Brazil was not the only country targeted for political reasons. India faces a comparable rate for buying Russian oil. Mr Trump warned Mark Carney, Canada’s prime minister, that recognising a Palestinian state would make trade negotiations “very hard”.

BENGALURU/BRASILIA (Reuters) -Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva spoke by phone on Thursday, their offices said, discussing a broad range of topics that included tariffs imposed by the United States on goods from both countries.

In a bold response to Trump’s steep 50% tariffs, India and Brazil have vowed to deepen strategic and trade ties. Following a key call between PM Modi and President Lula, both leaders condemned unilateral sanctions and pledged to defend multilateralism.