On July 9 local time, U.S. President Donald Trump posted letters on social media addressed to Brunei, Algeria, Moldova, Iraq, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Libya, and Brazil.
**Trump Announces Tariff Rates for Eight Countries**
Trump stated that the U.S. would impose a 20% tariff on products from the Philippines starting August 1, 2025, a 25% tariff on products from Brunei and Moldova, a 30% tariff on products from Algeria, Iraq, Sri Lanka, and Libya, and a 50% tariff on products from Brazil.
**Brazilian President Lula: Will Counter U.S. 50% Tariff**
On the 9th, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva declared that Brazil would not accept being controlled by anyone and would respond to U.S. President Trump’s unilateral decision to raise tariffs on Brazilian exports to the U.S.
Lula emphasized that Brazil is a sovereign nation with independent institutions and will not accept any form of control. All domestic and foreign companies operating in Brazil must comply with Brazilian laws.
He pointed out that claims about a U.S. trade deficit with Brazil are based on incorrect information. U.S. government statistics show that over the past 15 years, the U.S. has accumulated a trade surplus of more than $410 billion in goods and services with Brazil. Given this, any unilateral tariff increase will be met with reciprocal measures under Brazil’s *Commercial Reciprocity Law*.
**Brazilian Vice President: U.S. Tariff Hike Is Unfair**
On the same day, Brazilian Vice President and Minister of Development, Industry, Trade, and Services Geraldo Alckmin stated that the U.S. decision to impose new tariffs on Brazilian goods is unfair. He noted that the U.S. enjoys a trade surplus with Brazil yet still raised tariffs, and Brazil “sees no justification” for the move.
Alckmin added that increasing tariffs on Brazilian products would harm the U.S. economy due to the integrated nature of trade. For example, Brazil is the third-largest buyer of U.S. metallurgical coal, producing semi-finished goods that are then exported to the U.S. for final processing. Thus, higher tariffs would only make the U.S. supply chain more expensive.
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