22/07/2026 16:52 - Internacionales
According to reports from El País and Infobae, on July 22, 2026, new 25% tariffs imposed by the Donald Trump administration on a large portion of Brazilian products went into effect.
Faced with this scenario, the Brazilian government chose moderation. Vice President Geraldo Alckmin dismissed an aggressive response and quoted an old proverb: “An eye for an eye and we will all go blind.” The so-called Reciprocity Law, approved by the Brazilian Congress last year, will remain for now as a deterrent instrument rather than being applied immediately.
Brazil's Ministry of Industry and Commerce estimates that the tariff will affect only between 15% and 18% of total exports to the US, equivalent to about $7.4 billion USD. The good news is that over 2,100 products were exempted, including key items such as beef, coffee, oil, airplanes (protecting the national aerospace giant Embraer), and orange juice.
Despite tensions with Washington, Brazil reached a historic record last year with $349 billion USD in exports. During the first half of 2026, the South American country recorded historic sales marks to 54 nations and in 49 different products. The Mercosur-European Union agreement (a trade pact between South American and European blocs), for example, boosted Brazilian exports by $2 billion USD in just sixty days.
The trade landscape intertwines with the electoral campaign ahead of the presidential elections on October 4, 2026. As published by La Nación, President Lula da Silva accused US Secretary of State Marco Rubio of trying to influence the elections in favor of opposition candidate Flávio Bolsonaro (a right-wing politician and son of former President Jair Bolsonaro).
At an event in Brasilia, Lula challenged the US, stating: “If the US Secretary of State wants to come support my opponent, let him come, let him set up a committee, because we will defeat them all in the name of defending democracy.” Parallel to this, on July 21, 2026, Lula signed a decree authorizing the Armed Forces to support electoral logistics and security, a customary practice requested by the Brazilian Electoral Justice system.
According to unconfirmed data released by the Quaest polling firm, Lula would extend his lead to eight points in a runoff scenario (45% against 37% for Bolsonaro). Furthermore, the same survey suggests that 51% of Brazilians blame Flávio Bolsonaro for the imposition of tariffs, after it became known that allies of his family traveled to the US to request sanctions against Brazil.
Despite the challenges, Brazil focuses on diplomacy, market diversification, and national sovereignty, demonstrating that dialogue and prudence are the best tools to navigate international trade turbulence.
Alfredo S. Quiroga
