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The United States Senate has officially voted to terminate President Trump’s emergency declaration that imposed 50% tariffs on Brazilian imports.
Some shit you should know before you dig in: If you’re unaware, the United States currently imposes 50% tariffs on a wide range of Brazilian imports, including major commodities like coffee, beef, and orange juice. These steep tariffs were implemented by President Trump in July under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), following his declaration of a national emergency. Trump justified the move by citing Brazil’s prosecution of former President Jair Bolsonaro (an ally of Trump) as a politically motivated action that he claimed posed an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to US national interests. Brazil is one of the largest exporters of agricultural goods to the United States, with over $40 billion in annual exports, making these tariffs particularly impactful on American importers and consumers.
What’s going on now: In a notable 52–48 vote, the Senate passed a resolution to overturn Trump’s emergency declaration and effectively cancel the 50% tariffs on Brazilian imports. While the measure was led by Democratic Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia, five Republican senators: Rand Paul (KY), Thom Tillis (NC), Susan Collins (ME), Lisa Murkowski (AK), and former Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (KY) all broke ranks to vote with Democrats.
Senator Paul, the resolution’s Republican co-sponsor, said, “Emergencies are like war, famine, tornadoes. Not liking someone’s prosecution isn’t an emergency—it’s an abuse of emergency power.” McConnell echoed this, warning that “Tariffs make both building and buying in America more expensive,” and that “the economic harms of trade wars are not the exception to history, but the rule.” Tillis also criticized the tariffs for being based on a political disagreement rather than a legitimate trade issue, warning that “that creates big uncertainty” in global commerce.
Despite passing in the Senate, the resolution’s future is uncertain. The Republican-controlled House of Representatives has already acted to prevent such resolutions from reaching the floor, making it unlikely to receive a vote there. Even if it somehow passed both chambers, Trump has the power to veto the resolution, and there currently isn’t a veto-proof majority in Congress.






