China Forges Deeper Brazil Ties Following U.S. Tariffs

(MENAFN) hina has expressed readiness to deepen its partnership with Brazil in response to what it describes as "arbitrary" tariffs imposed by the United States, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Wednesday.

During a phone conversation with Celso Amorim, the chief advisor to Brazil’s president, Wang conveyed Beijing’s willingness to work more closely with Brasilia, according to a statement released by the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Wang reiterated China's backing of Brazil’s efforts “in defending its right to development and opposing the bullying practices of arbitrary tariffs,” stressing that weaponizing tariffs violates the principles of the UN Charter and disrupts the rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

His remarks come on the heels of U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to introduce a 50% tariff on imports from Brazil. Trump has labeled the move a response to what he called a "witch-hunt" against Brazil’s former president, Jair Bolsonaro, who is facing accusations of attempting to reverse the outcome of the 2022 election that brought President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to power.

President Lula responded on Tuesday, vowing that Brazil would use every legal avenue, including recourse to the WTO, to challenge the U.S. action.

“In 2025, we will resort to all possible measures, starting with the WTO, to defend our interests,” said Lula during an appearance in Brasilia.

“In fact, the government was already taking action to strengthen foreign trade and generate new opportunities for domestic companies before the change of administration in the United States.”

Diplomatic friction between the U.S. and Brazil has intensified after Washington imposed sanctions on Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes over his role in probing an attempted coup tied to Bolsonaro.

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