Radical leftist President of Brazil Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Tuesday demanded President Donald Trump stop “shouting” and speak “respectfully” to him, adding he is “not of ugly faces.”
Lula issued his latest rant against President Trump in remarks given during the inauguration of an automotive factory in Betim, Minas Gerais. The event took place hours before a 25-percent tariff on steel and aluminum imports went into effect on March 12.
Lula, who had initially asserted that he would retaliate against the tariffs should they go into effect, announced on Wednesday morning that he will instead seek to negotiate with the United States.
“And I want to say to you, loud and clear, you can be sure, the Brazilian economy will continue to grow, we will continue to create jobs, inflation will fall,” Lula promised. “We had the greatest tax policy this country has ever seen in history and everyone will win because we don’t want Brazil for us, we want Brazil for you.”
“And that’s why I always say, there’s no point in Trump shouting from over there, because I’ve learned not to be afraid of ugly faces,” he continued. “Speak softly to me, speak respectfully to me, because I’ve learned to respect people and I want to be respected. That’s how we’re going to govern this country.”
Brazil is presently the second-largest exporter of steel to the United States after Canada. The South American nation amounted for 14.9 percent of all of the steel imported by the U.S. during 2024.
In a previous February rant against Trump, Lula — but without directly mentioning Trump — questioned President Trump over his tariff and illegal migrant crackdown policies, describing the then-incoming tariffs as a “threat to the world.” Earlier that month, Lula asserted through a local radio interview that if “Trump behaves like this towards Brazil” then he would reciprocate any action Trump takes.
The Brazilian outlet Poder 360 reported on Wednesday morning that Lula was evaluating imposing retaliatory tariffs to the United States. According to Poder 360, the United States’ tariffs were the subject of a conversation between Lula, his ministers, and lawmakers during Lula’s return flight back to Brasilia following Tuesday’s event in Minas Gerais.
Lula reportedly did not specify how Brazil would retaliate against the United States during the conversation, and instead asserted to the ministers and lawmakers that he will confer with technical experts to evaluate what could be done.
Brazil’s O Globo newspaper reported on Wednesday that Lula called for a Wednesday morning meeting with the Brazilian Indistruries and Foreign Ministers to discuss and “understand” the tariffs scenario and “look for ways out.”
Despite Lula’s initial assertions that he would retaliate against the tariffs, Finance Minister Fernando Haddad told reporters shortly after the end of the on Wednesday meeting that “there will be no retaliation” and that Lula’s guidance is to guidance is to “follow the path of dialogue and negotiation” with the White House.
Haddad reportedly explained that the Brazilian Steel Institute presented proposals to the federal government during the meeting pertaining to the matter, which will be evaluated by Lula’s economy team before issuing its corresponding technical note to the Brazilian Industries Ministry.
The economy minister asserted that Lula “has experience in dealing with tariff measures diplomatically, as has happened on previous occasions,” and stressed that the government is evaluating measures to protect the national industry towards adopting a “differentiated strategy” for steel imports and exports. Haddad further explained that discussions on exports require a bilateral negotiation with the United States, while imports require a more forceful defense of the national industry.
According to Haddad, the Brazilian government will focus on understanding the implications of the tariffs and the impacts it could have on Brazil’s industry and the U.S. economy, which is “facing a possible recession.” Haddad, reportedly citing a diagnosis from the Brazilian steel sector, asserted that “contrary to what the U.S. government may believe, the tariff policy not only harms Brazilian producers, but also US interests.”
Christian K. Caruzo is a Venezuelan writer and documents life under socialism. You can follow him on Twitter here.
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