Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva condemned President Donald Trump’s tariff threat, comparing him to an “emperor” dictating global trade efforts.
“We don’t want an emperor, our countries are sovereign,” he said during the BRICS summit. “If Trump issues tariffs, other countries have the right to do the same. There is the reciprocity law.”
“I think it’s irresponsible for a president from a country like the U.S. to threaten the world with tariffs on social media. Honestly, there are other forums for the president of a country the size of the United States to talk to other countries,” he explained. “The BRICS group was not formed to confront anyone. It just wants to be another model, another way to do politics.”
The comments come as Trump threatened to impose an additional ten percent tariff on countries aligned with BRICS initiatives. Trump declared on Truth Social Sunday evening, “Any Country aligning themselves with the Anti-American policies of BRICS, will be charged an ADDITIONAL 10% Tariff. There will be no exceptions to this policy. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
BRICS leaders said that the “proliferation of trade-restrictive actions, whether in the form of indiscriminate rising of tariffs and non-tariff measures, or protectionism under the guise of environmental objectives,” threatens to “further reduce global trade, disrupt global supply chains, and introduce uncertainty into international economic and trade activities, potentially exacerbating existing economic disparities and affecting prospects for global economic development.”
BRICS includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Iran.
