Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is calling for calm and diplomacy but he’s not backing down. In response to former President Donald Trump’s threat to impose a sweeping 50% tariff on Brazilian exports, Lula issued a clear warning: Brazil will retaliate if pushed.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Lula said he hoped the U.S. and Brazil could resolve the dispute peacefully before the tariffs go into effect on August 1. But he also made it clear that Brazil is prepared to respond with equal force.
“We prefer diplomacy,” Lula said, “but Brazil is not afraid to defend its interests. If Trump imposes 50% tariffs, we will reciprocate like for like.”
The looming tariffs are part of Trump’s escalating global trade offensive, which has already targeted Canada, China, Mexico, and several European nations. The proposed measures would hit Brazilian goods particularly hard, affecting major exports like soybeans, beef, ethanol, and iron ore.
Lula’s government has been working behind the scenes to avert a full-scale trade war, but officials say they won’t allow Brazilian industries to be bullied.
Trump has justified the tariffs by accusing Brazil of “undermining American farmers and flooding the market,” though economists say there’s little evidence to support that claim. The move is widely seen as political, aimed at appealing to protectionist voters ahead of the 2024 election.
If enacted, the tariffs would not only damage U.S.-Brazil trade relations but also ripple through global markets especially in agriculture and energy sectors where the two countries are major players.
For now, the clock is ticking. Both sides have less than a month to find common ground or brace for a tit-for-tat trade war with massive economic consequences.
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