Brazil and India need to be 'fixed,' says US Commerce Secretary.
According to Howard Lutnick, anyone who wants to sell to the American consumer "has to play the game of the President of the United States." Watch.
247 - U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick stated in an interview with NewsNation that the Trump administration intends to "fix" countries like Brazil, India, and Switzerland to force them to open their markets and accept new bilateral agreements.
“We have a lot of countries to fix… like Switzerland, Brazil – there’s a ‘problem’ there – India. These countries need to react correctly to the US. Open their markets, stop taking actions that harm America. That’s why we disagree with them,” declared Lutnick. According to him, anyone who wants to sell to the American consumer “has to play the game of the President of the United States.”
The statement comes amid punitive tariffs already imposed by Washington. Brazil and India face tariffs of 40% to 50% on exports to the US, while New Delhi is also subject to a 25% surcharge on purchases of Russian oil. Lutnick argued that countries that agree to negotiate first will have the "best conditions," citing the example of the United Kingdom, which reached an agreement before other nations.
The secretary also suggested in previous interviews that India should leave BRICS if it wants more advantageous trade relations with the US — a comment that provoked indignant reactions on social media and criticism from American influencers, who considered the stance offensive and "imperialist."
Despite the aggressive rhetoric, Brazil and India have reacted cautiously, stating that their foreign trade policies are guided by national interest. Indian authorities have reinforced that they will continue to seek energy suppliers that offer competitive conditions, rejecting any attempt at coercion.
In the Brazilian case, the statements come at a time of anticipation for a possible meeting between President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Donald Trump, following their informal encounter at the UN General Assembly in New York, which sparked hopes for progress in bilateral negotiations. Brazil is the largest exporter of coffee to the US and awaits the eventual removal of tariffs imposed by the Trump administration.
