Lula unveils $5.5 billion plan to shield Brazil exporters from Trump's tariffs
The plan includes postponing tax payments to companies hit by the tariffs, granting 5 billion reais in tax credits to small and medium-sized businesses until the end of 2026, expanding insurance for cancelled orders and encouraging public purchases of goods blocked from the US market.Congressional leaders' presence at the ceremony was notable as the first such show of unity in months and seen as a sign of growing political support for Lula in the face of Trump's trade measures.Trump has linked the steep tariffs to the legal troubles of his ally, former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who is under house arrest.Lula said Brazil would keep defending its exporters while finding new markets. 'We are not going to sit and cry about what happened,' he said. 'We will turn this challenge into an opportunity.'- EndsWith inputs from Associated Press
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