In a fresh flare-up of global trade tensions, China has thrown its weight behind Brazil after Washington announced sweeping new tariffs on the South American country’s exports. Beijing accused the United States of using trade measures as a political weapon, warning that such actions violate international law and undermine the global economic order.

On August 6, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi issued a strongly worded statement denouncing the United States’ decision to impose a 50% tariff on all Brazilian goods. The punitive measure, introduced by US President Donald Trump in late July, was ostensibly aimed at countering what Trump described as a threat to “US national security.” However, Washington’s real motivations appear rooted in Brazil’s domestic politics and its deepening ties within the BRICS economic bloc, a coalition of emerging economies often seen as a counterweight to Western dominance.

Wang Yi declared that Beijing “firmly supports Brazil in safeguarding its national sovereignty and national dignity” and “opposes unwarranted external interference in Brazil’s internal affairs.” He criticized the US approach as “bullying,” calling the tariffs both “unsustainable” and “unpopular.”

“Using tariffs as a weapon to suppress other countries violates the UN Charter, undermines WTO rules, and runs counter to the principles of fair trade,” Wang said during a phone call with Celso Amorim, a senior adviser to Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

The Chinese foreign minister emphasized that China stands ready to deepen cooperation with Brazil and other Global South nations, particularly through the BRICS framework. This........

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