'We Don't Want An Emperor': Brazil's Lula Hits Back At Trump's Tariff Threat On BRICS

Last Updated:July 08, 2025, 08:27 IST

Brazilian President Lula da Silva called Trump "irresponsible" for his tariff threat against BRICS countries and said there are other forums for the US to speak to other nations.

Brazilian President Lula Da Silva hit back at Trump's tariff threat on BRICS. (Reuters)

Brazilian President Lula da Silva hit back at US President Donald Trump, saying the world does not want an “emperor", after the United States threatened to impose additional 10% tariffs on countries that align with “anti-American" policies of the BRICS grouping.

Lula’s remarks came after Trump announced that any country aligning with the BRICS would be charged with an additional 10% tariffs. Notably, India, China, and Russia are a part of the BRICS. “Any Country aligning themselves with the Anti-American policies of BRICS, will be charged an ADDITIONAL 10% Tariff," Trump had posted on Truth Social.

During a press conference at the end of the BRICS Summit in Brazil, Lula said, “The world has changed. We don’t want an emperor. Our countries are sovereign. If Trump issues tariffs, other countries have the right to do the same. There is the reciprocity law."

“I think it’s irresponsible for a president from a country like the US to threaten the world with tariffs on social media. Honestly, there are other forums for the president of a country the size of the United States to talk to other countries."

The Brazilian President said the BRICS group was not harmed to confront anyone and just wanted to be another model to do politics. His remarks came as Trump sent out letters to 14 countries on Monday, imposing higher tariffs in the range of 25 to 40% in a new phase of his trade war.

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Will Trump Impose Tariffs On BRICS?

Despite Trump’s threat, his administration does not intend to immediately impose an additional 10% tariff against BRICS nations, but will proceed if individual countries take policies deemed “anti-American", a source familiar with the matter told Reuters.

Responding to a question during the daily press briefing, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump was closely monitoring the BRICS Summit and did not perceive these countries as growing stronger, but as trying to undermine the US interests.

“The President feels BRICS is seeking to undermine the interests of the United States. It’s his utmost responsibility to put the interest of the US first. So he is gonna ensure that America is treated fairly on the world stage, and he will take any action necessary to prevent countries from taking advantage of the United States and our people," she said.

This came after leaders in the 11-member BRICS grouping criticised Trump’s tariff policies, saying they were damaging the global economy and disrupting trade. The BRICS declaration also described the US tariffs as “illegal and arbitrary", and said they could further reduce global trade.

The 17th BRICS Summit, hosted by Brazil in Rio de Janeiro on July 6-7, brought together leaders from Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, and new members Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the UAE, and Indonesia for the meeting.

Aveek Banerjee

Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international...Read More

Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international...

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News world 'We Don't Want An Emperor': Brazil's Lula Hits Back At Trump's Tariff Threat On BRICS