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Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has reacted sharply to Donald Trump's threats to impose heavy tariffs on Brazil, declaring that his American counterpart was elected to lead the United States and "not to be the emperor of the world."
Last week, Trump threatened to impose 50% tariffs on Brazil starting August 1, according to a letter published on his social media platform, Truth Social.
In the letter, Trump linked the threat of tariffs to what he called a “witch hunt” against former right-wing Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro — a close ally of his — who is facing trial in Brazil for trying to overturn the 2022 presidential election that Lula won. If convicted of orchestrating the coup, Bolsonaro could face more than 40 years in prison.
Speaking exclusively to CNN journalist Christiane Amanpour, Lula said Trump's threats were a blatant violation of diplomatic protocol and stressed that Bolsonaro's judicial fate cannot be part of trade negotiations.
“The judiciary in Brazil is independent. The President of the Republic has no influence on it,” Lula said, adding that Bolsonaro “is not being tried for personal reasons, but for his actions in organizing a coup.”
Bolsonaro has denied all the accusations against him.
Speaking through an interpreter, Lula expressed disappointment with Trump's stance and admitted that he initially did not believe the social media post was true.
“It was very unpleasant,” he said. “I thought it was fake news.”
If Trump decides to proceed with the tariffs, Brazil has promised reciprocal measures, marking the first time in months that a country has publicly countered a Trump threat.
“Brazil has a duty to take care of itself and its people – not the interests of others,” Lula declared, adding: “Brazil does not accept anything imposed. We accept negotiations, not impositions.”
Unlike the more than 20 other countries that have received threatening letters from Trump this month, the US had a $6.8 billion trade surplus with Brazil last year – meaning it exported more to Brazil than it imported.
Top US exports to Brazil in 2024 included: aircraft and spacecraft, fuels, industrial machinery such as nuclear reactors, and electrical equipment – according to data from the US Bureau of Statistics.
A 50% Brazilian tariff in retaliation could severely damage these American industries.
However, Lula stressed that he is willing to sit at the table with the US, saying that it is now up to Trump to take the opportunity to negotiate seriously.
"I am not a progressive president. I am the president of Brazil. I do not see President Trump as a far-right president. I see him as the president of the United States - he was elected by the American people," Lula said, rejecting the idea that ideological differences between them could harm negotiations.
“The best thing in the world is to sit at the table and talk,” he added.
"If President Trump is willing to take seriously the ongoing negotiations between Brazil and the US, then I will be open to negotiating whatever is necessary. But the important thing is that relations between the two countries cannot continue like this," he concluded.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, the US launched an investigation into Brazil's "unfair" trade practices, further deepening the clash with the world's 10th largest economy.
The investigation will focus on digital commerce and electronic payment services, preferential tariffs, interference in the fight against corruption, and the protection of intellectual property, to determine whether these constitute obstacles or unfair discrimination against American trade, according to a statement from the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR).
The investigation will also examine access to the ethanol market and issues related to illegal deforestation.
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