Flávio Bolsonaro asks Trump administration to avoid tariffs on Brazil

Brasília, Brazil – Senator Flávio Bolsonaro has formally requested that the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump refrain from imposing a 25% tariff on Brazilian goods. The senator, who is also a presidential pre-candidate, sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio outlining his concerns.

Bolsonaro asserted that Brazil is experiencing "grave fiscal and economic deterioration" and that new tariffs would inflict "serious harm on the Brazilian people." He reiterated a personal appeal made during a recent meeting with Trump, urging the U.S. not to impose these measures. The senator also offered to make his team available to negotiate a trade and investment treaty beneficial to both nations should he be elected president.

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Brazil is going through a period of grave fiscal and economic deterioration, and the imposition of new tariffs would cause serious harm to the Brazilian people.

The letter's timing is significant, occurring shortly after a meeting between Bolsonaro and Trump. Allies of current President Lula have used this encounter to suggest that Bolsonaro is acting against national interests. Bolsonaro, however, has countered this narrative, publishing a video blaming Lula for the potential tariffs. He argued that Lula's "aggressive" and "anti-American" rhetoric, including questioning the dollar's role as the global reserve currency, is provoking the U.S. trade investigation.

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I am writing, therefore, to formally reiterate the request I made to you personally: that the United States not impose tariffs on Brazil.

Bolsonaro also referenced the U.S. decision to designate Brazilian criminal factions Comando Vermelho (CV) and Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) as terrorist groups, a move announced shortly after his visit. While seen as an electoral asset by Bolsonaro's supporters, the Brazilian government has criticized this designation, fearing it could open the door to foreign intervention and negatively impact the economy.

The Brazilian government intends to negotiate with the U.S. to avert the proposed tariffs, which stem from a "Section 301" investigation initiated in 2025. Officials believe there is a chance to avoid the measures suggested by the U.S. Trade Representative's Office (USTR) while simultaneously working to politically damage Flávio Bolsonaro, a key rival to Lula in the upcoming October elections.

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This study, the so-called Section 301, encompassed more than 60 countries, including Brazil. An investigation that began in 2025, long before my visit to the United States last week. The reality is that this tariff is Lula's, because of his aggressive tone with the United States, because of his anti-American discourse of defending that the dollar should cease to be the standard currency in international relations.