Finance Minister Fernando Haddad said on Friday (11) that Brazil will defend the national industry and jobs amid the new wave of commercial tariffs announced by the United States government. In an interview with BandNews FMHe criticized the protectionist turn of US President Donald Trump and stressed that.
“The United States has spent the last four decades defending free trade. Suddenly, they change 180 degrees. It’s a wooden horse in a transatlantic,” Haddad said. For him, the adoption of 10% tariffs on products from around the world, including Brazil, was motivated by internal pressures of US entrepreneurs. The minister argues that Trump’s focus is clearly China, but that the effects of the dispute spread globally.
Haddad has classified the scenario as unstable and said that it is not yet possible to completely evaluate the impacts of the measurements. “It has not stabilized the scenario yet,” he said. According to him, Brazil has a privileged position in international trade for maintaining surplus and good relations with the United States, European Union and China, as well as expanding agreements with Southeast Asia.
The minister stressed that the Brazilian government is mobilized to react. “We will defend Brazilian jobs and industries,” he said, noting that Itamaraty and Vice President Geraldo Alckmin are in “permanent contact” with US officials. “Brazil should enforce its US prerogative prerogatives in South America.”
Commenting on the recent approval by the National Congress of the so -called “Reciprocity Law”, which allows Brazil to react to unilateral trade measures, Haddad said the text was a clear political signaling to the Trump government. “We cannot be treated as second -class partners,” he said.
Despite the uncertainties, Haddad ruled out risk of economic slowdown in Brazil. According to him, the country has “degrees of freedom” on economic policy to circumvent negative impacts. “The Brazilian economy is still healthy. We have robust international reserves and instruments to face the external turmoil,” he said.
Continues after advertising
He also commented on the oscillation of the dollar against other currencies and criticized the lack of coherence of US economic policy. “By logic, the dollar should devalue with the external deficit. But with contradictory signs, investors seek refuge in the American currency,” he explained.
Finally, Haddad said he believed that the US protectionist climbing can, paradoxically, accelerate the closure of the trade agreement between Mercosur and the European Union. “I am convinced that this situation will boost important negotiations for Brazil and the region.”
