Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva delivered a sharp rebuke Wednesday to U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to impose 50% tariffs on Brazilian imports, warning that the move would trigger retaliatory measures under Brazil’s economic reciprocity law. The law allows Brazil to suspend trade, investment, and intellectual property agreements with countries that damage its competitiveness.

“Brazil is a sovereign country with independent institutions that will not accept being taken for granted by anyone,” Lula said, signaling that Brasília will not tolerate what it views as a politically motivated trade strike.

Trump announced the steep tariffs earlier this week, citing what he called “unfair treatment” of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who is currently on trial for allegedly attempting to overturn the results of Brazil’s 2022 presidential election. The U.S. president’s comments were widely interpreted as a personal defense of Bolsonaro, with critics arguing that Trump is leveraging trade policy to pursue political vendettas abroad.

Lula Defends Brazil’s Legal System

In response, Lula issued a forceful statement defending Brazil’s independent judiciary and democratic processes. He emphasized that the case against Bolsonaro is a matter for the courts, not foreign governments.

Lula also highlighted Brazil’s trade relationship with the U.S., noting that Washington has maintained a trade surplus of more than $410 billion with Brazil over the past 15 years. “It’s not Brazil that’s exploiting the system,” a senior Brazilian official said. “It’s the United States.”