A political feud between Trump and Brazil’s leadership could change how Americans start their day.
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U.S. President Donald Trump’s newly announced 50% tariff on Brazilian imports is threatening to disrupt everything from your morning coffee to the orange juice on your breakfast table.
In a Truth Social post on July 9, Trump said the tariffs were a direct response to what he called Brazil’s “insidious attacks” on U.S. companies and its treatment of former president Jair Bolsonaro, a close Trump ally.
“This Trial should not be taking place. It is a Witch Hunt that should end IMMEDIATELY!” Trump wrote.
Trump links tariffs to Bolsonaro’s prosecution
According to Newsner, the announcement follows growing tension between the two nations, fueled by Bolsonaro’s upcoming trial over alleged efforts to overturn Brazil’s 2022 election.
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Echoing the storming of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, Bolsonaro supporters led a violent attack on Brazil’s government buildings on January 8, 2023.
Though Bolsonaro has denied involvement, Trump described Brazil’s handling of the case as an “international disgrace” — and made clear the tariffs are partly retaliatory.
Brazil fires back: “We are sovereign”
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and his ministers didn’t stay quiet.
In a statement posted on X, Lula emphasized Brazil’s judicial independence, stating, “Brazil is a sovereign nation… Freedom of expression must not be confused with aggression or violent practices.”
Gleisi Hoffmann, Minister of Institutional Affairs, was more blunt: “The time when Brazil was subservient to the U.S. was the time of Bolsonaro.” She added that Trump should “take care of his own problems, which are not few.”
Tariff threatens U.S. supply
For everyday Americans, the most immediate effect may be seen — and felt — in their coffee mugs.
Brazil is the largest coffee producer in the world, and the U.S. is its top buyer, importing over 8 million bags of beans in 2024 alone.
That makes up one-third of all coffee consumed in the U.S.
Coffee prices were already climbing — up 70% last year — and now, the tariffs are adding even more pressure.
On July 10, Arabica coffee futures jumped 1.3% after Trump’s announcement.
According to senior coffee broker Michael Nugent, the new policy could “shut down” Brazilian coffee shipments to the U.S. entirely.
“Brazil will sell its coffee elsewhere,” he told Reuters. “The U.S. will buy coffee from someone else — Colombia, Honduras, Peru, Vietnam — but not at Brazil’s volume or price.”
Americans may soon pay more for OJ, too
The hit to breakfast isn’t limited to coffee.
Over half the orange juice sold in the U.S. comes from Brazil, especially as hurricanes, freezing temperatures, and disease have devastated domestic citrus crops.
That means Trump’s tariffs could sharply raise prices on orange juice, a kitchen staple for millions of families.