US Secretary Rubio offers transition team to Brazil's Flávio Bolsonaro as tariff talks intensify

A letter dated 23 June 2026 from U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to Brazilian senator Flávio Bolsonaro thanks the senator for backing Washington's designation of criminal groups such as the Red Command and PCC as terrorist organizations. The correspondence also states that the United States would provide a transition team to assist Bolsonaro should he win the October election, signaling a direct diplomatic overture.

The letter coincides with ongoing U.S. commercial pressure on Brazil under Section 301. U.S. officials have proposed tariffs of up to 25 % on most Brazilian imports, with a separate 12.5 % levy for alleged forced‑labor violations. Bolsonaro is slated to appear at a public hearing in Washington on 6 July to discuss the tariff measures, a move viewed by Brazil's Palácio do Planalto as an attempt by the United States to legitimize him as the country’s chief tariff negotiator.

Brazilian officials note that the United States is targeting Brazil along with 59 other nations, and they caution that the tariff dispute could affect Bolsonaro’s popularity and broader Brazil‑U.S. relations.