Trump Removes Tariffs on Brazilian Beef and Coffee Imports

President Donald Trump issued an executive order removing import duties on Brazilian beef and coffee, as well as some other agricultural products previously affected by his 40 percent tariff policy imposed in July, the White House announced.

The order specifically targets goods imported on or after Nov. 13 and could entail refunds for duties collected in the interim.

“Today I am happy because President Trump has already begun to reduce some of the tariffs that had been imposed on certain Brazilian products,” Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said to reporters on Thursday.

On Nov. 14, Trump issued a broader executive order applying to multiple countries, exempting more than 200 food products—including beef, coffee, bananas, tomatoes, and tropical fruits—from tariffs, also retroactive to Nov. 13.

In July, Trump invoked the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), declaring a national emergency while citing perceived threats from the Brazilian government, including allegations of human rights abuses and undermining the rule of law.

The Trump administration then placed an additional 40 percent ad valorem tariff on numerous Brazilian products, effective early August, in addition to existing reciprocal tariffs.

The Senate on Oct. 28 voted to repeal Trump’s tariffs on Brazil by ending the national emergency imposed partially due to the prosecution of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. The bill remains in the House.

Trump in July sent a letter to Lula, accusing Brazil of being an “international disgrace” as a result of Bolsonaro’s trial for allegedly plotting to overturn his 2022 election loss, describing the proceedings as a “witch hunt.” Trump vowed to follow Bolsonaro’s trial closely.

“This Trial should not be taking place,” Trump stated in the letter posted on Truth Social.

In the letter, the U.S. president also accused Brazil of undermining the free speech rights of U.S. social media companies through fines and bans.

Lula responded by saying Brazil would consider retaliatory tariffs.

The White House announced July 30 it would impose a 50 percent tariff on imports of semi-finished copper products and intensive copper derivatives, effective Aug. 1, in a policy designed to “address the Government of Brazil’s unusual and extraordinary policies and actions harming U.S. companies,” according to the White House. The administration exempted refined metals from the duties.

Trump’s July 30 executive order also put an end to tariff exemptions on all low-cost shipments and imposed 50 percent tariffs on copper, as well as increased levies on Brazilian imports.

In October, Trump placed an aluminum sheet tariff on 18 countries, including Brazil. Trump and Lula then discussed matters on Oct. 26 at the 47th Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The leaders agreed that their teams would convene to ease U.S. tariffs and sanctions.

Brazilian beef industry group ABIEC said Trump’s latest decision to lift the tariffs “shows the effectiveness of the trade negotiations.”

Commodities analyst Judith Ganes, president of J. Ganes Consulting, said: “You can expect some thousand bags of Brazilian coffee that were sitting in bonded warehouses to start moving quickly to U.S. roasters.”

Reuters contributed to this report.