Commentator Caio Coppolla and lawyer Soraia Mendes discussed, on Wednesday (12), in The Great Debate (Monday to Friday, at 11 pm), if Brazil should retaliate the fees of US President Donald Trump over steel and aluminum.
The US 25% rates for steel and aluminum imports without exceptions or exemptions. Brazil is the second largest supplier of steel and iron by Americans, representing a slice of almost 15% of US purchases of these commodities.
Finance Minister Fernando Haddad said on Wednesday that Brazil The statement was made after a meeting of the head of the Economic Folder with representatives of the steel industry.
Haddad stated that the guidance of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (PT) is to follow the path of dialogue and negotiation.
Caio Coppolla believes it is not worth doing any kind of retaliation.
“Brazil, when we take the total exports to the United States, exports $ 40 billion. Of this, it does not reach 8% which corresponds to steel exports. We are talking about $ 3 billion. That is, for now, the US has created a 25% rate of less than 8% of our exports, ”said Coppolla.
“Obviously this has an impact, especially in this sector, but, from a global point of view, considering that last year we hit record in export volume to the US, it is not advisable to escape the path of diplomacy or accommodation and already depart for retaliation,” he continued.
Already Soraia Mendes points out that a possible retaliation is part of Brazilian sovereignty.
“Some consequences will be arcades, especially by the industry sector. On the other hand, there may be an accommodation that will bring other markets into this pack with those negotiating these products. So retaliation should not be announced with a level of risk and lack of diplomacy, as the Trump government does, because it is part of Brazilian sovereignty, ”said Mendes.
“But it has to be a measure taken with the necessary parcinthony because there is a possibility that other alternatives will be opened and that the US economy responds negatively due to Trump’s actions,” he said.
