Brazilian President Urges U.S. to Drop 50 Percent Tariffs

(MENAFN) Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva called on the United States Monday to reconsider the planned 50 percent tariffs on Brazilian goods, which are scheduled to begin on August 1. He firmly opposed the notion of leveraging Brazil’s vital mineral resources in trade discussions.

At the opening of a new thermoelectric power plant in southeastern Rio de Janeiro state, Lula condemned the tariffs as “abrupt and unilateral.” He also rejected Washington’s proposal to include Brazil’s rare earth minerals in ongoing trade talks.

Lula emphasized that the U.S. should pursue “the path of dialogue,” pointing out, “that's what civilized nations do.” He stressed that Brazil’s mineral wealth belongs to its people, saying, “and the people must have the right to enjoy the wealth they can generate. It's that simple.”

Highlighting that only 30 percent of Brazil’s mineral reserves have been tapped so far, Lula revealed plans to form a commission to conduct an extensive survey of the country’s largely unexplored mineral assets.

“We will allow companies to investigate, but under our control,” he explained, adding that any authorized firms must obtain government approval before selling minerals or transferring rights to the areas where these resources are found.

MENAFN29072025000045017169ID1109854782