"Won't call Trump to negotiate," Brazil President Lula Da Silva
"I'm not going to call Trump to negotiate anything, because he doesn't want to talk. But rest assured, I will call Trump to invite him to come to the COP, because I want to know what he thinks about the climate issue. I'll have the courtesy to call him. I'll call him, Xi Jinping, I'll call Prime Minister Modi, I'll call. I just won't call Putin, because Putin can't travel right now. But I will call many Presidents," he said.
The statement comes as Trump said that he would impose a 50 per cent tariff on Brazilian goods.
Trump on July 30 signed executive actions on Wednesday imposing a 50% tariff on Brazil, a 50% tariff on certain copper products and suspending a tax perk for all countries that allowed cheap packages to fly into the US duty-free, as per CNN.
Earlier in the month of July, Trump in a letter threatened the hefty tariff if Brazil did not end its trial against right-wing former president, Jair Bolsonaro. He accused the Brazilian government of "serious human rights abuses that have undermined the rule of law in Brazil," as per CNN.
The new tariff on Brazil appeared to be spurred by non-economic matters, as per CNN.
Bolsonaro bragged about his closeness with Trump. He is facing trial for allegedly attempting to stage a coup against Lula. Trump has publicly objected to that proceeding, and his order alleged Bolsonaro's prosecution was "politically motivated."
"The Order finds that the Government of Brazil's politically motivated persecution, intimidation, harassment, censorship, and prosecution of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and thousands of his supporters are serious human rights abuses that have undermined the rule of law in Brazil," the order read, as quoted by CNN.
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