The US sells more to Brazil than it buys – but Trump is slapping steep tariffs on its exports anyway

Because Trump picked this fight due to his concerns about Brazilian politics, that country’s presidential elections might quell it soon.

By: Filipe Mendonça, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia (UFU) and Henrique Menezes, Universidade Federal da Paraíba (UFPB), The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: September 17, 2026

Words: 1,572

Last Updated: 22 hours, 56 minutes ago

By Filipe Mendonça, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia (UFU) and Henrique Menezes, Universidade Federal da Paraíba (UFPB)

President Donald Trump has generally tried to justify his tariffs by asserting that they can help narrow the trade deficits the U.S. runs with most of the world. That argument is based on the fact that nearly all countries sell Americans more than they buy from the United States.

But the case of Brazil is different.

The U.S. …

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