Brazilian diplomats are going to the US to negotiate alternatives to Trump's tariff hikes.
The group led by Maurício Lyrio is trying to negotiate before the Brazilian government adopts reciprocity regarding tariffs.
247 - A delegation of Brazilian diplomats traveled to the United States this weekend to negotiate alternatives to the tariffs imposed by the country's president, Donald Trump, according to reports. g1The group is led by the Secretary of Economic Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maurício Lyrio, currently Brazil's chief negotiator for BRICS and who in 2024 was also Brazil's chief negotiator for the G20.
Lyrio and his group's trip to the US is a move adopted by the Lula (PT) government to negotiate alternatives with the American government. Representatives from Itamaraty (Brazil's Ministry of Foreign Affairs) and the Ministry of Development, Industry and Trade have been holding constant meetings with American diplomats since Trump announced the tariff hikes.
Brazil's diplomatic team argues that Brazil should insist on negotiations with the US before adopting reciprocity and imposing tariffs on American products, in addition to resorting to the World Trade Organization (WTO). During a trip to Asia, Lula told journalists that he would "use every word in our dictionary" to negotiate with the Americans. This stance differs from recent speeches in which the president advocated for reciprocity.
In an official statement sent to the Office of the United States Trade Representative, the Lula government asserted that the tariff increase could severely compromise trade relations between the two countries. "The Brazilian government recognizes the efforts of the United States government to promote industrial development and job creation in the United States, a legitimate public policy that is also pursued by the Brazilian government," the statement reads.
"Brazil urges the United States to prioritize dialogue and cooperation instead of imposing unilateral trade restrictions, the risks of which could fuel a negative spiral of measures that could severely compromise our mutually beneficial trade relationship," the document concluded.
