Bolsonaro willing to call Trump on tariffs

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said today (Dec. 2) that he will resort to the “open channel” he shares with US President Donald Trump to talk about his decision to restore tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Brazil.

Trump’s decision was reported by himself on Twitter. “Brazil and Argentina have been presiding over a massive devaluation of their currencies, which is not good for our farmers. Therefore, effective immediately, I will restore the tariffs on all steel and aluminum that is shipped into the US from those countries,” Trump tweeted.

“The Federal Reserve should likewise act so that countries, of which there are many, no longer take advantage of our strong dollar by further devaluing their currencies. This makes it very hard for our manufactures and farmers to fairly export their goods,” he added.

Bolsonaro said the topic will be discussed today with Economy Minister Paulo Guedes. “I’ll talk to [Paulo] Guedes now, and I’ll call Trump if necessary, because I have an open channel with him,” the Brazilian leader said.