Lula says he won't take orders from foreigner Trump, calls tariffs blackmail

Lula says he won't take orders from foreigner Trump, calls tariffs blackmail
Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva speaks during a joint press statement with Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto (not pictured) at Planalto Palace in Brasilia, Brazil on July 9.
PHOTO: Reuters file

SAO PAULO — Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Thursday (July 17) said he would not take orders over tariffs from a foreigner, referring to US President Donald Trump, and later called the United States' threatened duty "unacceptable blackmail".

The comments, made during two separate events, mark a continuation of a spat between the two leaders that escalated when the US announced a 50 per cent tariff on Brazil last week.

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 members of his cabinet have rejected the reasoning behind the tariffs and insisted on Brazil's sovereignty, while calling for 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.

He added that Brazil would go ahead with 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.

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.

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

"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.

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.

Read Also
Lula tells Trump world does not want 'emperor' after US threatens Brics tariff
world
Lula tells Trump world does not want 'emperor' after US threatens Brics tariff

Source: Reuters

homepage

trending

trending
    Tanjong Katong sinkhole: Videos online show moment car is swallowed up and woman's rescue
    Tanjong Katong Road South sinkhole incident: Rescue over within 5 minutes, says site foreman
    Singaporean doctor faces new charges for allegedly filming hundreds of coworkers in Melbourne hospital toilets
    Why I said 'I do' at 26 — even before most of my friends thought about it
    Tanjong Katong Road South closed indefinitely for repairs following sinkhole, bus services diverted
    4 Malaysian immigration officers at JB-Singapore checkpoint arrested over 'flying passport' scheme
    Mum at 15: More teens in Singapore gave birth in 2024
    Singapore has laid the groundwork, no problems in having nuclear energy : IAEA chief
    From green to brown: Tanah Merah, Expo and Changi Airport MRT stations to be converted to TEL stations
    'They don't gaslight you': Why some Singaporean women like to spend on these virtual men
    Operation targeting delivery trucks yields 3 tonnes of illegally imported produce from Malaysia
    Woman, 64, prevented from being scammed out of $300k by OCBC and police

Singapore

Singapore
    • Ghim Moh hawker responds to 'unfair' one-star rating over tray incident, calls reviewer 'petty'
    • Ex-inmate featured in documentary on Changi's maximum security prison returns to court to face fresh charges
    • Teenager caught with vapes 5 times sentenced to 2 years at Singapore Boys’ Home
    • Singapore-registered cars must have COE of over 6 months to apply for VEP, says Malaysian transport minister
    • 'There is no right or wrong time': Singaporeans discuss reskilling and upskilling
    • Car falls into Tanjong Katong sinkhole, driver taken to hospital
    • Almost half of planned 30,000 flats in Tengah to be completed by end-2025: Chee Hong Tat
    • Etomidate found in blood of 2 people involved in fatal Punggol Road accident in May: HSA
    • Khatib Camp to make way for housing, with its functions moving to Amoy Quee Camp
    • Unwell firefighter taken to hospital after kitchen fire at Boon Lay flat

Entertainment

Entertainment
    • The Fantastic Four: First Steps delves into themes of found family, with 'combination of domesticity and the intergalactic cosmos'
    • Raymond Lam takes selfies with fans while touring Singapore with family
    • 'They had a machine to create snow': Denise Camillia Tan recounts filming wintry scene in scorching hot Yishun for new drama
    • 'I want to be an independent senior': Xiang Yun on ageing positively and not relying on children
    • Cai Xukun, I-dle, Jam Hsiao: Singapore concert calendar for 2025
    • Florida police launch medical investigation into Hulk Hogan's death
    • Vanessa Kirby on filming Avengers movie while pregnant: 'The coolest thing'
    • Trump, McMahon and Undertaker pay tribute to Hulk Hogan
    • Grammy-winning jazz musician Chuck Mangione dies at 84
    • Hulk Hogan, who helped turn pro wrestling into billion-dollar spectacle, dies at 71

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
    • Michelin Guide Singapore 2025: Sushi Sakuta promoted to 2 stars, 1 restaurant earns its first star
    • Wedding ang bao rates in Singapore (July 2025): How much should you give?
    • From Paris to Raffles Place: Singaporean-founded deli Nonette opens pop-up, here's what you should try
    • Digital nomad in JB: Can Singaporeans really work from across the Causeway?
    • BMW i7 'Singapore Icons' is a unique SG60 automotive tribute to the Lion City
    • Singapore welcomes 5 new Mini John Cooper Works models
    • World Chess Day: A celebration of strategy, intellect and Singapore's best
    • We tour freehold landed homes within walking distance of Somerset MRT station from $6m
    • BYD Sealion 6 rolls into Singapore
    • Prostate cancer among most common cancers in Singaporean men - is it preventable?

Digicult

Digicult
    • Slim, sleek, but slightly too short-lived: Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge review
    • World's best Dota 2 teams to compete for $1m prize pool in Singapore in November
    • Sony RX1R III brings back the compact full-frame but not the Sony playbook
    • China's Premier Li proposes global AI co-operation organisation
    • Elon Musk's Starlink network suffers rare global outage
    • Spy cockroaches and AI robots: Germany plots the future of warfare
    • 'Give a positive review': Hidden AI prompt found in academic paper by NUS researchers
    • 'Report 1 shop, another 10 appear': Hoyo Fest artists on copyright struggles
    • NTU penalises 3 students over use of AI tools; they dispute university's findings
    • Australia social media teen ban software trial organisers say the tech works

Money

Money
    • Up 4.3%: Singapore's economy grew in Q2 despite US tariff fears
    • How to claim travel insurance? A comprehensive beginner's guide (2025)
    • Britain and India sign free trade pact during Modi visit
    • HDB launches 10,209 BTO and balance flats, as priority scheme for singles kick in
    • US-Philippines trade talks yield modest tariff shift after Trump-Marcos meeting
    • Indonesia to cut tariffs, non-tariff barriers in US trade deal
    • US, China to discuss tariff deadline extension as Trump reaches Philippines deal
    • Trump says trade deal struck with Japan includes 15% tariff
    • 6 best travel insurance plans in Singapore (July 2025)
    • 10 best savings accounts in Singapore with the highest interest rates (July 2025)

Latest

Latest
  • North Korea says South Korea's overtures 'great miscalculation'
  • Turkey evacuates thousands as firefighters battle wildfires
  • Israel announces daily pauses in Gaza fighting as aid airdrops begin
  • 3 people killed in train crash in Germany, police say
  • Thailand and Cambodia agree to Malaysian mediation, Malaysian minister says
  • Russia starts first Moscow-Pyongyang passenger flights in decades
  • Jeju Air jet still had a working engine when it crashed, investigation update says
  • Australia's PM says easing of curbs on US beef not prompted by Trump
  • Taiwan move to recall opposition lawmakers fails

In Case You Missed It

In Case You Missed It
  • Toddler wanders out of home in Selangor, mauled by stray dogs
  • 'I was embarrassed': Malaysian security guard in viral knockout by MMA coach 'thankful' he wasn't fired
  • Mid-air brawl erupts on AirAsia X flight from KL to Chengdu over loud conversation
  • Cat A COE prices remain unchanged in second bidding exercise for July 2025
  • Robber drops gun and misfires after failed clinic robbery in JB
  • $30 one-off cash handout, petrol price cut: Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim announces measures to tackle living costs
  • 'I felt helpless': Female tourist claims she was sexually harassed by ice cream vendor in Turkey
  • Unhealthy air quality in Malaysia, NEA warns of potential transboundary haze
  • School van in JB overturns after hitting uncovered manhole, 16 students injured
This website is best viewed using the latest versions of web browsers.