São Paulo (EFE).- United States President Donald Trump administration’s announcement of a 25% tariff on some Brazilian imports, sparking friction between President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Senator Flávio Bolsonaro ahead of the October elections.
The progressive leader and the eldest son of former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro (2019-2022) blamed each other for the new tariff, which will take effect on Wednesday and affect nearly one-third of Brazilian exports to the US.
“Lula is no longer fit to be Brazil’s president. We’re on a plane without a pilot. The Brazilian Biden is moody, irresponsible, and has become a danger to our nation,” said Flávio Bolsonaro, Lula’s main opponent in the presidential race, on Thursday on social media.
Jair Bolsonaro’s eldest son, anointed by his imprisoned and disqualified father as his successor, followed the lead of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who blamed Lula for the tariff hike due to his failure to negotiate in «good faith.»
Brazil’s most influential business association, the Federation of Industries of the State of São Paulo (FIESP), also chose to point the finger at Lula, who leads in the election polls.
«The Brazilian government’s decision to engage in unnecessary diplomatic friction, personal attacks, campaign rhetoric, and a lack of political alignment with Washington has undermined the ties built over more than 200 years of bilateral cooperation,» stated FIESP.
The tariff is the result of a year-long investigation by the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR), which concluded that certain Brazilian government practices are “unreasonable” and harm the US economy.
These practices include the electronic automatic payment system (PIX), enforcement of anti-corruption regulations, intellectual property protection laws, access to the ethanol market, and illegal deforestation.
However, Trump exempted approximately 2,100 Brazilian products, including meat, fish, coffee, oil, rare earths, and artwork, from the tariffs, arguing that imposing them could cause «disruptions» in the domestic market.
Meanwhile, Lula’s cabinet announced it will «immediately» initiate the procedures outlined in the Reciprocity Law, passed by parliament in Apr. 2025, to implement retaliatory measures.
That law authorizes restrictions on imports from specific countries, suspension of trade concessions, and other measures. A domestic response to the global trade war Trump unleashed in 2025.
In July 2025, Trump announced additional tariffs of up to 50% against Brazil in retaliation for the trial in which Jair Bolsonaro, a Trump ally, was sentenced to 27 years in prison for plotting a coup against Lula after losing the 2022 election.
The trade crisis escalated into a diplomatic crisis, culminating in the revocation of visas for Brazilian officials and economic sanctions against Alexandre de Moraes, the judge presiding over the case against Bolsonaro.
Following a chance encounter between Lula and Trump in the hallways of the United Nations headquarters, the conflict began to de-escalate, openimg a channel for dialogue at the highest level, which culminated in the lifting of a significant portion of the tariffs and sanctions.
However, the USTR’s investigation continued and has only now concluded, just a few weeks before the campaign for the October presidential election.
In addition to promising retaliation, Lula’s government has identified a culprit: the Bolsonaro family.
«The unfortunate outcome of the Section 301 investigations is regrettable and part of a narrative constructed with the active collaboration of the Bolsonaro family,» the Brazilian Presidency stated in a press release issued early Thursday.
The government referred to the Bolsonaros as «false patriots who planned and publicly defended actions against Brazil, motivated by electoral goals.»
In June, another son of the far-right leader, Eduardo Bolsonaro, was sentenced by the Supreme Court to four years in prison, initially to be served in a semi-open facility. He was condemned for pushing for sanctions against Brazil from the US to undermine the trial against his father on charges of coup plotting.
Flávio Bolsonaro sent a letter to the Trump administration requesting that the tariffs be postponed until after the elections, arguing that the measure could benefit Lula electorally.EFE
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