Brazil’s Vice President Geraldo Alckmin described the recent decision by U.S. President Donald Trump to lift additional import tariffs on some Brazilian agribusiness products as “significant progress.” However, Alckmin stated that Brazil would continue negotiations to secure further exemptions. “We want to exclude more products and move forward in the negotiation,” he told journalists in Brasilia. Alckmin, who also serves as Trade minister, led the talks with U.S. officials alongside Brazilian diplomats and business leaders.
The coffee exporters council of Brazil, Cecafé, welcomed Trump’s order and criticized the earlier tariff increase as damaging for competitiveness. In a statement, Cecafé said: “The tariff reversal comes after months of intense work representing the interests of Brazilian coffee. It is a historic victory for the entire coffee agribusiness production chain.”
Brazil is an important supplier of beef and coffee to the United States. On Thursday, President Trump lifted tariffs on various Brazilian goods, including coffee, fruit, and beef, as part of an effort to reduce consumer costs in the U.S.
Trump had previously imposed extra import taxes on Brazilian products due to what he considered unfair trade practices and concerns related to former President Jair Bolsonaro’s actions following his 2022 election loss. Bolsonaro was later sentenced to 27 years in prison for attempting a coup.
Last year, the United States reported a $6.8 billion trade surplus with Brazil according to Census Bureau data.
Before these tariffs were put in place, government statistics showed that Brazil supplied about 30% of America’s coffee imports—making it the largest source—followed by Colombia at around 20% and Vietnam at approximately 10%.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva commented on social media platform X: “The removal of the 40% tariff imposed by the U.S. government on several Brazilian agricultural products is a victory for dialogue, diplomacy and common sense.” He also posted a video expressing satisfaction with Trump’s decision.
