'Brazil will not accept tutelage': President Lula as Trump slaps 50% tariff

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva condemns Donald Trump's 50% import tariff and rejects US interference in Bolsonaro trial

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Thursday denounced US President Donald Trump’s sudden move to impose a 50 per cent tariff on all Brazilian imports, calling it an “unacceptable” act of interference and a threat to Brazil’s sovereignty and judicial independence.

 

Trump’s decision, announced on Wednesday (Washington time) through an official letter to Lula, referred to the ongoing prosecution of former president Jair Bolsonaro as an “international disgrace”. He called Bolsonaro a “Highly Respected Leader” and described the case as a “Witch Hunt that should end immediately”.

 

In response, Lula posted a statement on X, asserting:

 

 

“Brazil is a sovereign nation with independent institutions and will not accept any form of tutelage. The judicial proceedings against those responsible for planning the coup d’état fall exclusively under the jurisdiction of Brazil’s Judicial Branch and, as such, are not subject to any interference or threats.” 

In light of the public statement made by U.S. President Donald Trump on social media on the afternoon of Wednesday (9), it is important to highlight the following:  Brazil is a sovereign nation with independent institutions and will not accept any form of tutelage.  The judicial…

— Lula (@LulaOficial) July 9, 2025

 

Donald Trump accuses Brazil of censorship, orders investigation

Trump also accused Brazil of launching “insidious attacks on free elections” and claimed that the Brazilian Supreme Court had issued “hundreds of secret and unlawful censorship orders” targeting US social media platforms. He instructed the US Trade Representative to launch a Section 301 investigation into these actions.

 

He warned that if Brazil retaliated, the US would respond with even more tariffs.

 

“Whatever the number you choose to raise them by, will be added onto the 50 per cent that we charge,” he wrote.

 

Lula pushed back, reaffirming that Brazilian laws target hate speech, child exploitation, fraud, and anti-democratic acts, and that all companies operating in Brazil—domestic or foreign—must comply with these laws.

 

“In Brazil, freedom of expression must not be confused with aggression or violent practices,” he said.

 

Brazil rebuts Trump’s trade imbalance claims

Trump defended his tariff as a corrective measure against what he called a “longstanding, and very unfair trade relationship” with Brazil. He claimed the country maintained restrictive tariff and non-tariff barriers.

 

Lula rejected this premise, citing US government data showing a $410 billion trade surplus in America’s favour over the past 15 years.

 

“The claim regarding a US trade deficit in its commercial relationship with Brazil is inaccurate,” Lula said. “Any unilateral tariff increases will be addressed in accordance with Brazil’s Economic Reciprocity Law.”

 

According to US trade data for 2024, the US exported $49.7 billion worth of goods to Brazil and imported $42.3 billion, resulting in a $7.4 billion surplus.

 

Despite this, Trump insisted:

 

“The 50 per cent number is far less than what is needed to have the Level Playing Field we must have with your Country.”

 

Brazil summons US envoy, condemns Trump’s remarks

In the wake of the announcement, Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned US Ambassador Gabriel Escobar for clarification. The government also labelled Trump’s letter “offensive and inaccurate”, reaffirming that judicial matters in Brazil are not up for negotiation.

 

“Sovereignty, respect and the unwavering defence of the interests of the Brazilian people are the values that guide our relationship with the world,” Lula said. 

 

Trump’s threats agaisnt Brics nations

 

The escalation comes just days after the Brics summit concluded in Rio de Janeiro, with the 10-member group criticising coercive trade practices—seen as a veiled reference to the US.

 

Trump reacted by threatening a 10 per cent tariff on countries that align with what he described as the “anti-America policies of Brics”.

 

He has also proposed a 500 per cent tariff on countries like India that continue to import Russian oil—signalling a broader, more aggressive global trade strategy in his second term.