The Republican-led U.S. Senate on Tuesday approved legislation to overturn former President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Brazil by ending the national emergency he declared in July. The emergency had been invoked in response to Brazil’s prosecution of former president Jair Bolsonaro for his alleged role in an attempted coup.
In the first of three tariff-related measures expected this week, senators passed the Brazil bill by a narrow 52–48 margin, with five Republicans — Susan Collins, Mitch McConnell, Lisa Murkowski, Rand Paul, and Thom Tillis — joining Democrats in support.
The measure now moves to the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, where it is widely expected to stall. House Republicans have consistently opposed efforts to repeal Trump’s trade tariffs.
The Senate vote came as Trump embarked on a five-day trip to Malaysia, Japan, and South Korea, where he is set to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday for trade discussions.
Democrats, who have long criticized Trump for using questionable national emergency declarations to justify tariffs, vowed to continue pushing for votes to roll back his trade policies. They argue that the tariffs have driven up costs for American consumers.
“People are hurting — paying more for food, clothing, healthcare, energy, and building materials because of President Trump’s tariff policies,” said Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia, the author of the resolution.
However, several Republicans warned that repealing the tariffs could weaken Trump’s leverage in negotiating new trade deals.
Trump’s July executive order had accused Brazil of threatening U.S. national security and politically persecuting Bolsonaro. Brazilian officials, meanwhile, have pointed out that the U.S. has enjoyed a $410 billion trade surplus with Brazil over the past 15 years.
Bolsonaro, convicted of attempting to subvert democracy and organizing a coup, has been sentenced to 27 years in prison — charges he denies as he appeals to Brazil’s Supreme Court. In response to his prosecution, Trump imposed 50% tariffs on most Brazilian imports and sanctioned the Supreme Court justice overseeing the case.
Last week, Trump suggested he might consider easing tariffs on Brazil “under the right circumstances.”
Earlier this year, the Senate passed a bill to end Trump’s tariffs on Canada, but the House rejected similar measures aimed at limiting his broader tariff powers.
