As U.S. tariffs on Brazilian goods jumped to 50% on Wednesday, Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva told Reuters he saw no room for direct talks with President Donald Trump at this time, describing such a meeting as likely a “humiliation.”
Lula emphasized that Brazil would not retaliate with reciprocal tariffs and that cabinet-level talks would continue. However, he himself is not rushing to engage directly with the White House. “The day my intuition says Trump is ready to talk, I won’t hesitate to call him,” Lula said from his presidential residence in Brasilia. “But today my intuition says he doesn’t want to talk. And I won’t humiliate myself.”
U.S.-Brazil Relations at a Low Point
Lula described the current state of relations as a “200-year nadir,” particularly after Trump linked the tariff increase to demands that Brazil halt prosecution of right-wing former President Jair Bolsonaro, who is on trial for allegedly plotting to overturn the 2022 election.
The Brazilian president criticized Trump’s interference, saying Brazil’s Supreme Court “does not care what Trump says and it should not.” He called Bolsonaro a “traitor to the homeland” and suggested Bolsonaro should face trial for provoking Trump’s involvement.
Lula also referenced historical U.S. intervention in Brazil’s 1964 coup, calling current actions far more serious. “It’s the president of the United States thinking he can dictate rules for a sovereign country like Brazil. It’s unacceptable.”
Lula expressed no personal issues with Trump and mentioned potential meetings at the upcoming United Nations General Assembly or U.N. climate talks. Yet he highlighted Trump’s past treatment of world leaders, calling it humiliating and unacceptable.
With his ministers struggling to initiate talks with U.S. counterparts, Lula said Brazil’s government is focusing on domestic measures to soften the economic impact of U.S. tariffs, while maintaining fiscal responsibility. He declined to specify planned support measures but indicated credit lines and export assistance are expected.
Multilateral and Trade Responses
Lula plans to engage BRICS leaders, starting with India and China, to discuss a coordinated response to U.S. tariffs. “There is no coordination among the BRICS yet, but there will be,” he said, comparing collective action to union bargaining power.
Separately, Brazil is considering filing a collective complaint with the World Trade Organization.
Lula said his government is examining ways to tax U.S. companies operating in Brazil on equal terms with local firms. He also described plans to develop a new national policy regarding Brazil’s strategic mineral resources, aiming to treat them as a matter of national sovereignty and to add value beyond mere extraction and export.
What The Author Thinks
Lula’s refusal to engage prematurely with President Trump signals a broader trend of emerging economies asserting their sovereignty amid increasing U.S. economic pressure. His focus on multilateral coordination and domestic resilience shows strategic patience, recognizing that hasty concessions could undermine Brazil’s long-term interests. This stance not only protects national dignity but also highlights the shifting balance in global trade dynamics where collective action among developing nations gains importance.
Featured image credit: UNclimatechange via Flickr
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