# Lula Criticizes Trump Tariffs and Seeks New Trade Partners

- Original post: https://www.twitter.com/i/status/2117806362180608356
- Source account: [@\_eoantao](https://x.com/_eoantao)
- Source language: English
- Duration: 2:02
- Published: 2026-11-04
- Canonical URL: https://www.translate.mom/transcript/2f0XmCHaQSjJ/en/lula-criticizes-trump-tariffs-and-seeks-new-trade-partners

## Transcript

[0:00](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/2f0XmCHaQSjJ/en/lula-criticizes-trump-tariffs-and-seeks-new-trade-partners) You know, the last time you were on my program, you were in Brazil, I was in London interviewing you, and it was shortly after the Trump administration, and there was talk of sanctions, and there was what you called unacceptable intervention in your domestic affairs, and you called President Trump an emperor.

[0:16](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/2f0XmCHaQSjJ/en/lula-criticizes-trump-tariffs-and-seeks-new-trade-partners?t=16) Do you still believe he's acting like an emperor when it comes to countries like yours?

[0:23](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/2f0XmCHaQSjJ/en/lula-criticizes-trump-tariffs-and-seeks-new-trade-partners?t=23) Yes. I, well, it's a way of governing that I do not agree.

[0:29](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/2f0XmCHaQSjJ/en/lula-criticizes-trump-tariffs-and-seeks-new-trade-partners?t=29) He has a way of governing that, "I'm stronger, I'm the mightiest, I'm the richest, I can do everything, and the, all the others have to obey." It's the stronger law. Uh, I don't agree with that, the longer, the strongest. I think those tariffs,

[0:43](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/2f0XmCHaQSjJ/en/lula-criticizes-trump-tariffs-and-seeks-new-trade-partners?t=43) those over tariffs were based on lies. Brazil has a deficit, trade deficit of many billion dollars with the US, and so what's happening now is the following.

[0:51](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/2f0XmCHaQSjJ/en/lula-criticizes-trump-tariffs-and-seeks-new-trade-partners?t=51) Instead of cry out, I'm trying to seek for new partners.

[0:55](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/2f0XmCHaQSjJ/en/lula-criticizes-trump-tariffs-and-seeks-new-trade-partners?t=55) Uh, just for you to have an idea, after the over tariffs, my trade relation with the US has fallen nine percent, the exports to the US, and has fallen eight and a half percent, eight and a half percent imports from the US to Brazil. Nevertheless, we had an a- a growth average of ten and a half percent with fifty-seven other countries.

[1:14](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/2f0XmCHaQSjJ/en/lula-criticizes-trump-tariffs-and-seeks-new-trade-partners?t=74) We grew with China twenty percent, with Japan we grew eighteen percent, with Germany we grew sixteen percent, Indonesia eight percent, with Vietnam fourteen percent our trade, and with the European Union, twenty-three percent of trade growth. So I'm not gonna just try to cry out about the milk that was spilled on the floor.

[1:30](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/2f0XmCHaQSjJ/en/lula-criticizes-trump-tariffs-and-seeks-new-trade-partners?t=90) I'm gonna seek other partners to try to buy and sell.

[1:33](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/2f0XmCHaQSjJ/en/lula-criticizes-trump-tariffs-and-seeks-new-trade-partners?t=93) That's how I do in politics too. And I be- we can apply the law of reciprocity with the US. I'm very cautious with that, to apply that there. Because I talked on the phone with President Trump a, on a month, month and a half ago, and we reopened the negotiations.

[1:46](https://www.translate.mom/transcript/2f0XmCHaQSjJ/en/lula-criticizes-trump-tariffs-and-seeks-new-trade-partners?t=106) And so we're negotiating once again. While we're still around the negotiation table, I don't have to apply the reciprocity law. I have to be more patient, but it's important for you to know that if there's no agreement, we're going to have to apply the reciprocity law.