Lula Rejects Trump Call, Rallies BRICS Leaders After US Tariff Shock
Lula Rejects Trump Call, Rallies BRICS Leaders After US Tariff Shock
Brazil's President Lula refuses to speak with Trump over new tariffs. With growing tensions and a challenge to the WTO, what's next for U.S.-Brazil relations?
When steep new tariffs shook relations between the two countries, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva refused to call U.S. President Donald Trump, describing it as "the most regrettable" day in their bilateral history. Instead, he called BRICS allies, such as China's Xi Jinping and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“I won’t call Trump. He doesn’t want to talk,”
Lula told reporters on Tuesday that he doesn't want to talk, indicating a growing rift following the U.S. imposition of a 50% tariff on Brazilian imports. The finance minister of Brazil even praised Trump's earlier statement that Lula could call "anytime." However, Lula has stated unequivocally that he will not be the one answering the phone.
Brazil has prepared a formal challenge at the World Trade Organization in response to the Trump administration's decision to double tariffs, including an additional 40% hike. According to Lula, the nation would protect its interests by using "all available tools." The diplomatic freeze follows Trump's warning to BRICS members, including Brazil, China, and India, that if they align too closely with policies that conflict with U.S. interests, they risk an additional 10% tariff. Lula seemed to take issue with that warning directly when he said that Modi and Xi were among the people he intended to talk to.
The fallout from the arrest of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is adding to the stress. The United States accused Justice Alexandre de Moraes of violating human rights and stifling dissent when it denounced Brazil's Supreme Court for putting Bolsonaro under house arrest. The criticism was rejected by Moraes, who is sanctioned by the United States under the Magnitsky Act, and he promised to keep up his work. Relations between the two biggest democracies in the hemisphere seem to be at their lowest point in years due to rising tariffs, diplomatic snubs, and courtroom altercations.
