Critics say the tariff on Brazil could further erode the Trump administration's credibility as it pursues an aggressive trade agenda.

Volatility in Brazilian assets soared as traders rushed to assess the endgame of President Donald Trump’s threat to impose 50% tariffs on all goods from the South American nation. A measure of one-month swings for the real jumped to the highest since April as the currency went from the worst to the best in emerging markets in the span of an hour.

The president signaled he would seek to use the threat of steep levies to reorient trade and protect his political allies.