Amid Trump's tariffs, Brazilian President Lula says, "Will call PM Modi, won't reach out to Trump"

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula Da Silva has stated that he will confront US President Donald Trump's 50% tariffs, further clarifying Brazil's stand that he will contact global leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

Addressing a public event in Brasilia, President Lula Da Silva said, "I will call him, I will call Xi Jinping, I will call Prime Minister Modi. I just won't call Putin, because Putin can't travel right now. I will call Trump to invite him to come to the COP because I want to know what he thinks about the climate issue. I will have the courtesy to call him." 

‘I’m NOT going to call Trump to negotiate’ – Lula

Brazilian Prez. says Trump has no interest in talking

He also reveals what he’ll be saying to Putin, Xi, and Modi pic.twitter.com/GCUlnsvviA

— RT (@RT_com) August 5, 2025

A few days back, Donald Trump had said that Luna could call him anytime and discuss tariffs and other concerns between US and Brazil. 

Amid the ongoing tensions between Brasilia and Washington, Lula has responded sternly that he will ensure using every possible measure, including the World Trade Organization (WTO), to challenge Trump's 50% tariff on Brazilian goods. He said, "In 2025, we will resort to all possible measures, starting with the WTO, to defend our interests." 

The executive order signed by US President Donald Trump came into effect last week. The decision was taken amid Trump's loud and vocal defence of Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro, who has been prosecuted for plotting a coup to overturn the 2022 election in the country. While Lula has rejected all suggestions that the legal proceedings against Bolsonaro are up for any kind of negotiation. 

Lula told the New York Times, "Maybe he doesn't know that here in Brazil, the judiciary is independent. The former President is being tried with full right to defence." 

He also said that Trump's justification for tariffs meant to protect Bolsonaro and punish judicial overreach was an attack on Brazil's sovereignty. "There is no reason to be afraid. But at no point will Brazil negotiate as if it were a small country up against a big country. Brazil today is not as dependent on US as it once was.", said Lula as reported by the New York Times. 

Lula further warned of the political repercussions of Trump's decision, saying, "Neither the American people nor the Brazilian people deserve this. We are going to move from a 201-year-old diplomatic relationship of win-win to a political relationship of lose-lose." 

Before Brazil, India, and Russia too lashed out at the US President for his tariffs. India called it "unjustified and unreasonable", while Russia said that "sovereign nations have the right to choose their trading partners."

Meanwhile, Brazil's economy appears to be in control and might not be affected much by the tariff blow. The sectors that would be hit hard will be shifted to trade with China and BRICS nations.