Senator Flávio Bolsonaro (PL) said he asked President Donald Trump to spare Brazilian companies from U.S. import tariffs during an interview on Tuesday [1].
This intervention comes amid growing concerns that new trade barriers could destabilize the Brazilian economy by increasing the cost of exports to its largest trading partner. The move highlights the role of personal political ties in navigating international trade disputes.
Speaking with the Brazilian program Itatiaia, Bolsonaro said he sought to prevent the U.S. from imposing new tariffs on Brazilian imports and companies [1, 2]. The request follows a period of heightened trade tension between the two nations.
Reports on the specific scale of the proposed tariffs vary. The U.S. Office of Trade proposed a 25% tariff on Brazilian products [3]. However, other reports indicate that Trump announced an additional 40% tariff on Brazil during the first half of 2025 [4].
These trade measures were part of a broader strategy where Trump announced tariffs against several countries in the first semester of 2025 [4]. The resulting economic pressure has led Brazilian political figures to seek diplomatic or personal channels to mitigate the impact on domestic industry.
Opponents of the senator have attempted to distance themselves from the potential fallout of the tariffs, while others have used the situation to criticize the current administration's trade posture [5]. Bolsonaro's appeal to Trump is presented as an effort to protect the competitiveness of Brazilian firms in the American market [2].
The senator's efforts occur as Brazil continues to evaluate its trade relationship with the U.S. under the current administration's protectionist policies [3, 5].
“Flávio Bolsonaro said he asked President Donald Trump to spare Brazilian companies from U.S. import tariffs”
The attempt by a Brazilian senator to negotiate tariffs via personal rapport with the U.S. president underscores a shift toward informal diplomacy. If successful, it suggests that political alignment may supersede formal trade agreements in the current U.S. administration's approach to international commerce, potentially creating a precedent where bilateral trade stability depends on individual political connections rather than institutional treaties.
