Lula warns Brazil won’t bow to trade threats over Bolsonaro case

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has taken a firm stance on trade negotiations with the United States, saying Brazil will only negotiate with Donald Trump if both countries are treated as equals.

Speaking on Sunday at a Workers’ Party meeting in Brasília, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Brazil would not accept pressure from Washington. He emphasized that the country was willing to negotiate, but only on equal terms. Lula said his government would stand by Brazilian companies and defend its workers. He added that Brazil’s proposals would be ready whenever the United States was prepared for fair discussions.

This strong message comes during a renewed trade tension between Brazil and the United States. President Donald Trump threatened to impose a 50% tariff on Brazilian goods in July unless Brazil’s Supreme Court dropped its legal cases against former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.

Bolsonaro is currently on trial over accusations of trying to stage a coup following his 2022 election defeat. Trump’s comments pulled Brazil directly into his larger trade and political disputes, making Lula’s response both diplomatic and defiant.

Lula warns Brazil won’t bow to trade threats over Bolsonaro case

While the Biden administration had avoided direct involvement in Bolsonaro’s legal troubles, Trump’s re-election has shifted the US tone. The proposed tariffs, which were set to take effect on August 1, were recently delayed. Some Brazilian products were temporarily exempted from the tariffs. However, the US government imposed sanctions on Justice Alexandre de Moraes, the judge handling Bolsonaro’s case.

Lula reacted sharply to these developments, describing them as unacceptable for a political situation to be used as a basis for economic punishment. He told his audience that Brazil would not tolerate threats disguised as trade negotiations and insisted that no one had the right to punish the country simply because its courts were fulfilling their responsibilities.

He further warned that the United States could no longer expect Brazil to behave like a junior partner. Lula emphasized that Brazil was no longer as dependent on the US as it had been in the past. He asserted that America needed to recognize that Brazil had its own size, stance, and national interests to defend.

The president reiterated his vision for a new global trade order that isn’t dominated by the US dollar or shaped by unilateral decisions from Washington. Lula has long championed the idea of trade in local currencies within the BRICS alliance, though actual implementation has been slow.

Brazil expands trade ties with global partners

Lula’s government is expanding economic ties with other major players in response to strained relations with the US. China, in particular, has become a key trade partner. Over the weekend, China approved exports from 183 new Brazilian coffee producers. The Chinese Embassy in Brazil announced the move via social media.

This is a major win for Brazil, the world’s largest coffee producer. It also signals a strategic shift as China steps in where the US may be pulling away. Coffee, notably, was not among the goods spared from Trump’s tariff list.

The US currently buys about 16% of Brazil’s coffee exports, which may drop if new tariffs come into play. Brazilian exporters are watching closely.

Meanwhile, Brazilian Finance Minister Fernando Haddad welcomed Trump’s recent comment that Lula is free to call him. Haddad said he plans to speak with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to discuss the sanctions and tariff threats.

Despite ongoing tensions, President Lula signaled that Brazil remained open to dialogue only if it was grounded in mutual respect. He stated that the country would always be willing to engage in talks, but not from a position of weakness or while its sovereignty was under threat.

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