Trump and the president of Brazil in diplomatic quarrel on prices, Bolsonaro

While the world prices of President Donald Trump come into force, the president of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula Da Silva, remains firmly opposed to the conclusion of agreements with the United States, the South American leader was a frank critic of American prices, which he considers an intimidation tactic.

“The day my intuition says that Trump is ready to speak, I will not hesitate to call him”, ” Lula said to Reuters. “But today, my intuition says he doesn’t want to speak. And I will not humble myself.”

More than 60 countries and the European Union were struck with new prices just after midnight Thursday. Although the reference rate is 10%, selected countries, such as Brazil, face additional penalties that push the total rate up to 50%.

In the past, Lula has criticized Trump’s prices as “unacceptable blackmail”.

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The president of Brazil, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, speaks during an interview with Reuters at the Palais d’Alvorada, in Brasilia, Brazil, August. 6, 2025. (Reuters / Adriano Machado)

On July 31, one day after announcing an additional 40% rate on Brazil, Trump said Lula “could speak to me at any time.” The Brazilian president seemed to answer in an article on X without mentioning Trump by name. He said that his country has “always been opened to dialogue”.

“Those who determine the management of Brazil are the Brazilians and their institutions. At the moment, we are working to protect our economy, our companies and our workers, and to respond to the pricing measures of the American government,” Lula wrote.

The president of Brazil, Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva, and President Donald Trump quarrels on the Brazilian prices and treatment of Bolsonaro. (Adriano Machado / Evelyn Hockstein / Reuters)

Trump calls for an immediate end to an “unfair” trial of former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro

The dispute between Trump and Lula goes further than commercial transactions. The White House was opened on its opposition to the Brazil treatment of its former President Jair Bolsonaro.

This was underlined in a executive decree This Trump signed last month in which he decreed “persecution, intimidation, harassment, censorship and Brazilo government”.

Lula told Reuters that the Supreme Court of Brazil “does not care what Trump says, and he shouldn’t.” “He would also have said that Bolsonaro was a” traitor to the fatherland “which should face another trial for provoking Trump’s intervention.

“But it is not now a small intervention. It is the President of the United States thinking that he can dictate rules for a sovereign country like Brazil. It is unacceptable,” said Lula.

Protesters, bearing masks representing President Donald Trump and former president of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, do handcuffs during a protest against Trump’s prices on Brazilian products, in front of the American Embassy of Brasilia, Brazil, on August 1, 2025. (Reuters / Mateus Bonomi)

Ex-president of Brazil and Major Trump Ally Bolsonaro placed under house arrest

Bolsonaro, who was beaten by Lula in 2022, was recently put in residential residence in the midst of a legal proceedings in progress for his alleged attempt to rely the results of the country’s presidential elections.

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The president of Brazil is apparently not afraid to enter negotiations with Trump. Although he said that there were no reciprocal prices pending, Lula told Reuters that he planned to call the leaders of the member states of the BRICS to discuss a possible joint response to the United States

In addition, according to Reuters, Lula said that Brazil planned to join a collective complaint with other countries of the World Trade Organization.