One thought on “Effective Tariff Rates *before* Copper & Brazil”
Macroduck
Unindicted co-conspirator Wilbur Ross says the felon-in-chief’s use of tariffs against Brazil is not new for the felon. He has used tariffs against Mexico to extract greater cooperation in drug interdiction and against Europe for increased military spending:
What Ross seems to have missed is that the felon is meddling in purely domestic Brazilian affairs this time, the outcome of a criminal trial. Yes, Bolsenaro attempted to overturn the results of a democratic election, just as Trump did, but that doesn’t change the fact that the Bolsenaro trial is a purely Brazilian matter.
Imposing tariffs when we run a surplus with Brazil violates the felon’s own rules for imposing tariffs, and also violates U.S. law – none of the usual legal justifications for tariffs apply to Brazil. Citing the Bolsenaro case doesn’t make these tariffs more illegal, but certainly doesn’t fall within the law. It’s just the felon reminding us how he feels about democracy.
Unindicted co-conspirator Wilbur Ross says the felon-in-chief’s use of tariffs against Brazil is not new for the felon. He has used tariffs against Mexico to extract greater cooperation in drug interdiction and against Europe for increased military spending:
https://www.morningstar.com/news/marketwatch/20250710241/trumps-brazil-tariff-sets-a-scary-precedent-given-the-us-has-a-trade-surplus-with-the-country-economists-say
What Ross seems to have missed is that the felon is meddling in purely domestic Brazilian affairs this time, the outcome of a criminal trial. Yes, Bolsenaro attempted to overturn the results of a democratic election, just as Trump did, but that doesn’t change the fact that the Bolsenaro trial is a purely Brazilian matter.
Imposing tariffs when we run a surplus with Brazil violates the felon’s own rules for imposing tariffs, and also violates U.S. law – none of the usual legal justifications for tariffs apply to Brazil. Citing the Bolsenaro case doesn’t make these tariffs more illegal, but certainly doesn’t fall within the law. It’s just the felon reminding us how he feels about democracy.