The Brazilian Report

Start your weekdays informed with concise, insightful briefings on Brazil’s top developments — perfect for decision-makers on the go.

Brazil Daily

Aug 1, 2025

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5 min read

🦕 The dragon fights the dinosaurs

BYD sparks clash with Brazilian legacy carmakers. Lula believes dialogue with Washington is possible. Lula continues to ride “Trump bump.”

Gustavo Ribeiro

Brazil Daily

Jul 31, 2025

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5 min read

🌮 Not exactly a TACO

Trump confirms 50% tariffs, but with exceptions. US sanctions a Brazilian Supreme Court justice. Is Trump forcing a Brazilian alignment with China?

Gustavo Ribeiro, +2

Brazil Daily

Jul 30, 2025

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5 min read

☎️ Busy signal

No progress has been made in US-Brazil trade negotiations (if you can call them that). Opera sues Microsoft in Brazil. Brazilian congresswoman arrested in Italy.

Gustavo Ribeiro

Brazil Daily

Jul 29, 2025

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6 min read

😰 Big tensions for the Big Center

The Big Center’s Bolsonaro dilemma ahead of the 2026 election. Lula administration still hopes for a long-shot deal with the US, but hopes are not high. Brazil manages to get out of the UN Hunger Map.

Gustavo Ribeiro

Brazil Daily

Jul 28, 2025

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5 min read

😐 Et tu, Maduro?

Brazil becomes less adamant on rare earth issue. Venezuela slapping surprise tariffs on Brazilian goods. Lula to leave International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance.

Gustavo Ribeiro

Brazil Daily

Jul 25, 2025

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5 min read

⛏️ Mine your own business

Rare earths emerge as a potential motivation behind the US trade onslaught against Brazil. The country is almost entirely (but not quite) online. Brazil’s latest violent death figures can be read from several different viewpoints.

Gustavo Ribeiro

Brazil Daily

Jul 24, 2025

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4 min read

⚠️ A ‘shortcut to war’

Brazil seeks to step up its efforts to avoid economic chaos before August 1. The country to join the ICJ case decrying genocide in Gaza. The risks of self-dealing and personal enrichment inherent in Brazil’s budgetary grant system.

Gustavo Ribeiro, +1

Brazil Daily

Jul 23, 2025

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5 min read

🤐 Bolsonaro zips it

Jair Bolsonaro backed down yesterday, after testing the limits of the Supreme Court’s restrictive measures. Brazil will open a new customs office in China. Raízen closed one of its most famous mills.

Gustavo Ribeiro, +1

Brazil Daily

Jul 22, 2025

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4 min read

⚖️ Bolsonaro breaks the rules, again

Jair Bolsonaro defies the Supreme Court’s social media ban. There’s no sign of a national data center policy yet, but the government issues a related decree. Brazil’s workforce is getting older and older.

Gustavo Ribeiro

Brazil Daily

Jul 21, 2025

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4 min read

🧯 No room for de-escalation

Trump cancels the visas of Brazilian Supreme Court justices. Is the US laying the groundwork for even harsher penalties? And who stands to lose the most from the US tariffs?

Gustavo Ribeiro

Brazil Daily

Jul 18, 2025

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4 min read

🚨 Bolsonaro deemed a flight risk

Bolsonaro to wear an ankle monitor — while the Lula-Trump feud rages on. The latest debt forecasts from the National Treasury make for grim reading. Ibama and Petrobras open the latest chapter in their tense relationship

Euan Marshall, +1

Brazil Daily

Jul 17, 2025

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4 min read

✊ Rally around the Pix

The US touches a nerve by targeting Pix. Brazil is looking to boost its transport of goods via cabotage with a new decree. The Lula government is enjoying a positive spell, amid threats from Trump.

Gustavo Ribeiro

Brazil Daily

Jul 16, 2025

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3 min read

📈 Lula’s Trump bump

Latest polls show Lula is gaining popularity by standing up to Trump. US launches investigation into alleged “unfair trade practices” by Brazil. In the Supreme Court, the IOF conciliation hearing ends without an agreement.

Gustavo Ribeiro

Brazil Daily

Jul 15, 2025

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4 min read

⚖️ Trials, tariffs and Tarcísio

Bolsonaro’s criminal trial nears as the prosecutor general issues his closing arguments. Lula lays the foundations for potential Trump trade retaliations. The São Paulo governor is torn between defending his state’s interests and cozying up to Bolsonaro.

Gustavo Ribeiro

Brazil Daily

🎩 What does it mean to be “rich” in Brazil?

Jul 14, 2025

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4 min read

🎩 What does it mean to be “rich” in Brazil?

Brazil is developing its Trump tariff strategy. Changes in income tax exemptions could reveal a skewed view of who is “rich” in Brazil. Fiscal watchdogs are finding their own way to skirt spending rules.

Gustavo Ribeiro

Brazil Daily

Jul 11, 2025

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4 min read

💣 Next day moves

Lula says he will hold off on any Trump retaliation, for now. Inflation remained above target in June, the sixth month in a row. Brazil’s new energy plan shows the risk of the system not being able to supply electricity during peak times.

Gustavo Ribeiro

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