President Donald Trump signed an executive order Wednesday finalizing the tariff hike, which is set to go into effect next week. The measure was announced in July as part of a broader wave of tariffs targeting multiple countries. The White House indicated that the move was in part a response to the politically motivated “witch hunt” against former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, a close ally of Trump.
Bolsonaro is facing decades in prison over allegations that he conspired to stage a coup following his 2022 election loss to Lula. Trump has publicly defended Bolsonaro and criticized the investigation.
In an interview with The New York Times, Lula urged Trump to reconsider the tariff, warning against a “lose-lose” trade scenario between two of the biggest economies in the Americas. Lula also said he does not fear criticizing the US president, having previously called him an “emperor.”
“There’s no reason to be afraid. I am worried, obviously, because we have economic interests, political interests, technological interests. But at no point will Brazil negotiate as if it were a small country up against a big country. Brazil will negotiate as a sovereign country,” said Lula.
He added that officials are willing to engage in trade negotiations, saying, “In politics between two states, the will of neither should prevail. We always need to find the middle ground. This is achieved not by puffing out your chest and shouting about things you can’t deliver, nor by bowing your head and simply saying ‘amen’ to whatever the United States wants.”
However, Lula dismissed any suggestion that Brazil might make concessions related to Bolsonaro’s legal troubles, saying it is a judicial issue and non-negotiable. “Brazil has a constitution, and the former president is being tried with a full right to a defense,” Lula said.
“Brazilians and Americans do not deserve to be victims of politics, if the reason President Trump is imposing this tax on Brazil is because of the case against former President Bolsonaro,” he added.
