Brazilian President Luiz In&aacute;cio Lula da Silva has firmly rejected US President Donald Trump&rsquo;s claim that Brazil is &ldquo;a horrible trading partner,&rdquo; stating that Brazil will not bow to pressure from Washington. Speaking at an event in Pernambuco, Lula called Trump&rsquo;s remarks &ldquo;a lie,&rdquo; insisting Brazil is a fair trading partner but one that &ldquo;won&rsquo;t bow down to the US government.&rdquo;
Trump&rsquo;s comments came earlier in the day, alongside his criticism of the trial against former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, which he called a &ldquo;political execution.&rdquo; Lula countered, saying &ldquo;democracy is judging Bolsonaro&rdquo; and defending the independence of Brazil&rsquo;s judicial process.
The war of words follows the US government&rsquo;s imposition of a 50% tariff on Brazilian goods. In response, Brazil has rolled out the Sovereign Brazil initiative, a 30 billion reais (about $5.56 billion) support package for exporters hit by the tariffs. The measures include affordable loans, tax breaks, modernisation of the export guarantee system, and targeted support for small businesses, rural producers, and perishable food exporters.
Lula criticised the US justification for the tariffs, which included alleged human rights violations linked to Bolsonaro&rsquo;s trial. &ldquo;Brazil had no reason to be taxed, and we will not accept any accusations that we do not respect human rights,&rdquo; he said. While condemning the tariffs as unjustified, Lula confirmed Brazil will not impose reciprocal measures &ldquo;for the time being&rdquo; to avoid escalating tensions.
He stressed the importance of remaining calm during crises: &ldquo;Crises exist so that we can create new things. The unpleasant thing is that there are no justified reasons for imposing tariffs on Brazil.&rdquo;
The statement marks a firm yet measured Brazilian stance rejecting US claims while prioritising negotiation over retaliation in hopes of preserving long-term trade relations.
[Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by the Benefit News editorial team and is published directly from the IANS news feed.]
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Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva

President Lula rejects US tariff claims, launches Sovereign Brazil Support Plan

Lula: Brazil Won’t Bow to US Pressure

President Lula rejects US tariff claims, launches Sovereign Brazil Support Plan

August 15, 2025 | 18:57 IST