FILE PHOTO: Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva speaks during a ceremony at the Planalto Palace in Brasilia, Brazil, January 16, 2025. REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino/File Photo
Brasilia: Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva says the country’s first line of defence against US tariffs will be negotiation rather than immediate retaliatory measures.
A few days earlier, Lula said he could appeal to the World Trade Organization (WTO) or impose extra tariffs on US products if Brazil is affected by President Donald Trump’s announcement of sweeping tariffs expected April 2.
“Before we start a fight for reciprocity, or a fight at the WTO, we should use all the words in our dictionary to establish free trade with the United States,” he said during a news conference in Vietnam, where he is on a state trip. “Historically, the United States has always been important to Brazil.”
Lula said that if negotiations with the United States or at the WTO do not address the issue, Brazil “has the right to impose reciprocity on the US”.
He reiterated that Trump’s trade policies could affect US inflation and interest rates. Lula also said he was saddened by “how the United States makes Trump look like the world’s sheriff”.
But Brazil’s president praised Trump’s efforts to end the war between Ukraine and Russia. “I am forced to say that in this aspect Trump is on the right track,” he said. — Bloomberg
