Lula Slams Trump Over Tariffs: “My Intuition Says He Doesn’t Want to Talk, and I Won’t Humiliate Myself”

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  Kelly Couto

• August 07, 2025

• Kelly Couto

Lula Slams Trump Over Tariffs: “My Intuition Says He Doesn’t Want to Talk, and I Won’t Humiliate Myself”

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva responded forcefully on Wednesday (6) to the United States' decision to impose up to 50% tariffs on Brazilian goods, calling the move authoritarian and politically motivated. Lula accused U.S. President Donald Trump of creating a crisis where none existed and ruled out making a direct call to negotiate.

“My intuition tells me he doesn’t want to talk. And I won’t humiliate myself,” Lula said in an interview with Reuters. “A president must not humiliate himself before another president. I respect everyone and demand respect in return.”

Lula also pointed fingers at former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro and his son, congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro, alleging their direct involvement in encouraging the White House to impose sanctions. “There is no precedent in history for a president and his son turning a foreign head of state against their own country. They should be judged for this.”

The diplomatic rupture comes amid Trump's broader trade war, with Brazil now facing the highest tariff rates imposed on any country. Unlike previous disputes based on trade deficits, Trump’s rationale this time is overtly political—retaliating against Lula’s administration in defense of Bolsonaro, who is on trial for allegedly attempting to subvert Brazil’s democratic order in January 2023.

The tension escalated further after the U.S. State Department sanctioned Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who is overseeing Bolsonaro’s case, citing alleged human rights violations—an unprecedented move that drew sharp criticism in Brazil.

While formal communication between Lula and Trump has not occurred, Brazilian negotiators managed to exempt nearly 700 key products from the new tariffs, including oil, aircraft, and pulp. Finance Minister Fernando Haddad said Brazil is prepared to offer access to critical minerals and rare earths in exchange for tariff relief.

Still, Lula remains firm in his stance: “During an interview, I was asked, ‘Are you going to talk to him?’ I said, ‘Not now.’ Our best negotiators are trying to speak with theirs. Trump’s letters don’t speak of negotiation—only threats.”

Trump’s actions have also sparked a wave of nationalist sentiment within Brazil. “This is not a minor intervention,” Lula said. “It’s the president of the United States believing he can dictate terms to a sovereign nation like Brazil. It’s unacceptable.”

In response to the economic fallout, the Brazilian government is drafting an emergency aid package for companies affected by the tariffs. Lula emphasized that, for now, Brazil will not retaliate with its own tariffs on U.S. goods. “I’m doing all this when I could announce countermeasures. But I won’t, because I refuse to behave like President Trump. I want to prove that when one doesn’t want a fight, two don’t fight. And I don’t want to fight with the United States.”