China Promotes Brazilian Coffee as Trump’s Tariffs Take Effect — CNN
Dubai, August 7, 2025 – (Qahwa World) – U.S. network CNN has reported that China is seizing the opportunity to promote what it called “beloved Brazilian coffee” following the imposition of new tariffs by former U.S. President Donald Trump.
According to CNN, as the new tariffs imposed by Trump on Brazilian goods come into effect, China has swiftly moved to deepen its ties with the world’s largest coffee producer, capitalizing on escalating trade tensions to expand Brazilian coffee’s access to its domestic market.
The 50% tariffs, which took effect on Wednesday, target a wide range of Brazilian products, including coffee. China has viewed this as a chance to strengthen its partnership with Brazil in this vital sector.
The Chinese embassy in Brasília recently announced the arrival of new Chinese companies in the Brazilian market, including food delivery giant Meituan. In a post, the embassy stated: “The bridge is bidirectional—Brazil is also reinforcing its presence in China with its beloved Brazilian coffee.”
A few days earlier, the embassy revealed that China had granted five-year export permits to 183 Brazilian coffee companies. In another message, it noted the growing popularity of coffee in China, stating that the beverage “is becoming part of everyday life for the Chinese people.”
Despite the United States remaining the world’s largest coffee importer—buying 30.7% of its total 1.5 million metric tons of imports from Brazil in 2024—China’s recent moves may reshape the global coffee trade landscape.
Rising Tensions Between Washington and Brasília
These developments come amid rising tensions between the United States and Brazil. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva criticized the U.S. decisions, saying, “Trump was not elected to be emperor of the world.”
While the U.S. enjoys a trade surplus with Brazil, the White House justified the tariff hike on political grounds. A recent executive order signed by Trump accused the Brazilian government of committing “serious human rights abuses,” referring to the trial of former President Jair Bolsonaro over his alleged attempt to orchestrate a coup against President Lula. Bolsonaro, a close ally of Trump, denies the accusations.
In a controversial move, Trump sent a letter to Brazilian authorities demanding the immediate suspension of Bolsonaro’s trial, describing it as a “political witch hunt.” Lula responded by affirming the independence of Brazil’s judiciary, stating, “The president does not interfere with the judiciary. Bolsonaro is not being judged personally, but for the acts he carried out in attempting a coup d’état.”
China Steps In
Amid these tensions, Brazil may find itself turning to alternative international partners. On Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun stated that cooperation between Beijing and Brasília “has benefited both peoples,” and expressed China’s willingness to enhance relations with Brazil “across various sectors and add new strategic dimensions.”
So far, the Brazilian government has not issued an official response to the new U.S. tariffs. However, President Lula da Silva stressed that Brazil must be treated “as an equal partner” in any future trade negotiations, warning that “there is a limit to dialogue” with the Trump administration.
