Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said on Wednesday that it was a "sacred day of sovereignty," after U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order imposing the threatened 50% tariffs on Brazil.

Brazil President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s defiant response to Donald Trump’s 50% tariff threat was validated Wednesday — at least in the short term — with markets and businesses breathing a collective sigh of relief at the long list of exemptions to the levies.

Brazilian companies reacted with a mix of relief and doubt after the White House surprised them on Wednesday with a list of nearly 700 exceptions to the 50% tariff U.S. President Donald Trump imposed on the country's exports from August 6.