U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday removed the 40% tariffs on Brazilian food imports—including beef, coffee, cocoa, and fruits—that were imposed in July as a response to the prosecution of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, a Trump ally.
The move comes after a similar decision last Friday, when the administration eliminated tariffs on several other agricultural products, marking a shift in U.S. trade policy amid rising domestic food costs.
The tariff removal will apply to Brazilian imports entering the U.S. from November 13 onward and may include refunds for duties already collected on products during the period the tariffs were in effect, according to the White House order.
Brazil supplies about a third of the coffee consumed in the U.S., the world’s largest coffee market, and has recently become a key supplier of beef, particularly for burgers. Coffee prices in U.S. retail markets surged as much as 40% this year due to the tariffs combined with weather-related production shortages.
Rising food prices have also contributed to Trump’s declining approval ratings, which are now at their lowest since his return to power, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll.
“You can expect thousands of bags of Brazilian coffee sitting in bonded warehouses to start moving quickly to U.S. roasters,” said commodities analyst Judith Ganes, president of J. Ganes Consulting. Importers had delayed shipments after the July tariffs, awaiting an eventual adjustment.
Brazil’s beef industry group ABIEC welcomed the decision, saying it demonstrates the effectiveness of trade negotiations and expressed intentions to expand Brazil’s market share in the U.S.
Trump’s executive order did not address previous sanctions on Brazilian authorities linked to Bolsonaro’s prosecution. Under the Global Magnitsky Act, Brazil’s Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes and his wife were sanctioned, while other justices and ministers had their U.S. visas revoked.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva expressed his satisfaction with the tariff removal, noting it as a positive step in trade relations between the two countries.
