SAO PAULO, Brazil, Outraged by the latest wave of U.S. tariffs, Brazilian protesters gathered outside the American embassy in Sao Paulo on Thursday, setting fire to stacks of fake U.S. dollar bills in a symbolic act of defiance.
Chanting slogans and waving banners, the demonstrators condemned what they described as unfair trade practices by the United States under President Donald Trump. Brazil is among the countries hardest hit by the new tariff regime, facing import duties as high as 50% on key exports such as steel, soybeans, and processed meat.
The protest, organized by a coalition of trade unions and industry representatives, was a response to what they say is a deliberate attempt to cripple Brazil’s export economy. “These tariffs are an attack on Brazilian workers,” said Ana Costa, a spokesperson for the Brazilian Industrial Federation. “We are not going to stay silent while our economy suffers.”
The U.S. government has defended the tariffs as necessary to protect American industries, but officials in Brasilia have called the move “hostile” and warned it could escalate into a wider trade dispute.
Thursday’s protest marks the latest show of international backlash as countries around the world grapple with the fallout from Washington’s hardline trade policies.
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