> which are kind of invisible taxes in that they are paid through higher prices rather than directly—which is part of what made a former president's boasting about raising tariffs somewhat absurd. It seemed he believed that the exporting country paid the price of the tariffs and not domestic consumers in the form of higher prices

Depends on the tariffs. If done correctly, they can be used to protect a local industry in its infancy until it is mature enough to compete on the world stage (assuming you don't stifle its own innovation via these subsidies).

But in this case, Brazil wasn't making an iPhone/Mac competitor