Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is refusing to come to the table…
As President Trump’s global tariffs go into effect, Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva remains staunchly opposed to making deals with the U.S.
“The day my intuition says Trump is ready to talk, I won’t hesitate to call him,” Lula said. “But today my intuition says he doesn’t want to talk. And I won’t humiliate myself.”
More than 60 countries and the European Union were hit with new tariffs on Thursday. Fox News noted that while the baseline rate is 10%, select nations, like Brazil, face additional penalties that push the total tariff up to 50%. (RELATED: Trump Slaps 50% Tariff On Brazilian Goods, Citing Bolsonaro Prosecution)
On July 31, one day after announcing an additional 40% tariff on Brazil, Trump said that Lula “can talk to me anytime he wants.” The Brazilian president seemed to respond in a post on X without mentioning Trump by name. He said that his country has “always been open to dialogue.”
“The ones who determine Brazil’s direction are the Brazilians and their institutions. At this moment, we are working to protect our economy, businesses, and workers, and to respond to the tariff measures of the U.S. government,” Lula wrote.
Trump and Lula’s contentious relationship goes deeper than trade deals. The White House has been open about its opposition to Brazil’s treatment of its former President Jair Bolsonaro which was recently emphasized in an executive order that Trump signed last month in which he decried “the Government of Brazil’s politically motivated persecution, intimidation, harassment, censorship, and prosecution” of Bolsonaro. (RELATED: US Sanctions Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Over Bolsonaro Trial)
Bolsonaro was defeated by Lula in 2022, and was recently placed under house arrest amid ongoing legal proceedings over his alleged attempt to overturn the country’s presidential election results.
