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Brazil

The latest news, analysis and opinion on Brazil. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.

Capital

Brasília

Head of State

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva

Head of Government

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva

US President Donald Trump gestures to farmers from the Truman balcony of the White House in Washington on Friday. Photo: AFP

US-China trade war

Trump pitches China trade ‘win’ to US farmers ahead of Xi meeting, midterms

Claims come despite farmers remaining unsure if China will meet its 25 million-tonne commitment for 2026, as planting season approaches.

28 Mar 2026 - 6:21AMvideocam

Jair Bolsonaro

Brazil court grants house arrest for jailed Bolsonaro due to ill health

25 Mar 2026 - 11:16AM

US-China relations

US tracks 23 Chinese port projects in Latin America, general tells Congress

18 Mar 2026 - 5:08AMvideocam

China-Latin America relations

China wants Brazil’s biggest port terminal. Washington just said no

US consul-general Kevin Murakami told port executives the Santos megadeal should not fall into ‘unwanted hands’.

17 Mar 2026 - 3:12AMvideocam

Tecon Santos 10, a planned 621,000-square-metre container terminal in Brazil’s port city of Santos, is expected to boost the country’s capacity by 3.25 million TEUs under a 25-year concession. Photo: Reuters

Electric & new energy vehicles

Chinese carmakers step up global expansion using idled foreign facilities

Great Wall Motors, Geely and other Chinese carmakers are using an asset-light strategy to accelerate their growth overseas.

15 Mar 2026 - 8:00PM

Americas and the Caribbean

Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro in ICU with pneumonia

The ex-president, who is serving a 27-year sentence for an attempted coup, was moved from prison to a hospital in Brasilia.

14 Mar 2026 - 1:09AMvideocam

China-Latin America relations

Amid China cable fallout, Chile’s president ends term, calls for unity

Undersea fibre-optic cable project linking Chile to Hong Kong enraged US, causing dispute that defined Gabriel Boric’s final weeks in office.

12 Mar 2026 - 5:08AMvideocam

Chilean President Gabriel Boric leaves the La Moneda presidential palace in Santiago after his four-year term ended on Wednesday. Photo: Handout

China-Latin America relations

US threats and a Chinese cable scandal mark first day for Chile’s new president

The US forced Chile to cancel a Chinese undersea cable. Now the region is asking who gets to decide what infrastructure Latin America builds.

12 Mar 2026 - 12:54AMvideocam

US, Israel war on Iran

Why has the US-Israeli war on Iran left Brics speechless?

As Tehran retaliates against its Gulf neighbours, the newly expanded bloc built for trade is discovering the limits of its own unity.

10 Mar 2026 - 3:32PM

Americas and the Caribbean

Trump offers Latin American leaders US missile strikes to hit drug cartels

The US president launched a 17-nation ‘counter cartel’ coalition at his ‘Shield of the Americas’ summit.

8 Mar 2026 - 1:46AM

US President Donald Trump attends the “Shield of the Americas” summit in Miami, Florida, on Saturday. Photo: Reuters

US, Israel war on Iran

US submarine strike on Iranian warship near Sri Lanka rattles the region

Experts say the strike highlights the risk of the conflict spreading into Asian waters and tests India’s careful diplomatic balancing.

5 Mar 2026 - 6:00PMvideocam

Iranian warship IRIS Dena is seen in the Bay of Bengal during the International Fleet Review held at Visakhapatnam, India, on February 18. Photo: AP

Extreme weather

Record-breaking? El Nino may return in 2026, making planet even hotter

However, scientists say there’s a risk of 2026 being ‘the warmest year on record even without El Nino, due to the global warming trend’.

3 Mar 2026 - 2:28AMvideocam

US-China relations

Editorial | China now holds more cards ahead of Xi-Trump meeting

US Supreme Court reversal of Trump’s tariffs leaves China with lower tariffs and US deals with allies in doubt.

2 Mar 2026 - 7:15AM

Jair Bolsonaro

Supporters of ex-president Bolsonaro rally across Brazil against Lula

Protesters in Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Brasilia voiced their opposition to the current president, who faces a tough re-election bid.

2 Mar 2026 - 5:54AM

Supporters of former president Jair Bolsonaro take part in a protest against President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in Sao Paulo, Brazil on Sunday. Photo: AP

India

India’s AI superpower dream: flush with cash, short on capacity

India’s AI ambitions could add half a trillion dollars to its economy or deepen inequality if cannot train up its workforce fast enough.

28 Feb 2026 - 2:00PM

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi poses with global tech leaders at the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi on February 19. Photo: India’s Press Information Bureau/Reuters

Ukraine war

Opinion | Peace in Ukraine will require pragmatic diplomacy on both sides

To prevent the war from dragging on for a fifth year, earlier proposals such as one floated by China and Brazil should be reconsidered.

28 Feb 2026 - 6:45AM

US-China trade war

US to keep China tariffs steady ahead of key Trump-Xi meeting: Greer

Trade envoy confirms levies on Chinese goods to remain within range of 35 per cent to 50 per cent depending on the product as tensions ease.

26 Feb 2026 - 7:18AMvideocam

South Korea

South Korea’s Lee uses AI to honour shared factory worker past with Brazil’s Lula

The gesture accompanied Lula’s state visit to Seoul, where the two leaders agreed to strengthen bilateral ties.

25 Feb 2026 - 3:12PMvideocam

Screenshots from an AI-generated video posted by South Korean President Lee Jae Myung showing young versions of himself and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva embracing as well as the two of them hugging in real life during Lula’s state visit to Seoul. Photo: X / Jaemyung_Lee

Brics

Why Brics can’t do away with US dollar even as currency cooperation rises

Brazil says there has been no proposal or talks within Brics to create a common currency across the bloc.

25 Feb 2026 - 4:26PMvideocam

India

India and Brazil set sights on US$30 billion trade milestone by 2030

The two founding Brics members are deepening links on rare earths, innovation and AI to diversify growth beyond the West.

24 Feb 2026 - 5:57PM

China-Latin America relations

The View | Venezuela and Panama aren’t the whole story of China in Latin America

While recent events highlight the risks in volatile states, China’s position in Latin America is rooted in deep trade and investment links with the region’s largest economies.

24 Feb 2026 - 6:46PMvideocam

A man on a motorcycle transports water bottles past pumpjacks, beside deteriorating oil infrastructure on the shores of Lake Maracaibo, in Cabimas, Venezuela on January 26. Photo: Reuters

Scams and swindles

‘K-wave’ scams exploiting Brazil’s superfans trigger police pact

South Korea and Brazil are taking action to protect fans from fraudsters cashing in with phantom merchandise and exploitative ‘oppa’ tours.

24 Feb 2026 - 3:57PM

BTS fans who flew from Brazil to see the K-pop super act’s members Jungkook and Jimin released from military service pose with flags in Yeoncheon, South Korea, on June 11 last year. Photo: AFP

US-China relations

US tariff ruling points to steadier US-China ties before April summit: analysts

Court decision lowers effective duties, easing tensions and steering Xi-Trump talks towards stability rather than escalation.

28 Feb 2026 - 6:47AMvideocam

US-China trade war

Open Questions | Abraham Newman on ‘weaponised interdependence’ in ‘neo‑royalist’ Trump era

American political scientist on how ‘interdependence’ can be exploited as part of the rivalry between major powers.

23 Feb 2026 - 10:05AMvideocam

Food and agriculture

Opinion | How China’s national food security push could reshape global markets

Amid increasing pressure from trade wars and climate change, Beijing is reframing agriculture as a matter of national security.

22 Feb 2026 - 9:43PM

Farmers pick grapes in Xuzhou, Jiangsu province on June 6, 2025. Photo: VCG via Getty Images

India

India, Brazil sign rare earths deal to build ‘resilient supply chains’

With China holding a near-monopoly on rare earths production, India and other countries are seeking alternative sources.

21 Feb 2026 - 9:20PM

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of their meeting at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on Saturday. Photo: EPA

China-Latin America relations

Chinese steel hit with duties up to US$670 per tonne after Brazil dumping probe

Government anti-dumping investigation found Chinese imports were being sold at unfairly low prices, harming domestic producers.

19 Feb 2026 - 3:42AMvideocam

SCMP Highlights

CATL’s sodium-ion breakthrough, Tesla’s AI training centre: 7 EV reads

From China banning carmakers from selling below cost to Chinese brands’ dominance in Brazil, here are seven EV stories you may have missed.

18 Feb 2026 - 3:30PM

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Brazil

Trump pitches China trade ‘win’ to US farmers ahead of Xi meeting, midterms

Claims come despite farmers remaining unsure if China will meet its 25 million-tonne commitment for 2026, as planting season approaches.

Brazil court grants house arrest for jailed Bolsonaro due to ill health

US tracks 23 Chinese port projects in Latin America, general tells Congress

China wants Brazil’s biggest port terminal. Washington just said no

US consul-general Kevin Murakami told port executives the Santos megadeal should not fall into ‘unwanted hands’.

Chinese carmakers step up global expansion using idled foreign facilities

Great Wall Motors, Geely and other Chinese carmakers are using an asset-light strategy to accelerate their growth overseas.

Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro in ICU with pneumonia

The ex-president, who is serving a 27-year sentence for an attempted coup, was moved from prison to a hospital in Brasilia.

Amid China cable fallout, Chile’s president ends term, calls for unity

Undersea fibre-optic cable project linking Chile to Hong Kong enraged US, causing dispute that defined Gabriel Boric’s final weeks in office.

US threats and a Chinese cable scandal mark first day for Chile’s new president

The US forced Chile to cancel a Chinese undersea cable. Now the region is asking who gets to decide what infrastructure Latin America builds.

Why has the US-Israeli war on Iran left Brics speechless?

As Tehran retaliates against its Gulf neighbours, the newly expanded bloc built for trade is discovering the limits of its own unity.

Trump offers Latin American leaders US missile strikes to hit drug cartels

The US president launched a 17-nation ‘counter cartel’ coalition at his ‘Shield of the Americas’ summit.

US submarine strike on Iranian warship near Sri Lanka rattles the region

Experts say the strike highlights the risk of the conflict spreading into Asian waters and tests India’s careful diplomatic balancing.

Record-breaking? El Nino may return in 2026, making planet even hotter

However, scientists say there’s a risk of 2026 being ‘the warmest year on record even without El Nino, due to the global warming trend’.

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Editorial | China now holds more cards ahead of Xi-Trump meeting

US Supreme Court reversal of Trump’s tariffs leaves China with lower tariffs and US deals with allies in doubt.

Supporters of ex-president Bolsonaro rally across Brazil against Lula

Protesters in Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Brasilia voiced their opposition to the current president, who faces a tough re-election bid.

India’s AI superpower dream: flush with cash, short on capacity

India’s AI ambitions could add half a trillion dollars to its economy or deepen inequality if cannot train up its workforce fast enough.

Opinion | Peace in Ukraine will require pragmatic diplomacy on both sides

To prevent the war from dragging on for a fifth year, earlier proposals such as one floated by China and Brazil should be reconsidered.

US to keep China tariffs steady ahead of key Trump-Xi meeting: Greer

Trade envoy confirms levies on Chinese goods to remain within range of 35 per cent to 50 per cent depending on the product as tensions ease.

South Korea’s Lee uses AI to honour shared factory worker past with Brazil’s Lula

The gesture accompanied Lula’s state visit to Seoul, where the two leaders agreed to strengthen bilateral ties.

Why Brics can’t do away with US dollar even as currency cooperation rises

Brazil says there has been no proposal or talks within Brics to create a common currency across the bloc.

India and Brazil set sights on US$30 billion trade milestone by 2030

The two founding Brics members are deepening links on rare earths, innovation and AI to diversify growth beyond the West.

The View | Venezuela and Panama aren’t the whole story of China in Latin America

While recent events highlight the risks in volatile states, China’s position in Latin America is rooted in deep trade and investment links with the region’s largest economies.

‘K-wave’ scams exploiting Brazil’s superfans trigger police pact

South Korea and Brazil are taking action to protect fans from fraudsters cashing in with phantom merchandise and exploitative ‘oppa’ tours.

US tariff ruling points to steadier US-China ties before April summit: analysts

Court decision lowers effective duties, easing tensions and steering Xi-Trump talks towards stability rather than escalation.

.css-19im5qg{color:#c79a00;}Open Questions | Abraham Newman on ‘weaponised interdependence’ in ‘neo‑royalist’ Trump era

American political scientist on how ‘interdependence’ can be exploited as part of the rivalry between major powers.

Opinion | How China’s national food security push could reshape global markets

Amid increasing pressure from trade wars and climate change, Beijing is reframing agriculture as a matter of national security.

India, Brazil sign rare earths deal to build ‘resilient supply chains’

With China holding a near-monopoly on rare earths production, India and other countries are seeking alternative sources.

Chinese steel hit with duties up to US$670 per tonne after Brazil dumping probe

Government anti-dumping investigation found Chinese imports were being sold at unfairly low prices, harming domestic producers.

CATL’s sodium-ion breakthrough, Tesla’s AI training centre: 7 EV reads

From China banning carmakers from selling below cost to Chinese brands’ dominance in Brazil, here are seven EV stories you may have missed.

Editorial | China now holds more cards ahead of Xi-Trump meeting

Open Questions | Abraham Newman on ‘weaponised interdependence’ in ‘neo‑royalist’ Trump era