International newspapers reverberated on Thursday (31) the formalization of 50% rates on Brazilian products by US President Donald Trump and the Magnisky Law imposed on the Supreme Court Minister (STF), Alexandre de Moraes, by the United States government.
With a strong stance, British The Guardian said that allies of the Brazilian president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, accused Donald Trump of launching a direct attack on Brazilian democracy. The newspaper also stated that the measure imposed on Moraes is highly controversial.
Portal France 24 recalled that Trump announced 50% rates in support of former President Bolsonaro, reporting a “witch hunt”, alluding to the STF criminal proceedings investigating the coup plot after the 2022 elections and made Bolsonaro defendant. The newspaper also points out that the main reason is above all political and not economic.
The Wall Street Journal focused on the fare from coffee, saying that the 50% taxes can make prices shoot. They also explain that Brazilian arabica grains are the source of about 35% to 40% of coffee consumed in the United States, and that the country is unable to easily replace Brazilian coffee.
Bloomberg highlighted the postponement of the deadline initially stipulated by Donald Trump for the taxes on Brazil to begin, which would be this Friday (01) and went to August 6. In addition, they talked about items that will be exceptions in Brazilian tariffs, such as Orange Juice and Embraer aircraft, claiming that this has made the real and the actions of some of the main exporters recover.
The New York Times has stated that the United States has fulfilled threats to apply tariffs to Brazil two days ahead and imposed sanctions on the Supreme Court judge that supervises the criminal case against Bolsonaro, citing the sanctions imposed on Minister Alexandre de Moraes. The newspaper also said that double measures showed that while Brazilian authorities sought dialogue, the White House dramatically intensified the growing diplomatic crisis between the two most populous nations of the Western hemisphere. They also recalled that the tariffs imposed on Brazil were the largest ever placed by Trump this year, even exempting important products.
The Washington Post listened to Professor Flavia Loss, from International Relations at the São Paulo School of Sociology and Politics Foundation, and has put the following statement: “We are not talking about a normal commercial dispute between countries, we are talking about the use of commercial tools to coerce what happens in Brazil.”
