‘Gringo’: Brazil PM Lula rejects Donald Trump's ‘blackmail’ 50% tariff; says ‘will not take orders from a foreigner’

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Thursday said that he would not take tariff directives from a “foreign leader”, referring to US President Donald Trump.

Reuters reported that Lula further slammed the US's proposed 50% duty as “unacceptable blackmail.”

His remarks, delivered at two different events, reflect the ongoing tensions between the two presidents, which intensified after the US imposed a steep tariff on Brazil last week.

In a post on X, Lula wrote, “There are no winners in trade wars. We are a country of peace, without enemies. We believe in multilateralism and cooperation among nations. But let no one forget: Brazil has only one owner — the Brazilian people.”

Also Read: Trump threatened Brazil with 50% tariffs. How he is using trade as a political cudgel.

Trump attributed the tariff, set to start in August, to Brazil's treatment of former President Jair Bolsonaro and to trade practices against US companies that he said are unfair. The tariff announcement came days after Lula called Trump an "emperor" the world does not want.

Lula and his cabinet members have dismissed the justification for the tariffs, emphasising Brazil's sovereignty and urging trade negotiations with the United States.

“No foreigner is going to give orders to this president,” Lula said in a speech, using the slang word ‘gringo’, which in Brazil is a common term for foreigners without the pejorative sense it carries in other parts of Latin America.

Also Read: Trump imposes 50% tariffs on Brazil after spat with President Lula, ‘Will increase further if…’ | Full letter here

He added that Brazil would go ahead with the regulation and taxation of US tech firms, telling a gathering of leftist student activists in the state of Goias that tech firms are conduits of violence and fake news disguised as freedom of expression, Reuters reported.

Later on Thursday, during an evening TV and radio address to the nation, Lula said the defence of Brazil's sovereignty extends to protecting itself against the actions of foreign digital platforms.

Also Read: White House physician's verdict on Trump's health after chronic venous insufficiency diagnosis: ‘Abundance of caution’

During the nearly five-minute address, Lula said Brazil has been negotiating with the US over tariffs, and repeated that the Latin American country had sent a proposal in May, Reuters reported.

“We expected a response, and what we received was unacceptable blackmail, in the form of threats to Brazilian institutions and false information about trade between Brazil and the United States,” Lula said.

Brasilia has been holding discussions with industry groups and companies that will be affected by the US tariff, while also readying potential retaliatory measures if talks fall through.

Also Read: Trump Writes to Bolsonaro, Says He’s Watching Brazil ‘Closely’

Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira told CNN Brasil separately on Thursday that Lula was open to talks with Trump, who had not yet met each other.

“If the circumstances are given, they will speak,” he added. Lula, who is in his third non-consecutive term as president of Latin America's largest economy, saw his approval ratings start to rebound after the trade spat with Trump last week.

(With inputs from Reuters)