President Trump's punitive tariffs on Brazil took effect on Wednesday, lifting import taxes on some Brazilian goods to 50%. Last month, Trump cited legal action against former President Jair Bolsonaro and U.

Brazil was not the only country targeted for political reasons. India faces a comparable rate for buying Russian oil. Mr Trump warned Mark Carney, Canada’s prime minister, that recognising a Palestinian state would make trade negotiations “very hard”.

The president typically ties his tariffs to trade policy, but he hit Brazilian products with the highest rate of any country's goods largely due to politics.