Tensions between Washington and Brasília intensified Wednesday as the United States announced sanctions against Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, accusing him of overseeing politically motivated detentions and stifling free speech.
Justice Moraes is at the center of a sweeping investigation into alleged coup plotting by former President Jair Bolsonaro and his inner circle following their 2022 electoral defeat. Bolsonaro, who continues to deny the accusations, has publicly branded the judge a “dictator.”
The US sanctions were swiftly followed by a sharp economic blow: President Donald Trump signed an executive order hiking tariffs on Brazilian imports to 50%. The move, long threatened, had been foreshadowed in a blunt letter Trump posted online earlier this month, addressed to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. In the message, Trump accused Brazil of targeting American tech companies and pursuing a politically motivated campaign against Bolsonaro.
Despite the tariff hike, key Brazilian exports—such as orange juice, certain aircraft components, and energy-related goods—were spared from the full impact of the duties, suggesting a strategic calibration rather than a blanket economic assault.
Read also: Trump Imposes 50% Tariff On Brazil, Criticizes Bolsonaro Trial
The order also ties the tariffs directly to Brazil’s “politically motivated persecution, intimidation, harassment, censorship and prosecution” of Bolsonaro.
Brazil has threatened to match any tariff imposed by the US.
The US is Brazil’s second-largest trade partner after China, so the hike would hit the South American nation hard.
Brazil is the US’s 15th largest trading partner and among its main imports from the US are mineral fuels, aircraft and machinery.
For its part, the US imports gas and petroleum, iron, and coffee from Brazil.
When announcing the sanctions against Judge Moraes on Wednesday, US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent accused Moraes of carrying out “an unlawful witch hunt against US and Brazilian citizens and companies.”
Judge Alexandre de Moraes of Brazil’s Supreme Court is facing direct sanctions from the US government, with officials accusing him of spearheading a repressive crackdown on political dissent and digital expression.
Jeff Bessent, a senior Treasury Department official, issued a sharp rebuke, stating that Moraes was at the helm of a campaign involving “censorship, politically driven prosecutions, and unlawful detentions,” including those targeting former President Jair Bolsonaro. “This move sends a clear message: the United States will act against individuals who undermine its interests and infringe upon civil liberties,” Bessent said.
Moraes has led Brazil’s ongoing investigation into post-election unrest and coup-related allegations tied to Bolsonaro and his allies. His rulings have also extended into the digital space, ordering the shutdown of several social media accounts accused of spreading disinformation — some of which belonged to US users.
Among the affected is Truth Social, the platform operated by Trump Media, which has been actively contesting Brazilian court directives to suspend accounts. The platform’s parent company is currently locked in legal disputes over content takedowns issued by Brazilian authorities.
Tensions had further escalated when Brazil briefly blocked access to Elon Musk’s platform, X (formerly Twitter), after it failed to comply with orders to remove posts that officials claimed promoted falsehoods about the 2022 election. The move drew international attention and added fuel to a growing standoff between Brazil’s judiciary and Silicon Valley.