Trump Tariffs & Brazilian Business: Eduardo Bolsonaro’s Role

Despite their efforts, businessmen circulated by Washington under the shadow of the presence of federal deputy Eduardo Bolsonaro (PL-SP), who is living in the United States and has been campaigning with the Trump government for sanctions to Brazil. The goal is to approve an amnesty to the former Brazilian president.

While the entrepreneurs attended hearings and meetings in search of dialogue, Eduardo Bolsonaro circulated with political commentator Paulo Figueiredo by the hotel where meetings were held, causing discomfort in some of the entrepreneurs.

“I don’t know if anyone invited him. I know CNI didn’t invite,” said Confederation President Ricardo Alban.

The deputy has already publicly declared in the past that he acts to prevent a dialogue of Brazilian authorities and representatives with the Trump government to reverse the tariff, and the Lula government attributed to the articulation of Eduardo the cancellation of a meeting between Minister Fernando Haddad (PT) and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. The deputy refuted the accusation.

Now, in his X account, former President Bolsonaro’s son has published a photo with Figueiredo and US government officials: Under-Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and United States Public Affairs, Darren Beattie, and Senior Advisor to Western Hemisphere, Ricardo Pita.

The theme of the meetings would have been the negotiation in Congress for Amnesty to Bolsonaro, according to columnist Bela Megale, from the newspaper O Globo. Eduardo would have stated that STF ministers would be threatening parlamantars so that the proposal would not advance.

“May the country rescue its freedoms so that it is finally known for its good qualities,” said the deputy in the photo post.

Figueiredo celebrated, in turn, the “Great Day of Meetings” in Washington alongside Eduardo.

Although Eduardo Bolsonaro and Paulo Figueiredo did not receive an official invitation from CNI and did not participate in the mission agenda, the negotiations are looked at.

Alban stressed that it was careful to ensure that the focus of the mission was business rather than political.

Brazilian entrepreneurs tried to pass on the message that the Mission’s goal, to build bridges, was achieved, leaving the hope that the dialogue channels opened on the visit facilitate future negotiations.

“The goals were achieved, in the sense that we came to try to start a process of negotiation,” said Alban, before boarding back to Brazil.

Throughout the meetings, Brazilians have heard from American interlocutors that there is room for dialogue, but that the surcharge is political in nature.

According to Alban, there was no direct mention of the name of the former Brazilian president in the meeting with Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, number two of the State Department, an organ equivalent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. But the American made it clear that the problem is political.

President Donald Trump has said several times that he considers the lawsuit against Bolsonaro a “witch hunt.” Another point would be the regulation of the calls big techslarge digital companies, which the American side sees as censorship to companies.

“It was implicit,” said Alban. “He left his mouth (Landau), which goes through politics, for various decisions that the judiciary has made regarding US companies and citizens.”

Alban said Landau was available to receive a call from Vice President Geraldo Alckmin.

Faced with a “difficult and complex” political obstacle, Alban said entrepreneurs make Washington “more realistic and more confident” in future negotiation opportunities and have shown that “there is a willingness to discuss the commercial and technical part.”

There is uncertainty about the possibility of more sanctions to Brazil, but the government is already preparing for new retaliation. At the end of August, President Lula authorized the beginning of consultations and media to apply the economic reciprocity law against the United States, a process that can take months.

The consultancy Eurasia has foresaw that a conviction and prison sentence to Bolsonaro will lead the White House to extend the sanctions.

“The conviction will trigger more US sanctions,” says the consultancy in a recent report. “Suspensions of visas for more Brazilian authorities and a rigorous and broad interpretation of compliance with magnitsky law are likely.”

Additional import rates to Brazilian products were announced in July and came into force last month. Almost 700 goods are excluded, and one of the Brazilian goals is to try to increase this list.

On Thursday, the Ministry of Development (MDIC) reported that Brazilian exports to the US fell 18.5% in August compared to the same period last year. Brazil has recorded a deficit of $ 1.23 billion in commercial transactions with the US last month, the largest negative monthly result of this year.

The lobby company hired by Brazilian entrepreneurs is one of the largest in Washington and works with large American companies. Ballard has worked for Trump organizations in the past.

In the first half, however, the American press revealed a disagreement between Trump and Ballard. Subsequently, other news says that the lobbyist had met with the president and, apparently, the ties.

In addition to Ballard himself, the Brazilian contract is also in charge of Hunter Morgen, who works in the same lobby office and has passed through the first Trump administration as deputy of Peter Navarro, currently one of the president’s main counselors on the rates.

The initiative seems to have had an initial effect and, in addition to the State Department, Brazilians were also received at the Department of Commerce, at the US Representative Office (USTR) and several congressmen, including Republican Ted Cruz.

However, Ballard himself told Brazilian entrepreneurs that “this is a difficult time” between the two countries and asked for patience. The lobbyist recalled that Trump, when he was a former president, was sued by the government, and that’s why “this is a very personal matter” for the US leader.

Ballard suggested to the Brazilian mission to focus on the message that the target target should not be companies.

“It should be the government that our president [Trump] believes being attacking a former president [Bolsonaro]”Ballard said.

“You [empresários brasileiros] They are not the enemies of the American people and do not deserve to be punished. “

Hired by CNI, Ambassador Roberto Azevêdo led, on Wednesday (3/9), the defense of Brazil in a public hearing of the investigation against Brazil opened by USTR for alleged unfair trade practices.

This investigation, authorized by Section 301 of the 1974 Commerce Law, was opened in July in parallel to the application of 50% overflows against Brazilian products. It targets several sectors of the Brazilian economy, such as ethanol, Big Techs, the PIX payment system, the popular trade of 25 de Março Street and illegal deforestation.

The result of this process, with no date to end, could result in new rates or sanctions and give greater basis to measures against Brazil, a country that has a deficit in the trade scale with the United States.

Throughout the day, representatives of various productive sectors from Brazil and the United States have spoken, each with only five minutes to speak.

Many American representatives, such as Neil Herrington, vice president of Americas at US Chamber of Commerce, and Ed Brzytwa, vice president of Consumer Technology Association, criticized tariffs and stressed negative impacts on the American economy itself.

Others, however, as leaders of the ethanol, cattle and pigs sectors in the United States, have spoken in favor of investigation and accused Brazil of unfair practices.

“It was already expected, all these organizations submitted (in advance) their written response,” the Brazilian Confederation and Livestock International Relations Director of Brazil (CNA), Sueme Mori, told BBC News Brazil.

The Brazilian side will now contest the written allegations in the coming days, deepening what was detailed at the hearing.

Azevêdo stressed that Brazil does not harm the competitiveness of US companies and does not adopt excessive rates to American products.

The ambassador said that Brazil was intended to present its argument, based on evidence, and also start a climate of dialogue.

“All who spoke on the panel, by my side, said that, including the Americans. That the way is to dialogue, let’s sit down, let’s talk, let’s enjoy this moment we are living, which is not easy, to enter the doors that were closed before,” he said.

“We have no way to solve or resolve the political issue that, of course, exists between the two governments. What we want is to prepare the terrain for when the opportunity appears,” said Azevêdo.

On Thursday, the ambassador attended meetings with representatives of the Department of Commerce and USTR. According to him, both sides (Brazil and US) recognize that “there are important difficulties, especially at the political level, but that this does not necessarily lead to immobilism.”

“This was just the first step in a process that we intend to follow up,” he said.

In conversation with journalists before leaving Washington, Azevêdo stressed that the mission tried to create a dialogue mechanism that, in a way, “seeks to complement the channels of traditional diplomacy, which today are a bit committed by the political tensions between the two countries.”

According to Alban, at the meeting with the Department of Commerce Brazilians mentioned three sectors that could represent opportunities for partnerships between the two countries in eventual negotiations on the tariff.

Date centers have been cited (since Brazil has a clean energy surplus, which is important for the development of artificial intelligence), critical mineral reserves and ethanol.

“It’s just the kick -off that we wanted to give them interest in much more productive conversations,” Alban said, noting that the goal was to demonstrate to Americans what Brazil could offer in future negotiations.