The White House responded on Thursday (17th) to criticisms made by President Lula (PT) against Donald Trump’s trade threats. During a press briefing, spokesperson Karoline Leavitt stated that the Republican “is not trying to be emperor of the world,” but insisted on associating Brazil with allegedly unfair trade and environmental practices, without presenting consistent evidence.
“President Trump is certainly not trying to be emperor of the world. He is a strong US president and also the leader of the free world, and we have seen great change around the world because of this president’s strong leadership. Regarding Brazil, the president sent a letter announcing his new tariff percentage and also instructed our trade representative, Jamierson Greer, to initiate an investigation into Brazil under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, created to address unfair foreign practices that affect US commerce,” Leavitt declared.
The statement comes after Lula said, in an interview with CNN International, that “Trump was elected president of the United States, not emperor of the world,” referring to the American’s threats to impose a punitive 50% tariff on Brazilian products starting August 1st. Trump conditioned the measure on the judicial situation of former President Jair Bolsonaro, currently a defendant in an alleged coup attempt.
Leavitt’s remarks reinforce the tone adopted by the White House under Trump’s leadership, stating that the Republican is “the leader of the free world” and that Brazil has failed in areas such as intellectual property protection and the environment.
“For years, we know that Brazil’s digital regulations and weak intellectual property protections harm our technology and innovation companies, and its tolerance for illegal deforestation and environmental practices puts American producers, manufacturers, farmers, and ranchers—who follow the highest environmental standards—at a competitive disadvantage. So, President Trump always acts in the best interest of the American people and will continue to do so,” the spokesperson added.
Unlike the stance of other countries that remained silent in the face of Trump’s unilateral threats, Lula stated that the country “will not accept anything imposed” and is willing to negotiate, but on the basis of mutual respect. “We accept negotiation, not imposition,” he declared to CNN.
The president also rejected any attempt at external interference in Brazil’s judicial process, noting that Bolsonaro’s trial is under the responsibility of the Judiciary, not the Executive.
Source: www.brasil247.com