PNN – In response to the 50% US tariff on goods imported from Brazil, the Brazilian president said that the tariffs were “irrational”.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network, citing ABC News, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva criticized the 50% US tariff on Brazilian goods imported into the country, saying that this measure is illogical and politically motivated.
Da Silva wrote in an article in the New York Times that his government welcomes negotiations on any issue that could bring mutual benefits. He added, however, that Brazilian democracy and sovereignty are not on the table.
US President Donald Trump imposed the tariffs on Brazil in July, citing what he called “a cover-up for former President Jair Bolsonaro,” who was accused of illegally trying to hold on to power at the time.
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Bolsonaro’s trial ended last Thursday after a panel of Supreme Court judges ruled that he attempted a coup after losing the 2022 election to Lula, fueling fears of further US action against Brazil.
Lula said he was proud of the Brazilian Supreme Court for this “historic decision,” which guarantees Brazil’s judicial system and the democratic rule of law and does not “create cases.”
He added that the ruling came after months of investigation that revealed plots to assassinate me, the Vice President, and a Supreme Court justice.
Regarding the US tariff war, the Brazilian president added that these additional tariffs are not only unreasonable but also illogical, referring to the $410 billion trade surplus from bilateral trade in goods and services that the US has accumulated over the past 15 years.
The article, published in the New York Times, is a sign that Brazil is preparing for possible further sanctions following the country’s Supreme Court ruling.
Following Thursday’s ruling by the Brazilian Supreme Court, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote in a message on the social network “X” that the Trump administration would respond appropriately.
The Brazilian Foreign Ministry called Rubio’s statements an inappropriate threat that, of course, did not scare the country’s government, adding that Brazil’s judicial structure is independent and that a fair trial process was followed in Bolsonaro’s trial.