Brazil sees trade tensions getting worse before they get better

Brazil's Secretary of Foreign Trade warned on Thursday that the global trade tensions being ratcheted up by Donald Trump's U.S. tariffs were likely to get worse before they get better.

"We didn't need to wake up to what happened last evening," Tatiana Prazeres said about Wednesday's move by Trump to impose a 25% tariff on all cars and trucks and major parts like engines and transmissions, imported into the United States.

"Trade is being weaponised," she added.

"We don't know where this will lead us," also saying, "I think it might get worse before it gets better."

Prazeres said Brazil was looking to build new trade "coalitions" and rules-based trade arrangements with countries that were willing to do so.

"We are looking into expanding our network of trade relations," she said.