FROM FOX NEWS: As President Donald Trump’s global tariffs go into effect, Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva remains staunchly opposed to making deals with the U.S. The South American leader has been an outspoken critic of U.S. tariffs, which he sees as a bullying tactic.
“The day my intuition says Trump is ready to talk, I won’t hesitate to call him,” Lula told Reuters. “But today my intuition says he doesn’t want to talk. And I won’t humiliate myself.”
More than 60 countries and the European Union were hit with new tariffs just after midnight on Thursday. While the baseline rate is 10%, select nations, like Brazil, face additional penalties that push the total tariff up to 50%.
In the past, Lula slammed Trump’s tariffs as “unacceptable blackmail.”
Trump announced an additional 40% tariff on Brazil on July 30. The next day, Trump said Lula “can talk to me anytime he wants.”
In a X post, Lula didn’t specifically address Trump, but he appeared to be answering him.
“We have always been open to dialogue. The ones who determine Brazil’s direction are the Brazilians and their institutions. At this moment, we are working to protect our economy, businesses, and workers, and to respond to the tariff measures of the U.S. government,” Lula wrote (translation by Grok).
Sempre estivemos abertos ao diálogo. Quem define os rumos do Brasil são os brasileiros e suas instituições. Neste momento, estamos trabalhando para proteger a nossa economia, as empresas e nossos trabalhadores, e dar as respostas às medidas tarifárias do governo norte-americano.
— Lula (@LulaOficial) August 1, 2025
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said that his country would use all available resources, including the World Trade Organization, to defend its interests as the US prepares to impose tariffs on Brazilian goods. More here: https://t.co/zT2WiykibP pic.twitter.com/Ug5itO5jsN
— Reuters Business (@ReutersBiz) August 6, 2025
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