Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has opposed U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to increase tariffs on a wide range of goods. Lula said Trump should consider the potential damage to the U.S. and global economies, the Associated Press reports, BTA reports.
Lula made the comments on the last day of a four-day visit to Japan, where Trump's decision to order a 25 percent increase in tariffs on car imports could deal a serious blow to the Japanese economy, given Tokyo's dependence on car exports to the United States and Japan's strategic role as a key ally of Washington.
“I am deeply concerned about the behavior of the American government,“ Lula said. "I am concerned because free trade is being undermined and multilateralism is being weakened," he added.
The Brazilian president expressed concerns that Trump's policy of higher tariffs would raise prices for American consumers, increase inflation and lead to higher interest rates that could stifle economic growth. Lula stressed that Trump is only the president of the United States, not the world, and added that "this protectionism does not help any country."
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba reiterated that Japan is demanding to be exempted from these tariffs. He and Lula discussed strengthening the partnership between Japan and Brazil in the areas of economy, trade and security.
Amid tensions caused by Trump's trade threats and promises of retaliatory measures from Canada, Mexico, China and Europe, Japan is actively working to strengthen its ties with other countries, the AP notes.
Japanese government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi expressed regret over Trump's decision and stressed that Japan firmly insists on exemption from the tariffs.
Brazil, as one of the largest steel exporters to the United States, is considering filing a complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO) and may impose reciprocal tariffs. However, Brazil is not among Trump's top priorities for imposing trade tariffs, as the United States exports more goods to Brazil than it imports from it. The US trade surplus with Brazil in 2024 reached $7.4 billion, an increase of almost 32% from the previous year.