The US sells more to Brazil than it buys – but Trump is slapping steep tariffs on its exports anyway

As Brazil's trade with the U.S. declines, its trade with China continues to climb. Fabio Teixeira/Anadolu via Getty Images

President Donald Trump has generally tried to justify his tariffs by asserting that they can help narrow the trade deficits the U.S. runs with most of the world. That argument is based on the fact that nearly all countries sell Americans more than they buy from the United States.

But the case of Brazil is different.