President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva reaffirmed, this Friday (14), that the Brazil will apply the principle of reciprocity If US President Donald Trump, fulfills the promise of raising the country’s import tariffs. “I heard that it will tax the Brazilian steel. If I tax the Brazilian steel, we will react commercially or we will denounce the organization [Mundial] trade [OMC] Or we will tax the products we matters from them, ”he said in an interview with Radio Clube do Pará, in Belém (PA).
“Honestly, I see no reason for Brazil to seek litigation with those who do not need. Now, if you have any attitude with Brazil, there will be reciprocity. There is no doubt, there will be reciprocity from Brazil in any attitude you have against Brazil, ”said the president.
Trump has been promising to apply comprehensive tariffs to several countries with commercial surplus with the United States, such as China, and even closer partners like Mexico and Canada . He also announced a 25% tax on steel and aluminum imports canceling exempt exemptions and tax quotas for main suppliersamong them Brazil.
Lula recalled, however, that the United States has commercial surplus with Brazil, that is, sell more goods and services than they buy. “Brazil’s relationship with the United States is a very egalitarian relationship. That is, they import $ 40 billion, we import $ 45 billion, ”he said.
“So we don’t want friction with anyone. Brazil has no international litigation, we want peace and tranquility. Look, if Trump has this behavior with Brazil, I will have this behavior with the United States, ”he reaffirmed.
Relationship
This Thursday (13), Trump also announced the Application of reciprocity tariffs Against any country that imposes taxes against US imports, being the latest tariff offensive against allies and enemies in the country. According to the White House, tariffs can begin to be imposed in weeks, while the government’s commercial and economic team studies bilateral rates and business relationships. The US government will analyze country to the country and these studies should be completed by April 1st.
Given this, members of the government’s economic team advocate caution in the face of announcements of the president of the United States. Finance Minister Fernando Haddad said the Brazil does not need to fear the measuresalso citing the surplus trade balance for the Americans. Haddad stated that the Brazilian government will not speak “to any signs”, will wait to see the “which is concrete, effective” and evaluate “how this story will end”.
Already the vice president and Minister of Development, Industry, Commerce and Services, Geraldo Alckmin, said that the Brazil does not represent a “commercial problem” to the United States. He stressed that of the ten most exported products in Brazil to the United States, only four are not taxed by the US customs, the others are imposed on tariffs. Already in the ten most imported products in Brazil from the US, eight enter totally free of tariffs.
Still in the interview with Radio Clube do Pará, on Friday, Lula also recalled that Brazil and the United States complete 200 years of diplomatic relations in 2025, but said he has not yet talked to the US president after he took office in January. “There is no relationship. I haven’t talked to him yet, he hasn’t talked to me yet. The relationship is between Brazilian state and the American state. Brazil considers the United States an extremely important country to relation to Brazil and I hope the United States recognizes Brazil as a very important country, ”he said.
