As U.S. tariffs on Brazilian goods surged to 50% this week, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said he won’t be calling Donald Trump anytime soon.
“I won’t humiliate myself,” Lula told Reuters in an interview from his official residence in Brasilia. “The day my intuition says Trump is ready to talk, I won’t hesitate. But today my intuition says he doesn’t want to talk.”
His reaction came after the United States imposed steep new trade barriers on Brazilian exports, including key raw materials. Trump tied the decision to pressure Brazil into dropping legal cases against former President Jair Bolsonaro, who is currently facing trial for allegedly trying to overturn the 2022 election.
Lula called the link unacceptable. He said Brazil’s Supreme Court, not the White House, will decide Bolsonaro’s fate. “It doesn’t care what Trump says, and it shouldn’t,” Lula said, labeling Bolsonaro a “traitor to the homeland.”
Still, Brazil isn’t about to fire back with matching tariffs. At least not yet. Lula made it clear his government isn’t planning reciprocal action or rushing into any backroom deal.
Instead, he’s focused on two things:
- Buffering Brazil’s economy against the blow
- Looking for support abroad, especially from BRICS partners
“There is no coordination among the BRICS yet, but there will be,” he said. He mentioned plans to speak with leaders from China and India about a collective response. He also floated the possibility of a joint complaint to the World Trade Organization.
On the domestic side, Lula said his administration is preparing support for exporters, possibly including new credit lines. He avoided specifics but emphasized the need for what he called “fiscal responsibility.”
The situation with Trump, though, seems personal as much as political. Lula referred to past instances where Trump publicly embarrassed visiting leaders — including South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky. He said that kind of treatment isn’t something he’s willing to risk.
“What Trump did with Zelensky was humiliation. What Trump did with Ramaphosa was humiliation,” Lula said. “One president can’t be humiliating another. I respect everyone and I demand respect.”
When questioned on whether Brazil was considering a tougher tax approach against U.S. tech firms, Lula replied they were evaluating it. It recognises that foreign and domestic firms should be treated equally This included a hint of the new national strategy for processing mineral exports — which suggests prioritization of sovereignty over momentary business gain.
So for now, Lula is relying on a combination of forbearance, vanity and strategic patience. “Need to be extremely careful, is what I would say,” he said.
