247 - In a statement to the press this Wednesday (9), the Vice President of the Republic and Minister of Development, Industry, Commerce and Services, Geraldo Alckmin, reacted to the President of the United States, Donald Trump, who later announced 50% tariffs on Brazilian products.

Before announcing the tariff, Alckmin said the increase would be"unfair" and would cause more harm to the American economy than to Brazil."I don't see any reason for a tariff increase against Brazil. Brazil isn't a problem for the United States. So, it's a measure that is unfair to Brazil and harms the American economy itself," Alckmin declared, directly criticizing Trump's stance.

At a White House event with West African leaders, Trump made it clear that measures against Brazil are under consideration."Brazil, for example, has not been good to us, not at all. We'll release some data on Brazil, I believe, late this afternoon or tomorrow morning," the US president stated.

In recent days, Trump has adopted a protectionist escalation, announcing tariffs against various trading partners, under the guise of seeking"reciprocity" in agreements. To date, the United States has signed only two new significant trade agreements, with Vietnam and the United Kingdom, in addition to progress in negotiations with China. Brazil, for its part, has preferred a cautious approach, avoiding harsh reactions.

Lower tariff, cautious tone

Among the countries affected by the so-called reciprocal tariffs announced by Trump, Brazil was one of the least affected, with a 10% surcharge on its products. Even so, the Brazilian government remains vigilant and seeks to support its negotiations based on solid data: trade between the two countries is a surplus for the US, an argument reinforced in diplomatic rounds.

Despite the diplomatic stance adopted behind the scenes, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has adopted a more incisive tone in public speeches when addressing Trump's stance. On recent occasions, the Brazilian president has compared the American to an"emperor" and advocated for a reduced dependence on the dollar in international trade, including during meetings of the BRICS bloc, formed by Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.