'Trump's tariff hike shows the WTO's weakness, and Lula needs to be pragmatic,' says former ambassador

The 50% tariff on Brazilian products announced by US President Donald Trump shows the ineffectiveness of the World Trade Organization (WTO) mechanisms, according to former Brazilian ambassador to South Korea Sergio Barbosa Serra.

According to him, before Trump, tariffs were not imposed based on political criteria and the world became hostage to a "tariff hike" by the US president.

"It's difficult to judge this by old standards. It's a global tariff hike. No one judged it with the tariff, because with the WTO there was no such thing. It's something new," said Sérgio Barbosa Serra in an interview with Estadão/Broadcast .

According to the former ambassador, Lula needs to avoid further friction with the United States and come to the negotiating table, like other countries targeted by Trump's tariffs, such as members of the European Union and Canada.

"The whole world is suffering from this. You have to react as others reacted. No one complained, no one made a public statement, and they went to negotiate," declared Barbosa Serra.

He also said that the government cannot "politicize" the tariffs, but must adopt a tone of prudence and pragmatism. Among the measures to address the situation, the former ambassador stated that it is important for the government's economic leadership and Vice President and Minister of Industry Geraldo Alckmin to travel to the United States.

"We can't politicize this and make it a matter of domestic politics. We have to negotiate to overcome these adversities. But we have to know that there's an unpredictable person on the other side. We can't confront them because it could be worse for Brazil," said Barbosa Serra.

Lack of communication channels with the US government, says former ambassador

The former ambassador also criticized the Lula administration's lack of communication channels with the US executive branch. On the other hand, he said the opposition to the Planalto Palace managed to create a network of connections with the White House that led to results such as the tariff announced this Wednesday, the 9th.

"The big problem is that the Brazilian government hasn't established channels of communication with the White House and the State Department. On the other hand, the opposition has been doing so for eight months."

US President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday, 9, that the tariff on products imported from Brazil will be 50% , starting on August 1.

The Republican argued that the tax level is due to court orders that "censor" American social media and inhibit the freedom of expression of US citizens. According to Trump, these attacks in Brazil originate from the Supreme Federal Court (STF).

In the document published on Truth Social, the US president highlights the retaliation clause and threatens to raise tariffs even further if Brazil responds with similar measures. "If for any reason you decide to increase your tariffs, the amount you choose will be added to the amount we charge," the text reads.