Brazil Won’t Accept Disrespect

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has said that Brazil will not accept “disrespect” from any country, following remarks over the ongoing trade dispute with the United States (US).

The US said on Wednesday it would impose a new 25% tariff on certain imports from Brazil, citing unfair trade practices by the world’s 10th-largest economy.

Brazil has described the tariffs as unjust and politically motivated, and has threatened to impose reciprocal measures on US products.

Speaking during a visit to a mobile women’s health unit in Rio de Janeiro on Friday, Lula said the event should focus on Brazil’s public health system rather than the trade dispute.

“When Trump speaks, I’ll speak,” he said.

United States (US Tariff. Credit: Reuters.

He later added that Brazil “does not accept any other country in the world disrespecting Brazil.”

Brazil’s government said the decision affects about 3,000 items, but it has yet to decide whether and how it could retaliate with a law passed by its Congress in 2025 in response to President Donald Trump’s tariffs.

In a statement, Lula’s office has refuted the US allegations of unfair trade practices.

It said 76% of imports from the US entered Brazil duty-free in 2025 and said the average tariff effectively applied to US products was only 3.1%.

It said it has taken steps to impose reciprocal tariffs, along with other trade-related countermeasures, through its own law and through the World Trade Organisation (WTO)’s dispute settlement mechanism.

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Deborah Akwa

Deborah Akwa is a content writer with over four years of experience creating brand stories, editorial content, and audience-focused articles on topics like health, lifestyle, and entertainment.

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