“The committee’s primary mission will be to consult business sectors to identify the implications of U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement to impose a 50% tariff on all Brazilian imports starting August 1,” stated a communiqué from the Brazilian presidency.
The committee’s first meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, focusing on industrial sectors, followed by another meeting with the influential agribusiness sector.
Representatives from aviation, steel, aluminum, pulp, machinery, footwear, furniture, auto parts, oranges, meat, honey, fruits, leather, and fishery sectors will be heard throughout the day.
The United States is the destination for 12% of Brazil’s exports, which totaled $40.3 billion last year, while imports from the world’s largest economy reached $40.5 billion.
The U.S. President announced the imposition of 50% tariffs on Brazilian goods, citing the process against Bolsonaro for an attempted coup as a “witch hunt,” claiming he is a victim of “persecution.”
On Friday, Brazilian President Lula da Silva hardened his stance, declaring that if Donald Trump were Brazilian and orchestrated an event similar to the Capitol invasion on January 6, 2022, he would face arrest.
“If Trump were Brazilian and there was a Capitol here, and he did what he did in the United States, he would also be jailed,” Lula da Silva stated during a speech to artisanal fishermen and farmers in the state of Espírito Santo.
Lula da Silva alluded to the case against Jair Bolsonaro, accusing him of an attempted coup following the radical attack on Brazil’s three branches of government on January 8, 2023, similar to the events in the U.S. on January 6, 2022.
Calling Bolsonaro “the thing,” Lula also criticized Eduardo Bolsonaro, the former President’s son, for lobbying in the U.S. on behalf of his father and supporting Trump’s announced tariffs.
Regarding the case against Bolsonaro, Lula da Silva stated, “He will be judged based on the evidence.”
“If he is innocent, he will be acquitted, as I was,” he emphasized, adding that “if he is guilty, he will go to jail as everyone should.”
