Finance Minister Fernando Haddad said on Monday that the Brazilian government works with contingency plans in the face of the threat of commercial tariffs in the United States, but stressed that the goal is not to retaliate, but to avoid measures that compromise the Brazilian economy. “It has a measure that is innocuous, it will hurt the Brazilian economy more [do que ajudar]”, He said in an interview with the radio CBN.
According to Haddad, the plan under preparation by the farm evaluates the pros and cons of each possible measure, and all will be presented to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva before any decision. “Our goal is not to retaliate. It is to draw attention to the fact that these actions [dos EUA] They are counterproductive. They do not collaborate with them or with us, ”he said.
The minister quoted the example of the tariff about orange juice as an ineffective measure: “What is earned from it? Who earns from it? Loses the American consumer, that’s all. And loses the Brazilian producer. You destroy a well -chained production chain.”
Haddad also pointed out that despite the tensions, the government seeks to maintain the debate in rational and technical terms, asking US interests to be discussed clearly. “Is corn ethanol the problem? Is it the balance of services? Is it the taxation of the big techs? What are we talking about?” He asked.
The minister also praised the Brazilian business community, which has been acting directly in the US to explain the consequences of tariffs. “They are engaged in getting the US Congress and local entrepreneurs to take some light to the United States authorities,” he said.
Despite the Trump government’s resistance to opening direct channels with the Brazilian executive, Haddad believes that President Lula maintains relevant diplomatic capital, and points out that the greatest difficulty is on the American side, which has been having difficult relations with the whole world, including Canada, a long -term partner.
