Citing attacks on a political ally, President Trump threatens Brazil with 50% tariffs.
Plus, the president sets a date for new copper tariffs as prices of the metal keep on heating up.
and wary of US security guarantees the UK and France offer to use their nukes to defend Europe.
What it says to the US is that, yeah,
we're more than capable of standing up for ourselves and the message to the rest of Europe is that,
you know, you are now under our nuclear umbrella.
It's Thursday, July 10th.
I'm Luke Vargas for The Wall Street Journal, and here is the AM edition of What's News,
the top headlines and business stories moving your world today.
President Trump is breaking new ground in his global tariff blitz by threatening Brazil with a 50% duty on its exports starting next month.
That marks the highest reciprocal tariff rate Trump has proposed in letters to world leaders this week.
And as journal trade reporter Gavin Bate explained,
it marks the first time that Trump has gone to bat for a political ally,
saying the tariffs were necessary because of legal action being taken against former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.
leader of the country's political right,
who's on trial over an alleged coup attempt against the current government.
Trump in this letter really said that the Brazilian government,
the Brazilian courts were treating former president Jair Bolsonaro unfairly and engaging in a politically motivated witch hunt.
The extent to which this is a negotiating tactic with the Brazilian government and to the extent this is a punitive move,
a penalty for how they're treating Bolsonaro.