Lula describes the new US tariffs as a misstep in an op-ed for the Washington Post
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva criticized the new U.S. tariffs as unjust and a strategic error in a Sunday opinion piece for The Washington Post, cautioning that they would negatively impact the bilateral partnership between the countries and increase costs for U.S. consumers.
“This month, despite numerous meetings between our teams, strong technical arguments, and documents I presented to President Trump, the U.S. government enacted new tariffs on Brazil ranging from 12.5 percent to 37.5 percent,” Lula stated.
The new duties come in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to strike down last year’s 50% tariffs, as noted by Lula. He added that food, footwear, textiles, furniture, auto parts, and many other products will see a price increase for U.S. consumers.
The U.S. Embassy in Brazil has not yet provided a response to a request for comment regarding the column.
Lula also referenced Global Trade Alert, an independent organization based in Switzerland, which stated that Brazil and Turkey are currently the second most heavily tariffed countries by the United States, following only China.
The situation occurs despite a U.S. trade surplus with Brazil in goods and services that amounted to $428 billion over a span of 15 consecutive years, Lula stated.
In the opinion piece published the day after Trump ally and conservative presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro launched his campaign, Lula pointed out that Brazilian exports to the U.S. have reached their lowest level since 1997. “In the medium term, these tariffs will disrupt supply chains that are currently deeply integrated, and Brazilian companies will replace their U.S. suppliers with partners elsewhere,” Lula stated.
Brazil is receptive to a productive conversation with the U.S., Lula stated, but the nation must determine its own destiny. Brazil’s future is for Brazilians to shape on their own—free from foreign interference or subservience,” he stated.
