The president of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, at a press conference. Photo: Andre Borges/EFE.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva stated that his country will apply equivalent measures if Donald Trump’s government imposes tariffs on Brazilian products, amid a new episode of trade tensions between the two countries.
“It is very simple. If he taxes Brazilian products, Brazil will respond with reciprocity while taxing products that are imported from the United States,” Lula said at a press conference on Thursday, January 30.
The Brazilian president’s statement comes in response to recent comments by Trump, who accused Brazil, China, and India of pursuing trade policies that harm the US economy. Trump even called Brazil a “tremendous creator of tariffs,” noting that his government will take action against countries that, according to him, are negatively impacting the US economy.
El pdte. @LulaOficial advirtió que si @realDonaldTrump coloca impuestos sobre las importaciones de Brasil, habrá reciprocidad de Brasil sobre los productos de EEUU. pic.twitter.com/S2Fjqw3uWB
— Nacho Lemus (@LemusteleSUR) January 30, 2025
Brazil, along with China and India, is part of the BRICS bloc of emerging economies, and hence the tariffs would imply a trade disputes between BRICS and Washington.
In response, Lula emphasized the importance of mutual respect in diplomatic and commercial relations. “I do not care if he is going to fight over Greenland, the Gulf of Mexico, or Panama, what he must do is respect the sovereignty of other countries,” declared Lula.
Despite the firm stance, he also expressed his interest in strengthening trade ties with the United States, one of Brazil’s main economic partners. “I want to improve that relationship, export more, import more if necessary, and maintain dialogue,” he said.
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Climate change and lack of confidence in Western climate promises
The exchange of statements between Lula and Trump is part of a growing distrust of the Brazilian president in the international commitments of the richest countries, especially in the issue of climate change.
During the press conference, Lula stated that he no longer believes in the promise of developed countries to financially compensate nations that conserve their forests as part of efforts against climate change.
“If we do not do something impactful, these COPs [climate change conferences] will be demoralized, because measures are approved, everything looks very good on paper, but then no country complies,” said Lula. He added that the United States, during the first Trump administration, withdrew from the Paris Climate Agreement and had already failed to comply with the Kyoto Protocol.
Lula emphasized that COP30, scheduled for November in Belém, Brazil, will be key to establish concrete measures and ensure that the funds pledged reach directly the communities affected by deforestation. “When we say that there will be zero deforestation by 2030, we must remember that under the canopy of every tree there is an indigenous person, a riverside dweller, a rural worker. And these people must have access to material goods like everyone else,” he said.
(Telesur)
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/SC/DZ
