President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, has said his country will not fold its hands while the United States imposes what he called unfair tariffs on Brazilian goods. Lula, a former trade union leader and now serving his third term as Brazil’s president, declared on Tuesday that Brazil will explore all available legal and diplomatic means to defend its economic interests. This includes going to the World Trade Organization (WTO) to challenge the new import tariffs introduced by the U.S. government.
Lula made this statement while addressing the Council for Sustainable Economic and Social Development during a meeting held at the presidential palace in Brasília. The Brazilian leader stressed that the recent decision by the U.S. to impose a 50% tariff on Brazilian imports, starting this Friday, is not only unfair but a serious threat to Brazil’s growing export trade and economic stability.
President Lula said, “In 2025, we will resort to all possible measures, starting with the WTO, to defend our interests.” He added that his government had already started working on plans to improve Brazil’s foreign trade and promote new investment opportunities for Brazilian industries, even before the U.S. policy change.
Although the Brazilian government is not happy with the new development, Lula said he has no plan to call United States President Donald Trump to personally discuss the matter. According to him, “He does not want to talk.” However, the Brazilian president said he will still place a call to Trump, not to talk about tariffs, but to invite him to the upcoming United Nations Climate Summit, COP30, which will be hosted in Brazil.
COP30 is scheduled to hold in November 2025 in Belém, Pará, a city in the northern part of Brazil. Lula said, “You can be sure, I will call Trump to invite him to COP30 and find out his opinion on the climate issue. I will be kind enough to call him.” He went on to say that if the American leader turns down the invitation, “it’s because he doesn’t want to, but it won’t be for lack of education, friendliness, or democracy. I’ll invite him!”
The sudden decision by the U.S. to place a 50 percent import tariff on Brazilian goods has caused serious concern in Brasília, especially among trade officials, exporters, and local manufacturers who depend heavily on the American market. According to government sources, affected exports may include steel, aluminum, soy products, and manufactured goods.
Many observers believe that the new tariffs are a political response to recent events involving the Brazilian judiciary. It will be recalled that the United States government recently sanctioned a top Brazilian judge, Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who is a member of the country’s Supreme Court. He has been leading investigations into an alleged coup plot that involved supporters of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.
President Lula did not link the tariffs directly to the sanctions but insisted that any future discussions with Washington must be based on mutual respect and fairness. “We are ready to talk, but we will not allow our country to be treated like a second-class nation. Brazil has the right to protect its economy and sovereignty,” he said.
Meanwhile, economic analysts are warning that the dispute may escalate if not handled carefully. They say trade relations between Brazil and the United States have remained strong over the years, and both countries have benefited from open trade and cooperation. However, with these new tariffs and diplomatic tensions, the future of that relationship now hangs in the balance.
Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Industry and Trade are already in discussions with legal and trade experts to prepare a case to take before the WTO in Geneva. The hope, according to officials, is to reach a peaceful resolution before the tariffs cause serious damage to the country’s economy.
As the situation unfolds, both Brazilian exporters and U.S. importers will be watching closely to see whether the two governments can find a middle ground or if the case will move fully into an international trade dispute at the WTO.
