When U.S. President Donald Trump linked 50% tariffs on Brazil to the trial against his ally, the country's former far-right leader, Washington left Latin America's largest economy with few options to deescalate but may have overestimated the country's vulnerability to the levies.

Trump cited the trial of the president’s close political ally, former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, as the rationale for new tariffs set to take effect Aug. 1 on imports from the largest economy in Latin America.