• Latinometrics
  • Posts
  • ☀ Domingo Brief — Brazil’s Tariff Clash Heats Up

☀ Domingo Brief — Brazil’s Tariff Clash Heats Up

Each Sunday, take two minutes to catch key stories and opportunities shaping Latin America.

Author

Latinometrics
August 03, 2025 • Reading Time: 3 minutes

Welcome back to the Domingo Brief! This week, we’re keeping up with El Salvador’s worrying legislative decision, Mexico’s tariff pause, and more.

Trivia of the Week 🎯

About 58% of you guessed Jair Bolsonaro as the contemporary Latin American president who also served as a military officer during his country’s 20th-century military dictatorship. Bolsonaro, who was President of Brazil from 2019 to 2022, began serving in the Brazilian Army in 1973, in the midst of the country’s brutal 21-year military dictatorship. He reached the rank of captain and left the barracks for politics after an interview he gave angered senior military leadership.

Each week, tune back in for the answer to the previous week’s trivia question. No cheating!

What is the largest natural gas reserve in Latin America?

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.

🇦🇷 Argentine President Javier Milei received United States Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in Buenos Aires. The pair met to sign an agreement which will begin the process for Argentina to re-join the United States visa waiver program, an agreement both countries had shared until the beginning of the century. The visit reflects the unconditional geopolitical alignment with the United States that Milei has adhered to since taking office in December 2023, and should allow Argentine citizens the ability to enter the U.S. for tourism or business for up to 90 days without the need to apply for a visa.

🇧🇷 Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula Da Silva declared the United States is refusing his government’s offers to hold trade talks after threatening a 50% tariff on Brazilian exports. The proposed tariffs are scheduled to take effect on August 6th, representing some of the highest levies imposed by the US on any nation and the only ones (thus far) driven by overt political reasons. Lula also mentioned that Brazil is preparing retaliatory tariffs against US exports in case American President Donald Trump follows through with his threats, and vowed Brazil would not succumb to external political pressures.

Latinometrics: In addition to its tariff threats, the Trump Administration sanctioned Brazilian Supreme Federal Court justice Alexandre de Moraes over the trial of former president Jair Bolsonaro. Bolsonaro is currently awaiting trial on charges of plotting a coup and planning the assassination of Lula following his election defeat in October 2022. Bolsonaro’s son and Brazilian congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro has also been running a lobbying campaign in Washington for tough trade measures against his country.

Unlock Unique Insights with Latinometrics Premium.

Become a paid subscriber of Latinometrics to get access to this data story and other subscriber-only content.

Already a paying subscriber? Sign In.

A subscription gets you:

  • • 📈 Unlimited early access to all of our charts
  • • ☀️ Full access to our Domingo Brief — a must-read for decision-makers.

Reply

or to participate.