Sao Paulo, Brazil, July 23, 2026 (Lusa) - Brazilian President Lula da Silva has stated that his government will not «sit around whingeing» about the entry into force of the US tariff increases, saying he intends to seek out other markets.
A 25% surcharge on certain Brazilian products exported to the United States came into force on Wednesday. President Donald Trump's administration accuses Brazil of unfair trade practices, whilst Brasília has denounced the measure as unjust.
«We're not going to cry over a product we won't sell to them, (...) we'll look for other buyers,» said Lula da Silva at an event where he announced a credit line to assist Brazilian sectors affected by the White House trade policy.
Initially, the leader of Latin America's largest economy had announced that he would invoke a trade reciprocity law. But his vice-president, Geraldo Alckmin, explained on Tuesday that Brasília's approach does not involve a «tit-for-tat» policy of direct retaliatory measures.
«We are not going to walk away from the negotiating table. It is they who do not want to negotiate,» Lula said on Wednesday.
Customs tariffs are emerging as a key issue ahead of the October presidential elections. Lula will stand for re-election against Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, son of the far-right former president Jair Bolsonaro (2019–2022), who is backed by Donald Trump.
The Brazilian government is to grant 18.5 billion reais (€3.2 billion) in loans to affected companies and has promised to help them «diversify» their markets.
Products such as beef and coffee have been exempted from the new tariffs, but sectors such as machinery, footwear and timber have been penalised.
When announcing the new credit line, the Brazilian President stated that «every cloud has a silver lining» and said he believed that Brazil could seek new trading partners and emerge stronger.
«Even with the US government's abrupt decision (...), we are in talks with countries to gain more than we were previously earning. We have to find a way forward; Brazil is a large, respected country that has earned credibility in the international market,» he declared.
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