Brazil promises to correspond to American prices after Trump threatens 50% of sampling
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said he was ready to match all the prices imposed in Brazil by the United States.
Lula responded to the threat of Wednesday by his American counterpart, Donald Trump, to impose an import tax of 50% on Brazilian products from August 1.
In a letter, Trump cited Brazil’s treatment of former President Jair Bolsonaro as a pricing hiking trigger.
Bolsonaro is currently tried for having pretended to organize a blow against Lula after being defeated by him during the 2022 elections.
Trump described Bolsonaro “a highly respected leader around the world”. “This trial should not take place,” he wrote, calling on Brazil to immediately put the “witch hunt” against the former president.
Trump’s support in Bolsonaro does not surprise because the two men have long been considered allies.
The American president had already criticized Brazil for his treatment as Bolsonaro on Monday, comparing him with the legal affairs he himself had confronted before the American courts.
The 50% tariff threat was encountered with a robust and long response from President Lula.
In an article on X, he stressed that Brazil was “a sovereign country with independent institutions and will not accept any guardianship”.
The Brazilian leader has also announced that “any increase in unilateral prices” would meet with reciprocal prices imposed on American goods.
The United States is Brazil’s second trading partner after China, therefore the increase in a rate rate of 10% to 50% lightening – if it comes into force – would harm the South American nation harshly.
But Lula also wanted to challenge Trump’s assertion that the United States had a trade deficit with Brazil, the caller “inaccurate”.
Lula’s refutation is safeguarded by US government data, which suggests that the United States has had a surplus of goods with Brazil of $ 7.4 billion (5.4 billion pounds sterling) in 2024.
Brazil is the 15th American trade partner and among its main imports from the United States are mineral fuels, planes and machines.
For its part, the United States imports gas and oil, iron and Brazil coffee.
Brazil was not the only country that Trump threatened with higher rates on Wednesday.
Japan, South Korea and Sri Lanka were among the 22 nations which received letters warning higher samples.
But the letter that Trump sent to his Brazilian counterpart was the only question of concentrating beyond the alleged trade deficits.
In addition to denouncing the treatment of former President Bolsonaro, Trump criticized what he said to be “secret and illegal censorship orders to the social media platforms” that he declared that Brazil had imposed.
Trump Media, who exploits the Truth social platform of the American president and belongs to the majority, is one of the American technological companies which are struggling on the decisions of the Brazilian court on the suspended orders of social media accounts.
Lula also retaliated on this front, justifying decisions by arguing that “Brazilian society rejects hateful content, racism, juvenile pornography, scams, fraud and speeches against human rights and democratic freedom”.
Rafael Cortez, political scientist of the Brazilian consulting firm Tendências consuria, told BBC News Brasil that rather than injuring him, the too political tone of Trump’s letter could end up benefiting in Lula.
“Those who face Trump win at home when Trump and other conservative leaders talk about questions relating to their country.
Creomar de Souza of the political consulting company Dharma Politics told BBC News Mundo Mariana Schreiber that it would depend on the government of Lula offering an organized and united response if it was to “score a goal” against Trump.
