‘Irresponsible’ Trump tariff threat draws ire of Brics host Lula
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Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said US President Donald Trump was “irresponsible for threatening tariffs on social media”.
PHOTO: BLOOMBERG
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RIO DE JANEIRO – Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on July 7 joined South Africa in blasting Mr Donald Trump for his threat to slap extra tariffs against the Brics,
Mr Lula said the US President was “irresponsible for threatening tariffs on social media”, before calling on world leaders to find ways to reduce international trade’s reliance on the US dollar, a position shared by the group of emerging market nations.
Earlier, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was the first leader to break cover and criticise Mr Trump for his comments overnight warning Brics members of penalties for adopting policies that he said were “anti-American”.
“It is really disappointing that when there is such a very positive collective manifestation such as Brics, there should be others who see it in a negative light and want to punish those who participate,” Mr Ramaphosa told reporters in Rio de Janeiro as he left the two-day summit of Brics nations.
“It cannot be and should not be.”
Before the press conference, Mr Lula’s advisers had implored him not to take the bait and jack up tensions further.
Members of the 11-nation grouping of emerging-market economies were mostly reluctant to engage with Mr Trump’s warning of additional 10 per cent tariffs.
Several officials from different nations said that it was not possible to second-guess what Mr Trump will do, since his original social media post may be a specific threat or more rhetoric.
Wait-and-see is the only option for the group’s approach, they said.
However, the final day of the Brics summit in Rio was heading towards a confrontation.
Hours apart, Mr Trump sent two posts on Truth Social that put Brazil firmly in his cross hairs, first as the Brics host nation and then jumping in defence of Mr Lula’s political foe and presidential predecessor Jair Bolsonaro.
The backdrop is an ever-changing tariff deadline on trade deals that has a swathe of countries, many of them attending the summit in Rio, facing punishing levies.
Over the weekend, the Brics took aim at those US policies, making clear they were directed at Mr Trump while avoiding calling him out by name.
A separate declaration also condemned US and Israeli strikes on Iran.
Top officials waking up to the news in a rainy Rio were adopting a wait-and-see approach.
The South African President, however, opted to enter the fray.
“There needs to be greater appreciation of the emergence of various centres of power in the world,” Mr Ramaphosa said, adding that it “should be seen in a positive light rather than in a negative light”.
“It cannot be that might should now be right where, in the end, those who are more powerful are the ones who seek to have vengeance against those who are seeking to do good in the world,” he said.
Brics leaders representing 49 per cent of the world’s population and 39 per cent of global gross domestic product agreed on a joint statement that took positions at odds with the Trump administration on matters of war and peace, trade and global governance.
While expressing “serious concerns” over tariffs, blasting soaring defence spending, and condemning air strikes on Brics member Iran, the group declined to call out the US by name.
Mr Trump responded with his threat to slap an additional 10 per cent levy on any country aligning itself with “the anti-American policies of Brics”.
Currencies of developing nations and stocks dropped early on July 7, with South Africa’s rand leading losses among majors. BLOOMBERG
