Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said he has no plans to reach out to President Donald Trump to negotiate the new tariffs imposed by the United States.
No Talks With Trump, For Now
On Wednesday, in an interview with Reuters, Lula dismissed the idea of initiating contact with Trump, calling it a “humiliation.” “I won't humiliate myself,” he said, but added, “The day my intuition says Trump is ready to talk, I won't hesitate to call him.”
Despite the steep tariffs that went into effect on Wednesday, Lula says he is in no hurry to respond immediately, stating, “We need to be very cautious.” He is instead focused on shielding the domestic economy with targeted support measures while maintaining “fiscal responsibility.”
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Lula says that he’s open to meeting Trump at the U.N. or for climate talks, but noted Trump’s record of diplomatic disrespect, recently involving Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
“What Trump did with Zelenskyy was humiliation. That’s not normal. What Trump did with Ramaphosa was humiliation,” Lula said. “One president can’t be humiliating another. I respect everyone, and I demand respect.”
Lula Eyes BRICS Coordination For Tariff Response
Lula said he plans to speak with leaders of BRICS nations, starting with China and India, to explore a potential joint response. He said, “There is no coordination among the BRICS yet, but there will be,” drawing parallels with multilateral action and his union days. “What is the negotiating power of one little country with the United States? None.”
In addition to the BRICS outreach, Lula said Brazil is considering filing a collective complaint with other nations at the World Trade Organization.
‘Will Not Accept Any Form of Tutelage’
Last month, Trump imposed sweeping 50% tariffs on all imports from Brazil, citing the nation’s “hundreds of SECRET and UNLAWFUL Censorship Orders to U.S. Social Media platforms,” alongside the prosecution of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, which Trump referred to as “a Witch Hunt that should end IMMEDIATELY.”
Lula responded to the letter, saying that his country “will not accept any form of tutelage,” and calling the trial of Bolsonaro a matter of judicial sovereignty.
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