Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Abu Obeida: War criminal Netanyahu and his Nazi ministers have deliberately set their minds on reducing the number of living enemy captives by half
Abu Obeidah: Our freedom fighters are in a state of alert, readiness, and high morale; ready to demonstrate unique exemplars of heroism and bravery, and they will teach the invaders harsh lessons
Abu Obeida: The enemy’s army will pay the price with the blood of its soldiers, and the chances of capturing more soldiers will increase, God willing
Military spokesperson for the al-Qassam Brigades, Abu Obeida: The enemy’s criminal plans to occupy Gaza will be a disaster for its political and military leadership
US to refuse visas to Palestinian officials at UN summit focused on state: State Dept
Lebanese Army Commander: We are carrying out the necessary coordination with the Syrian authorities regarding control of the northern and eastern borders, as it serves a common interest
Lebanese Army Commander: Nothing will deter us from continuing to shoulder our responsibilities in various regions [in Lebanon] and along the Lebanese border
Lebanese Army Commander: The army will take the necessary steps to ensure the success of its mission, while taking into account maintaining civil peace and internal stability
Lebanese Army Commander: The Army bears major responsibilities at various levels and is entering a critical phase in which it will undertake sensitive missions
Sources in the Ministry of Defense in Sanaa to Al Mayadeen's correspondent: The enemy aims to prepare the Israeli interior for the Yemeni operations that will strike deep into "Israel"

'I won’t humiliate myself'; Lula rejects US tariff pressure: Reuters

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Reuters
  • 7 Aug 2025 08:37
  • 1 Shares
4 Min Read

Brazil's Lula da Silva rejects US tariff pressure, refuses direct talks with Trump, and calls for BRICS coordination to defend Brazil’s economic sovereignty.

Listen
  • x
  • Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva attends an event on the economy at the Planalto presidential palace in Brasilia, Brazil, Monday, July 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)
    Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva attends an event on the economy at the Planalto presidential palace in Brasilia, Brazil, on July 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

As US tariffs on Brazilian goods surged to 50% on Wednesday, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva ruled out any immediate direct talks with US President Donald Trump, citing concerns of potential "humiliation."

In an interview with Reuters on Wednesday from his official residence in Brasilia, Lula said Brazil would not announce reciprocal tariffs nor abandon cabinet-level dialogue, but he emphasized he would not reach out personally unless Trump showed openness.

"The day my intuition says Trump is ready to talk, I won’t hesitate to call him," Lula said, adding, "But today my intuition says he doesn’t want to talk. And I won’t humiliate myself."

Despite the US imposing one of the highest tariff hikes under Trump’s administration, Lula expressed confidence that Latin America’s largest economy has enough resilience to withstand the pressure. Unlike some Western counterparts, Lula appears determined to hold firm without ceding to Washington’s demands.

According to the report, the president noted that his government remains focused on domestic economic policies to mitigate the impact of US tariffs on Brazil, while upholding the principles of fiscal responsibility. He also hinted at upcoming measures, including credit lines and export assistance to support Brazilian companies, but declined to elaborate.

Lula described current US-Brazil relations as reaching a 200-year low after Trump linked the tariffs to his opposition to the prosecution of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. He is facing trial for plotting to overturn the 2022 election results.

Brazil’s Supreme Court, Lula emphasized, operates independently. "It does not care what Trump says and it should not," he said, labeling Bolsonaro a "traitor to the homeland."

Related News

Lula authorizes retaliation as Trump tariffs strain Brazil-US ties

Tariff exemption ends for low-value packages, reshaping US trade

"We had already pardoned the US intervention in the 1964 coup," Lula added. "But this now is not a small intervention. It’s the president of the United States thinking he can dictate rules for a sovereign country like Brazil. It’s unacceptable."

Lula calls for BRICS unity against US trade pressure

While Lula said he had no personal grievances with Trump and remained open to meeting him at the United Nations next month or at upcoming climate talks, he criticized the US president’s past treatment of foreign leaders.

"What Trump did with Zelensky was humiliation. That’s not normal. What Trump did with Ramaphosa was humiliation," Lula said. "One president can’t be humiliating another. I respect everyone and I demand respect."

In the report, Lula revealed that his ministers were struggling to initiate conversations with their US counterparts. As an alternative, he is turning to international cooperation, particularly with the BRICS bloc, to coordinate a possible joint response.

"There is no coordination among the BRICS yet, but there will be," he said, noting that collective pressure works similarly to union bargaining tactics. "What is the negotiating power of one little country with the United States? None." Brazil is also exploring a joint complaint at the World Trade Organization alongside other countries affected by the US measures.

Lula highlighted a new national strategy to treat Brazil’s mineral resources as an issue of "national sovereignty," marking a shift from the country’s historical pattern of exporting raw materials with limited domestic value-added benefits.

When asked about possible countermeasures targeting US companies, Lula said his administration is studying mechanisms to tax American tech firms on the same basis as Brazilian companies, aiming to level the economic playing field.

"I was born negotiating," said Lula, recalling his rise from poverty and labor union activism to the presidency. However, he stressed that Brazil would proceed with caution.

  • US tariffs
  • United States
  • Lula da Silva
  • Brazil
  • Donald Trump

Most Read

Almost instantly after the Helsinki Accords were signed, organisations sprouted to document purported violations, whose findings were fed to overseas embassies for international amplification. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Zeinab el-Hajj)

How ‘Human Rights’ became a Western weapon

  • Opinion
  • 23 Aug 2025
Tom Barrack's imperial tantrum in Beirut: When entitlement speaks (Photo by Mahdi Rtail)

Tom Barrack's imperial tantrum in Beirut: When entitlement speaks

  • Politics
  • 26 Aug 2025
Although it does seem likely they will launch some kind of operation in northern Gaza, one which will accelerate its mass murder of civilians, but will fail to achieve its stated objectives. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)

Here is why the Israeli occupation of Gaza won’t work

  • Opinion
  • 26 Aug 2025
Launch of a ballistic missile from Yemen toward the occupied Palestinian territories. (YAF military media)

Yemeni Forces announce firing hypersonic missile at Al-Lydd Airport

  • Politics
  • 22 Aug 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
AI safety tests expose alarming misuse risks in ChatGPT models
Technology

AI safety: ChatGPT offered bomb recipes and hacking tips

Jewish Health professionals condemn silence over Gaza
Politics

Jewish health professionals condemn silence over Gaza

BDS Portugal halts Israeli-linked music festival
Arts and Culture

BDS Portugal halts Israeli-linked music festival

Members of the Iranian Parliament participate in a vote of confidence, in the cabinet of President Ebrahim Raisi, at the Islamic Consultative Assembly in Tehran, Iran August 25, 2021. (Majid Asgaripour/WANA)
Politics

Iran’s parliament submits emergency bill to withdraw from NPT

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS