Lula says Brazil will react to Trump’s taxes
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva reaffirmed on Friday (Feb. 14) that Brazil will apply the principle of reciprocity if US President Donald Trump keeps his promise to raise the country’s import tariffs.
“I’ve heard they’re going to tax Brazilian steel. If they do that, we’re going to react commercially. Either we’re going to report them to the [World] Trade Organization, or we’re going to tax the products we import from them,” he said in an interview with Rádio Clube do Pará during his trip to Belém, state capital of Pará.
“Honestly, I don’t see any reason for Brazil to seek litigation with those who don’t need it. Now, if he adopts any attitude against Brazil, there will be reciprocity. There’s no doubt about it,” the Brazilian leader said.
Trump has been showing interest in applying wide-ranging tariffs to several countries with a trade surplus with the US—including China and even closer partners such as Mexico and Canada. He also announced a 25 percent tax on steel and aluminum imports, canceling exemptions and tax-free quotas for the main suppliers, among them Brazil.
Lula pointed out, however, that the US has a trade surplus with Brazil, i.e. it sells more goods and services than it buys. “Brazil’s relationship with the US is equal. In other words, they import $40 billion from us and we import $45 billion from them,” he noted.
“We don’t want friction with anyone. Brazil has no international disputes. We want peace and tranquility. Look, if Trump behaves that way with Brazil, I’ll behave that way with the US,” he went on to say.
Still in the interview, Lula recalled that Brazil and the US will celebrate 200 years of diplomatic relations in 2025, but added he had not yet spoken to the US president since he took office in January.
“There is no relationship. I haven’t talked to him yet; he hasn’t talked to me yet either. The relationship is between the Brazilian state and the American state. Brazil considers the US an extremely important country for its relationship with Brazil, and I hope that the United States recognizes Brazil as a very important country,” he declared.
