⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Brazilian experts have asserted that the United States is leveraging tariffs as a weapon to pressure Brazil's economy and politics, undermining diplomatic relations between the countries. Tensions between the two sides have been rising since April, when the U.S. began to impose 10 percent additional tariffs on Brazilian goods. On July 9, U.S. President Donald Trump further raised the tariffs to 50 percent, which went into effect on Aug 6. Last week, Trump called Brazil a "horrible trading partner," saying the trial against former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was a "political execution." Facing the unilateral threat, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said his country will not back down. On Thursday, Lula rebuked the U.S. president, saying Trump "should not meddle" in Brazil's internal affairs. Robson Valdez, a Brazilian researcher in international relations, said the U.S. tariffs have clearly been imposed with political intentions and attempt to interfere with Brazil's domestic politics and judicial procedure. "The prerequisite set by the U.S. to negotiate with Brazil is the suspension of criminal procedures against former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who has been prosecuted for an attempted coup on Jan 8, 2023. Therefore, as a matter of fact, the U.S. government is using tariffs as their weapon to put more pressure on Brazil's economy and politics," said Valdez. Some analysts believe that using trade as a tool to press other countries will not only harm free trade, but also weaken diplomatic mutual trust. "The global economy and some international diplomacy could be damaged. This is because, usually, trade will open the door to another country's diplomacy. Abusing tariffs will bring tensions to many countries worldwide, including the United States," said Daniela Freddo, a Brazilian economist. In mid-August, Brazil appealed to the World Trade Organization (WTO) to challenge steep tariffs imposed by the U.S. on Brazilian exports to the United States, accusing the U.S. of flagrantly violating the core commitments assumed by that country at the WTO. The video shows: Washington D.C., USA - October 2024 1. White House Philadelphia, USA - October 2024 2. U.S. national flag Brazil - Date Unknown 3. Brazilian national flag, traffic Brasilia, Brazil - Date Unknown 4. National flag of Brazil Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil - Aug 15, 2025 5. SOUNDBITE (Portuguese) Robson Valdez, Brazilian researcher in international relations (partially overlaid with shots 6-7): "The prerequisite set by the U.S. to negotiate with Brazil is the suspension of criminal procedures against former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who has been prosecuted for an attempted coup on Jan 8, 2023. Therefore, as a matter of fact, the U.S. government is using tariffs as their weapon to put more pressure on Brazil's economy and politics." ++SHOTS OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++ Sao Paulo, Brazil - Aug 1, 2025 6. Various of protests against U.S. tariffs, political interference in progress 7. Protesters holding national flag of Brazil ++SHOTS OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++ Brazil - Recent 8. Various of coffee beans being roasted 9. Bags of coffee beans FILE: Casa Branca, Sao Paulo, Brazil - Sept 1, 2024 10. Worker putting oranges in bag 11. Oranges being loaded in truck Brasilia, Brazil - Aug 15, 2025 12. SOUNDBITE (Portuguese) Daniela Freddo, Brazilian economist (ending with shot 13): "The global economy and some international diplomacy could be damaged. This is because, usually, trade will open the door to another country's diplomacy. Abusing tariffs will bring tensions to many countries worldwide, including the United States." FILE: Sao Paulo, Brazil - 2025 13. Various of port facilities, containers, cargo ship [Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland]