Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Tuesday that he will not call US President Donald Trump, saying Trump does not want to talk. Lula referred to the day the tariffs were imposed as “the most regrettable” day in the bilateral relations between the countries.
Instead, Lula said will speak with other world leaders, including India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “I will call Xi Jinping, I will call Prime Minister Modi. I won’t call Putin, because he can’t travel now. But I will call many Presidents,” Lula said.
These leaders represent nations within Brics, a coalition that has drawn warnings from the US. Trump has said that countries supporting Brics policies that conflict with US interests will face an additional 10% tariff.
US IMPOSES 50% TARIFFS ON BRAZIL
The United States imposed an additional 40% tariff on Brazil, bringing the total tariff amount to 50% on Brazilian imports. This has caused a serious strain between the two countries. Lula said Brazil will use all available tools, including the World Trade Organisation (WTO), to defend its trade interests.
Earlier, Trump had said Lula could “call him anytime” to talk about trade. Brazil’s finance minister, Fernando Haddad, welcomed Trump’s move and said Lula would be ready to take such a call. However, Lula has made it clear that he will not be the one to start the conversation with Trump.
TENSIONS RISE AFTER BOLSONARO’S ARREST
The tensions are not only about trade. The United States recently condemned a decision by Brazil’s Supreme Court to place former President Jair Bolsonaro under house arrest before his trial on charges of plotting a coup.
The US State Department’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs called Justice Alexandre de Moraes a “US-sanctioned human rights abuser” and accused him of using Brazil’s courts to silence opposition voices. They demanded Bolsonaro be allowed to speak freely.
Justice de Moraes, who is sanctioned by the US under the Magnitsky Act for alleged human rights violations, said he would continue his duties despite the sanctions.
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With inputs from Reuters
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