Trump administration proposes 25% tariffs on Brazil despite US trade surplus

<p>US claims world’s 10th-biggest economy engages in ‘unreasonable’ trade practices that ‘restrict US commerce’</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/news/2026/feb/17/sign-up-for-the-breaking-news-us-email-to-get-newsletter-alerts-direct-to-your-inbox?utm_medium=ACQUISITIONS_STANDFIRST&amp;utm_campaign=BN22326&amp;utm_content=signup&amp;utm_term=standfirst&amp;utm_source=GUARDIAN_WEB">Sign up for the Breaking News US newsletter email</a></p></li></ul><p>The <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/trump-administration">Trump administration</a> proposed 25% tariffs on imports from <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/brazil">Brazil</a>, charging that the world’s 10th-biggest economy engages in trade practices that are “unreasonable’’ and that “burden or restrict US commerce”.</p><p>Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said he received the decision “with indignation”. The Brazil president also blamed the decision by the US administration on his rival in October’s elections, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/may/14/flavio-bolsonaro-banker-film-jair-bolsonaro">Flávio Bolsonaro</a>, the senator who visited Washington last week. The senator is the son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, once nicknamed “the Trump of the Tropics” by his allies.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/jun/02/trump-administration-brazil-tariffs">Continue reading...</a>