US Senate Votes to Overturn Trump's Brazil Tariffs Amid International Trade Tensions

The Republican-dominated US Senate approved legislation on Tuesday to nullify President Donald Trump's tariffs against Brazil by ending the national emergency declaration he issued in July. The declaration was made in response to Brazil's legal proceedings against former president Jair Bolsonaro related to an alleged coup attempt.

This Brazil-focused legislation, the first of three tariff bills scheduled for Senate consideration this week, passed with a vote of 52-48. Five Republican senators broke party lines to support the measure.

Additional legislative actions targeting Trump's tariffs on Canada and various other countries worldwide are expected to be voted on later this week.

The approved bill now moves to the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, where it will likely stall. House Republicans have consistently blocked legislation aimed at ending Trump's tariff policies.

The Senate's decision comes while President Trump is conducting a five-day diplomatic trip across Malaysia, Japan, and South Korea, with scheduled trade discussions with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday.

Senate Democrats, who argue that Trump has used unfounded emergency declarations to justify certain tariffs, have committed to forcing repeated votes to reverse these trade actions as prices on affected goods continue to rise, negatively impacting American consumers.

In April, the Senate passed legislation to terminate Trump's Canadian tariffs but rejected a broader measure to restrict his global tariff authority. Neither initiative progressed in the House.

Brazilian officials have pointed to a $410 billion US trade surplus with Brazil spanning 15 years. However, Trump's executive order claimed the South American nation threatened US national security, foreign policy and economy, while also "politically persecuting" Bolsonaro.

Previously, the Senate had passed legislation to end Trump's tariffs against Canada.