One day before the additional 40% tariff imposed by the United States on Brazil – which, added to the current 10%, raises the total taxation to 50% – street markets are already feeling the effects of increased supply of products for the domestic market. Fruits that had been experiencing price increases, such as mangoes, began to show a decrease, in some cases up to 50%, according to market vendors. But to what extent is this reduction actually related to Trump’s tariff?
For vendor Jefferson Batista, 39, the tariff is the main reason for the price drop. He states that the biggest decreases have been observed in grapes and mangoes.
“The grapes, which I used to buy for about R$ 60 a box three weeks ago, I bought for R$ 35 last week,” he says at a street market in Flamengo, Rio. “We are used to some price decrease in this cold season, but it can’t be just because of the crop. It’s also Trump’s tariff.”
According to Batista, the tray of grapes he sold for R$ 12 last week dropped to R$ 7 this week. Still, for the vendor, mangoes are the champions in price reduction.
“The Palmer mango, which has less fiber, was more expensive at the beginning of last month, but the price plummeted last week. A box with 30 mangoes, which I used to buy for R$ 100, this week I paid R$ 50.”
