Trump’s new tariffs on Brazil reflect the weakness of US trade strategy

The Supreme Court ruling that struck down US tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump under his emergency powers this year set off a scramble by the administration to reinstate tariffs on several countries using different rationales. Brazil is the first test case of this strategy, and it demonstrates the weakness of US leverage. Leaving aside the separate question of these tariffs backfiring politically in Brazil—likely strengthening the standing of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, whom Trump detests—the US economic strategy toward Brazil shows the weakness of its leverage in trade…