25% levies on Mexican imports and a 50% tariff on steel, aluminum, and copper. Trump stated that “the complexities of a deal with Mexico are somewhat different than other nations because of both the problems and assets of the border,” stressing that he was getting to “know and understand” Mexican President Claudia Sheimbaun after a phone call.
Read more: Trump Administration Imposes 50% Tariff on Brazilian Imports
Read more: Trump Administration Slaps 30% Tariffs on EU and Mexico
