Donald Trump Brazil tariffs: US President imposes new tariff on goods from destination - as he sets new tariffs on trading partners

The move is the next step in his trade agenda that will test the global economy and sturdiness of American alliances built up over decades. The order was issued shortly after 7pm on Thursday. It came after a flurry of tariff-related activity in the last several days, as the White House announced agreements with various nations and blocs ahead of the president’s self-imposed Friday deadline.

The tariffs are being implemented at a later date in order for the rates schedule to be harmonised, according to a senior administration official who spoke to reporters on a call on the condition of anonymity. After initially threatening the African nation of Lesotho with a 50% tariff, the country’s goods will now be taxed at 15%. Taiwan will have tariffs set at 20%, Pakistan at 19% and Israel, Iceland, Norway, Fiji, Ghana, Guyana and Ecuador among the countries with imported goods taxed at 15%. Switzerland would be tariffed at 39%.

Mr Trump had announced a 50% tariff on goods from Brazil, but the order was only 10% as the other 40% were part of a separate measure approved on Wednesday. The order capped off a hectic Thursday as nations sought to continue negotiating with Mr Trump.

It set the rates for 68 countries and the 27-member European Union, with a baseline 10% rate to be charged on countries not listed in the order. The senior administration official said the rates were based on trade imbalance with the US and regional economic profiles.

On Thursday morning, Mr Trump engaged in a phone conversation with Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum on trade. As a result of the conversation, the US president said he would enter into a 90-day negotiating period with Mexico, one of the nation’s largest trading partners.

The current 25% tariff rates are staying in place, down from the 30% he had threatened earlier. “We avoided the tariff increase announced for tomorrow and we got 90 days to build a long-term agreement through dialogue,” Ms Sheinbaum wrote on X after a call with Mr Trump that he referred to as “very successful” in terms of the leaders getting to know each other better.

The unknowns created a sense of drama that has defined Mr Trump’s rollout of tariffs over several months. However, the one consistency is his desire to levy the import taxes that most economists say will ultimately be borne to some degree by US consumers and businesses.

“We have made a few deals today that are excellent deals for the country,” Mr Trump told reporters on Thursday afternoon, without detailing the terms of those agreements or the nations involved. The senior administration official declined to reveal the nations that have new deals during the call with reporters.

Mr Trump said that Canadian prime minister Mark Carney had called ahead of 35% tariffs being imposed on many of his nation’s goods, but “we haven’t spoken to Canada today”. Mr Trump separately on Thursday amended a previous order to raise the fentanyl-related tariff on Canada from 25% to 35%.