Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has criticized Donald Trump’s plan to impose a 50% tariff on Brazilian imports, calling the action unjustified and promising that Brazil won’t stay silent in the face of economic pressure.
Speaking to CNN on Thursday, Lula said he was caught off guard by Trump’s announcement, which was made public through a letter posted on Truth Social. The letter revealed Trump’s intent to enforce a sweeping tariff on all goods coming from Brazil beginning August 1. Trump also demanded that investigations targeting former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro be halted, describing Bolsonaro as a “respected leader” who is currently facing accusations of plotting to overturn the 2022 election.
“When I saw the message, I honestly thought it was a hoax,” Lula said, criticizing what he saw as a total disregard for the norms that should govern communication between world leaders.
“He needs to remember he was elected to run the United States, not to dictate terms to the rest of the world,” Lula continued. “Brazil won’t accept dictates. We’re always open to negotiations, but we won’t be strong-armed.”
Lula made it clear that his administration is preparing to act if necessary, even though Trump warned of further consequences if Brazil responds with its own measures.
“If there’s genuine interest from Trump in continuing dialogue between our two countries, I’m willing to talk,” Lula said. “But we won’t stand by and let this happen without reacting.”
The Brazilian president also rejected the notion that his country is responsible for harming US trade, citing American government statistics showing a $410 billion trade surplus in favor of the US over the past 15 years.
Meanwhile, the US has launched a formal investigation into Brazil’s trade practices to determine whether they are “unfair.” Trump has also threatened broad tariffs on all BRICS member nations and suggested a 100% penalty for any country continuing to trade with Russia unless the Ukraine conflict ends within 50 days. The proposed 50% tariff against Brazil remains the highest single-country import duty announced so far.
