<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has hit back at US President </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/donald-trump" rel="" target="_blank" title="Donald Trump's"><span>Donald Trump's</span></a><span> tariff threats, saying that his American counterpart was elected as the leader of the US and "not to be the emperor of the world".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Last week, Trump threatened Brazil with crippling tariffs of 50 per cent starting August 1, according to a letter posted to his social media platform, Truth Social.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In the letter, Trump linked the astronomical tariff threat to what he described as a "witch hunt" trial against Brazil's right-wing former president, Jair Bolsonaro.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/donald-trump-diagnosed-with-chronic-venous-insufficiency/0b3c5e8c-7e0f-4b0a-bd79-805bbe347806" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Trump diagnosed with blood condition, White House reveals</span></strong></a><strong><span></span></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Bolsonaro, a close Trump ally, is facing trial in Brazil for allegedly attempting to overthrow Lula following his presidential win in 2022. He could face more than four decades behind bars if found guilty of masterminding the coup.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Speaking exclusively to CNN's Christiane Amanpour, da Silva, who is widely known as Lula, said that Trump's threats had broken away from "protocol" and argued that his predecessor's fate cannot be part of trade negotiations.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The judiciary branch of power in Brazil is independent. The president of the Republic has no influence whatsoever," he said, adding that Bolsonaro "is not being judged personally. He is being judged by the acts he tried to organise a coup d'etat."</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/world/donald-trump-not-elected-to-be-emperor-of-the-world-brazil-president-says-in-tariff-fight/573df605-f167-4e62-811d-e114bf259d23" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/continuous-glucose-monitor-subsidy-type-2-diabetes-exclusive/6ef11a04-9a0f-4e1a-bf88-fefb90101259" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Dyan's forced to choose between her health and paying rent</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Bolsonaro has denied wrongdoing.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Lula said Trump would also be standing trial in Brazil if the actions he took during the January 6 insurrection had been committed in the South American country.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"If Trump was Brazilian and if he did what happened at Capitol Hill, he'd also be on trial in Brazil. And possibly he would have violated the Constitution. According to justice, he would also be arrested if he had done that here in Brazil," he said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><strong><span>'I thought it was fake news'</span></strong></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Speaking through an interpreter, Lula also expressed disappointment at Trump's approach, saying at first that he couldn't believe the US president's social media post was authentic.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"It was very unpleasant," he told Amanpour. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I thought it was fake news."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Brazil has now vowed reciprocal tariffs if Trump follows through with his threat, marking the first time in months another country has challenged Trump in the face of tariffs.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/ukraine-update-volodymyr-zelenskyy-appoints-new-prime-minister-for-war-weary-nation/feb8e205-46ca-470d-935d-f4dc182863e4" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Zelenskyy makes big political change after US weaponry win</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Brazil is to take care of Brazil and take care of the Brazilian people, and not to take care of the interests of the others," Lula said, adding: "Brazil will not accept anything imposed on it. We accept negotiation and not imposition."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Unlike the more than 20 other countries that have received letters from Trump this month, the US ran a US$6.8 billion ($10.48 billion) trade surplus with Brazil last year.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>That means that the US exported more goods to Brazil than it imported from there – an imbalance that should already satisfy Trump's trade agenda.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Top US exports to Brazil in 2024 included aircraft and spacecraft, fuels, industrial machinery like nuclear reactors, and electrical equipment, according to US Census Bureau data.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A retaliatory 50 per cent Brazilian tariff on American goods could severely harm these industries.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><h3><strong><span>Still open to negotiation</span></strong></h3></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Still, Lula underscored his willingness to come to an agreement with Washington, saying that it is up to Trump to "seriously" consider negotiation and that he hopes the US president will change his mind.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I'm not a progressive president. I am the president of Brazil. I don't see President Trump as a far-right president. I see him as the president of the of the US – he was elected by the American people," the former labour organiser told Amanpour, dismissing the possibility that their ideological backgrounds could embitter negotiations.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The best thing in the world is for us to sit around a table and talk.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"If President Trump is willing to take seriously the negotiations underway between Brazil and the US, then I'll be open minded to negotiate whatever may be necessary. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"But what is important is that the relationship between the two countries cannot go on like this."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Meanwhile on </span><a href="https://ustr.gov/about/policy-offices/press-office/press-releases/2025/july/ustr-announces-initiation-section-301-investigation-brazils-unfair-trading-practices" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><span>Tuesday</span></a><span>, the US launched an investigation into what it called "unfair" trading practices by Brazil, escalating the spat with the world's 10th largest economy.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The investigation will focus on digital trade and electronic payment services, preferential tariffs, and anti-corruption interference, as well as intellectual property protection, to determine whether there are "unreasonable or discriminatory and burden or restrict" American commerce, according to a statement by the United States Trade Representative (USTR).</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It will also look into ethanol market access and illegal deforestation.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></em></strong></a><strong><em><span>: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. 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