Flávio Bolsonaro urges U.S. to delay tariffs during election
Flávio Bolsonaro
Fernando Pessoa/Divulgação
Flávio Bolsonaro, the presidential hopeful from Brazil’s Liberal Party (PL), urged U.S. officials on Tuesday to postpone planned tariffs on Brazilian products, arguing at a public hearing at the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) that doing so would be “the worst possible time to act” because the measures could strengthen President Lula politically during the election campaign.
Brazil’s WTO stand may become leverage in U.S. tariff talks
Brazil urges U.S. to drop proposed 12.5% tariff
Speaking for five minutes on a panel that also included former World Trade Organization Director-General Roberto Azevêdo, representing the National Confederation of Industry (CNI), and Letícia Sperb Masselli, representing the Brazilian Footwear Industries Association (Abicalçados), Flávio Bolsonaro urged USTR officials to withdraw the proposed tariffs “so that we can negotiate.”
Hours later, Brazil’s presidential palace issued a statement condemning the senator’s remarks. The Lula administration accused Flávio Bolsonaro of legitimizing what it called an unjustified U.S. trade investigation into Brazil and of attempting to politicize bilateral relations. According to the government, the senator sought to postpone the tariffs “with a clear electoral objective.”
The statement also said that while Flávio Bolsonaro “was attempting to politicize relations between Brazil and the United States,” officials from the Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade and Services, the Foreign Ministry, the Justice Ministry, and the presidential palace had been in talks with USTR staff in an effort to reverse the tariffs imposed on Brazilian products.
At the hearing, Flávio Bolsonaro argued that the tariffs imposed in 2025 had failed to achieve Washington’s intended objectives. “Instead, they were politically exploited by the current Brazilian government,” he said. “Imposing a tariff now that would be difficult to reverse—rewarding those responsible for the actions in question while punishing those who bore the consequences—would be the worst possible time to act.”
The senator has postponed his return to Brazil and extended his stay in the United States. According to Flávio Bolsonaro, he intends to hold additional meetings in an effort to persuade U.S. officials not to impose tariffs on Brazilian goods. He had been scheduled to campaign in the northeastern state of Pernambuco on Thursday but canceled the trip to remain in Washington.
The international agenda has become an opportunity to shift attention away from recent tensions with former first lady Michelle Bolsonaro. Last Thursday, Flávio Bolsonaro submitted an 86-page memorandum to the USTR requesting that any tariffs resulting from the Section 301 investigation under U.S. trade law be postponed until after Brazil’s October election.
In the document, the senator argues that such measures would politically benefit Lula, who is seeking reelection. According to Flávio Bolsonaro, last year’s U.S. tariff measures boosted the president’s popularity, reinforcing his effort to portray himself as a negotiator capable of preventing new trade restrictions while distancing Bolsonarism from the tariffs.
Last year’s tariffs followed lobbying efforts by former congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro, Flávio Bolsonaro’s brother. At the time, the Brazilian government accused the Bolsonaro family of acting against Brazil’s national interests and undermining the country’s sovereignty.
In Tuesday’s statement, the Lula administration said it has been negotiating continuously with the United States since July 2025 to reverse what it called unjustified tariffs on Brazil. “Through meetings, letters, telephone calls and discussions at the highest levels, we have demonstrated that these tariffs have no basis,” the statement said.
According to the government, rather than challenging what it described as Washington’s “groundless allegations” against Brazil, the senator chose to “legitimize the results of an unjust investigation against Brazilian businesses and workers.” The government added that while disagreeing with the administration is legitimate, calling on a foreign power to pressure Brazil amounts to “betraying the nation.” “There is an essential difference between opposing the government and opposing the country and the Brazilian people,” the statement added.
The Brazilian government also sent observers to the USTR hearing. According to the administration, the hearings are technical in nature and separate from the bilateral negotiations already underway between Brasília and Washington. It said the substantive negotiations continue through established diplomatic channels.
