Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the Brazilian President, has stated that he can negotiate trade deal with US President Donald Trump, but only on the condition that Washington treats him at equal level. Lula was speaking in Brazil and said no pressure from the US will work on him if it’s about safeguarding the national interests.
“We want to negotiate fairly,” Lula said. “We will defend our workers and businesses, and our proposals are ready when the U.S. is willing to talk seriously.”
Trump recently targeted Brazil in his ongoing global trade disputes. In July, he threatened to put 50% tariffs on Brazilian goods unless Brazil’s Supreme Court dropped its case against former President Jair Bolsonaro. Bolsonaro is facing charges over trying to overturn the results of the 2022 election.
US Imposed 50% Tariffs on Brazil
Although the U.S. delayed the tariff hike that was set for August 1, it placed sanctions on Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes. Moraes is leading Bolsonaro’s legal cases and has also clashed with U.S. social media companies.
Trump said Lula could call him directly. Brazil’s Finance Minister Fernando Haddad saw this as a positive sign and said he plans to talk with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent soon about the tariffs and sanctions.
Despite showing willingness to talk, Lula stayed firm in his criticism of the U.S., saying it was “unacceptable” to use politics to pressure Brazil economically. He also repeated his view that Trump is trying to weaken international cooperation.
Brazil Says Tariffs by US are Unacceptable
Lula said Brazil is working on reducing its reliance on the U.S. dollar in international trade — an idea that has annoyed Trump. The plan, backed by the BRICS group (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa), hasn’t seen much progress yet.
“Brazil is no longer as dependent on the U.S. as before,” Lula said. “We respect our relationship with them, but we have our own interests, power, and voice.”
His comments came as Bolsonaro supporters held protests in cities like Rio de Janeiro and Brasilia. They were demonstrating against the government and Justice Moraes, who they say is targeting Bolsonaro and his allies.
Bolsonaro did not attend the rallies because a court order bans him from leaving home at night or on weekends.
Also Read: Trump Slaps 50% Tariffs on Brazil and Copper Imports in Major Trade War Escalation
