Brazil’s Lula vows reciprocal action after Trump slaps 50% tariffs on Brazilian imports, rejects ‘witch hunt’ claim. Photo/X.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Wednesday pledged to respond to new US tariffs with reciprocal measures, invoking the country’s Economic Reciprocity Law after former President Donald Trump announced a steep 50% tariff on Brazilian imports.
Lula made the statement in a post on X, just hours after Trump accused Brazil of conducting a “witch hunt” against former President Jair Bolsonaro, a claim linked to ongoing legal proceedings in Brazil concerning an alleged coup attempt.
“Any unilateral tariff increases will be addressed in accordance with Brazil’s Economic Reciprocity Law,” Lula stated on X.
Refuting Trump’s assertion that the United States suffers from a trade deficit in its dealings with Brazil, Lula said the claim was baseless and contradicted by official U.S. data.
“The claim regarding a U.S. trade deficit in its commercial relationship with Brazil is inaccurate. Statistics from the U.S. government itself show a surplus of $410 billion in the trade of goods and services with Brazil over the past 15 years,” Lula wrote.
Read More: Trump Imposes 50% Tariffs On All Imports From Brazil Over Bolsonaro Trial
Addressing Trump’s allegation that Brazil is conducting a politically motivated prosecution against Bolsonaro, Lula underscored that the country’s legal processes are independent and outside the purview of political influence.
Lula said, “The judicial proceedings against those responsible for planning a coup d’état fall exclusively under the jurisdiction of the Brazilian judicial office and are not subject to any interference or threats that could compromise the independence of national institutions.”
Lula added that Brazil, “Brazil is a sovereign nation with independent institutions and will not accept any form of tutelage.”
Earlier on Wedensday, Brazil summoned the chargé d’affaires of US Embassy in Brazil, Gabriel Escobar, after Trump issued a statement defending Bolsonaro, according to a report by Reuters. adminstration
The growing strain between the two countries intensified as US Embassy in Brasília confirmed that Escobar met with Brazilian foreign ministry officials but declined to provide details of the discussions.
According to The New York Times, Escobar was summoned a second time later in the day, this time in response to the letter Trump posted about the tariff hike.
According to the report, Brazilian officials informed the Us diplomat that they had not received the original letter and, once Escobar confirmed this, they formally rejected it, calling it “offensive and inaccurate.”
Also Read: LIVE BLOG- World News LIVE Updates: Donald Trump Announces 50% Tariff On Brazil Over Bolsonaro Trial
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
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