President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva stated, on Friday (29), that “no haste” to apply the reciprocity law against the United States, but that the process needs to walk, even to try to accelerate negotiations with the US country on the 50% tariff applied to Brazil’s products.
Lula authorized the application of the new legislationapproved by the National Congress and sanctioned in Apriland the Chamber of Foreign Trade (Camex) began the process that has, among its stages, to notify the United States about the Brazilian response to the application of tariffs.
“I am not in a hurry to do anything with reciprocity against the United States. I took the measure because I have to walk the process,” Lula said in an interview with Radio Itatiaia, in Belo Horizonte.
The law allows Brazil to respond to any unilateral measures adopted by other countries against Brazilian products, such as the US -adopted surcharges.
“If you are trying to walk as all laws require, the behavior of the World Trade Organization [OMC]of the rules, you will take a year. So, we have to start, we have already entered the process in World Trade Organization. We have to tell the United States that we have things to do against the United States. But I’m in no hurry, because I want to negotiate, ”he said.
The tariff imposed on Brazil is part of the new White House policy, inaugurated by President Donald Trump, to raise tariffs against business partners in an attempt to reverse the relative loss of competitiveness from the US economy to China in recent decades. On April 2, Trump imposed customs barriers on countries according to the size of the deficit that the United States has with each nation. As the US has surplus with Brazil, at the time, the lowest rate of 10%was imposed.
However, on August 6, entered into force the additional 40% rate against Brazil in retaliation of decisions that, according to Trump, would harm the Big Techs American and in response to judgment of former President Jair Bolsonaroaccused of leading an attempt to coup after losing the 2022 elections.
Of all that is exported by Brazil to the US country, 35.6% are under a 50% tariff.
Lula reaffirmed the sovereignty of the country and said that if US authorities want to “negotiate seriously with Brazil” on commercial issues, “we will be willing to negotiate 24 hours a day.” However, he argued that the Brazilian authorities have little negotiation space in the United States.
He recalled that Vice President Geraldo Alckmin leads the mission of seeking new agreements, along with Finance Ministers Fernando Haddad and Foreign Affairs, Mauro Vieira.
“So far we have not been able to talk to anyone […]. So they are not willing to negotiate. If Trump wants to negotiate, Lulinha Paz and Love is back, ”said Lula, saying he won’t call the US President.
“I didn’t try to call. I have no problem talking to whoever it is, he has to give a sign that he wants to negotiate. Because people talk to Trump, but if the treasure secretary didn’t talk to Haddad, if Alckmin couldn’t talk to the commerce citizen, why do people think my phone call for Trump would solve?” Lula argued.
Organized crime
During the interview with Radio Itatiaia, Lula commented police operations who investigate the performance of criminal groups in the fuel production chain for money laundering from drug trafficking factions according to him, “the most important operation in history” to “take upstairs.”
“For now [as autoridades de investigação] They were only going down. Now we want to know who is effectively part of organized crime. Whoever does will appear, ”promised Lula.
“Organized crime today is a very sophisticated thing, because it is in politics, in football, in court, it is in all that has place. It is in everything, it is a very powerful international arm. It has relations with the whole world, it is a true multinational,” added the president.
Investigations found a sophisticated scheme that used investment funds, through fintechsto hide equity of illicit origin, with evidence of connection with criminal factions. The Federal Court authorized the abduction of funds of the investigated, in addition to the blockade of assets and values up to the limit of about R $ 1.2 billion, amount corresponding to the tax assessments already made.
