Brazil's Lula Rejects Trump's Open Line Offer: 'I Will Call PM Modi...'

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva firmly declined an offer from US President Donald Trump to call him "anytime" for talks on tariffs, stating that Brazil will instead pursue all available legal and diplomatic channels, including the World Trade Organisation (WTO), to protect its economic interests.

Lula remarked amid rising tensions between Washington and Brasília after the U.S. slapped a 50 per cent tariff on Brazilian goods, a move Trump framed as part of his defence of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, currently on trial over allegations of plotting a coup after his 2022 election defeat, remains a close ally of Trump.

Lula, addressing an event in the capital on Tuesday, described the imposition of tariffs as "one of the most regrettable moments" in the history of US-Brazil relations. He made it clear that his administration is not sitting idle. “In 2025, we will resort to all possible measures, starting with the WTO, to defend our interests,” he said, emphasising Brazil’s proactive steps to strengthen foreign trade partnerships, particularly with BRICS nations.

'Won't Call Trump...'

Before the US administration changed, Lula noted, his government had already been working to open up new opportunities for domestic companies and deepen ties with international markets. The BRICS bloc — comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — is increasingly being positioned as a counterweight to Western economic dominance. The U.S. has expressed concern that the group is attempting to weaken the US dollar’s global influence. Trump, in response, has warned of an additional 10 per cent tariff on countries supporting BRICS-aligned policies.

Despite the political strains, Lula struck a note of diplomacy, stating that Trump would still receive an invitation to COP30 — the United Nations climate change summit scheduled to be held in Belém, Pará, this November.

“I will not call Trump because he does not want to talk,” Lula said, according to local media reports."I will call Xi Jinping, and I will call Prime Minister Modi. I won't call Putin, because he can't travel now. But I will call many Presidents." 

“But you can be sure, I will call him (Trump)to invite him to COP30 and hear his views on the climate crisis. I’ll be polite enough to make that call,” he added. 

“If he chooses not to attend, it won’t be for lack of courtesy, friendliness, or commitment to democracy,” he added.

Lula reiterated that while Brazil remains open to dialogue on trade issues, such discussions must happen on an equal footing. “There must be mutual respect. We are open to negotiating tariffs, but not at the expense of our sovereignty.”

Trump’s Offer and Brazil’s Response

Last Friday, Trump had extended an olive branch of sorts, telling reporters at the White House that Lula could reach out anytime. “He can talk to me whenever he wants,” Trump said, adding that while he admired the Brazilian people, he believed the country’s current leadership had “done the wrong thing.”

In Brazil, Finance Minister Fernando Haddad responded positively to Trump’s remarks, calling them “great” and suggesting that Lula would be open to a conversation with the U.S. leader.