President Bolsonaro probably did not believe his eyes when he saw the announcement of Trump's imposition of Brazilian steel and aluminum taxes, with whom he "worked" to create relations.

US President Donald Trump last year announced a global tax rate of 25% for steel and 10% for aluminum, then agreed to exempt some countries, including Brazil and Argentina, which have good relations with him. However, the boss of the White House on November 2 suddenly changed his mind when tweeting a notice announcing the removal of their names from the exemption list.

In a tax notice, Trump accused the two South American nations of manipulating money and hurting American farmers, prompting the Brazilian Foreign Ministry to immediately contact White House officials. Officials at the Brazilian embassy in Washington also urgently approached the State Department, while Bolsonaro said he would try to talk directly to Trump.

Even within the Trump administration, several senior officials from various agencies were "stunned" with the US president's announcement, two anonymous sources familiar with the matter revealed. Experts say the "cold water" will help Bolsonaro realize the limits of his friendship with Trump, a lesson many other leaders have learned before him.

"Trump's priorities are good for him personally and for strengthening power," said Inter-American Advisory Group chairman Michael Shifter, using the example of Colombian President Ivan Duque, who met warmly with Trump in February. Just a month later, he was criticized for smuggling drugs from Colombia into the United States. "Duque couldn't do anything for us," Trump said.

"In turn, Latin American leaders have learned that being Trump's close ally doesn't bring any benefit. They really can't count on being treated well," Shifter said.

Foreign policy experts also noted that no US president makes decisions based solely on personal relations, but must consider broader geopolitical issues. However, the fact that Trump has always "importantized" personal consensus has forced world leaders to choose cautious attitudes.

Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were among the leaders who praised Trump for a close relationship. However, experts say no one is as "revealing" as Bolsonaro, who has been dubbed the "Trump of the tropics" when he has a tough tone like the US President in his campaign.

Trump was so interested in Bolsonaro that he became the first world leader to call to congratulate the president of Brazil. Bolsonaro also broke the routine of spending his first overseas trip in a neighboring country when deciding to visit the United States.

During a warm bilateral meeting at the White House in March, Trump pledged to support Brazil to become an official member of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The US president also surprised Brazilians by suggesting that he should join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

At the same event, Bolsonaro broke diplomatic protocol by predicting Trump's re-election in 2020. He also "warmed" the relationship with the White House boss with tough policies with Venezuela and forces. Hezbollah militia.

In August, when Brazil was condemned by the international community for dealing with a serious forest fire in the Amazon, Bolsonaro persuaded Trump to take his side and resist criticism during the G7 summit in France. In response, Trump opposed the US $ 22 million aid package for efforts to tackle wildfires, citing lack of cooperation with the Brazilian government.

However, Trump's tax made this "love affair" suddenly bumped into a barrier. The Brazilian government vowed to "protect the country's economic interests as well as the flow of trade", but perhaps they were "dumbfounded" in their hearts.

"Trump seems to be telling Brazil that even if they are his friends, if the other direction is good for him and helps strengthen the political foundation, he will still do it," said Ana Gimena Sanchez-Garzoli, the expert at the team. Non-governmental Office of Washington on Latin America, review.

Some analysts think Trump's tariffs on Brazil and Argentina aim to pressure the two countries to restrict soybean exports to China. In an effort to reduce the impact of the trade war with Washington, Beijing has increased purchases of agricultural products from other countries.

Trump's tax blow is said to be a harsh test of Bolsonaro policies. This far-right president has tried to cultivate a friendship with Trump, while the White House boss seems to consider all relationships to be reciprocal.

"Trump is a president who will develop close ties, but not always fully loyal to that relationship," said Fernando Cutz, a former US National Security Council official under Trump and Barack Obama, now an expert at the Cohen Group, said.

"I don't think Brazil understands that, but now they will probably realize it. This is supposed to be a huge surprise for the Brazilian political system and its people. They really see Bolsonaro as Trump's best friend." , so this situation will cause strong feelings of betrayal, "said the expert.

Several other world leaders have experienced similar situations to Bolsonaro. South Korean President Moon Jae-in is believed to be betting an important part of his political career on working closely with Trump to negotiate a denuclearization deal with North Korea, but now faces request a 5-fold increase in the cost of supporting US troops stationed in South Korea.

Prime Minister Abe is also constantly trying to win over Trump, with about 40 meetings and telephones and an invitation to Trump to visit the state in Tokyo in May. . Trump also turned his back on Abe when he refused to declare that North Korea's short-range missile tests violated UN regulations.

However, despite the "cold water" from Trump's tweet, Bolsonaro denied the disappointment with his US counterpart, justifying that the incident was "not finished". "No tax has been imposed yet, only Trump's statement on Twitter," the Brazilian president said on Wednesday.

"I trust Trump. We have a very intimate agreement and relationship," he added.