'Brazil has not been good to us,' says Trump as he anticipates new tariffs against the country.

U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he will announce new tariffs against Brazil. The confirmation came at a press conference during a meeting with West African leaders.

"The formula is based on common sense, deficits, how we've been treated over the years, and raw numbers. Brazil, for example, isn't being good to us, not at all. We'll release a number for Brazil, I think later this afternoon or tomorrow morning ," the tycoon said.

The "pre-announcement" comes on the same day that the U.S. government intensified its tariff offensive against a number of countries. In total, 20 nations have already announced unilateral trade measures by the Trump administration, which has pressured partners to renegotiate bilateral terms deemed unfavorable to American interests.

The strategy intensified after the Republican set an August 1 deadline for countries to reach agreements, under penalty of seeing their products taxed at high rates.

In addition to Asian and African countries, Trump is now targeting Brazil, suggesting that trade relations are unbalanced and unfavorable for the United States. The announcement of tariffs against Brazil, if confirmed, will mark a further escalation in tensions between the countries.

Earlier, the Itamaraty decided to summon the chargé d'affaires of the United States Embassy in Brasilia, Gabriel Escobar , to provide clarifications after the publication of a note from the American representation that endorses criticism of the Brazilian Judiciary and defends former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL).

The US embassy's statement repeats and reinforces Trump's statements , which have criticized the lawsuits against Bolsonaro.

Escobar's summons comes after the Brazilian government had already publicly reacted to a post by Trump, made two days earlier, in which the American president claimed that Bolsonaro was the target of a "witch hunt" and asked that "the great former president of Brazil be left alone."

In response, President Lula (Workers' Party) declared that Brazil is a sovereign country with solid institutions and that "no one is above the law." He also indirectly criticized Trump, saying that the American president should " have a say in his own life ."