‘We don’t want an emperor’: Lula pushes back against Trump’s tariff move

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva delivered a sharp rebuke on Monday to US President Donald Trump’s proposed tariff hike on BRICS nations, rejecting what he described as imperial posturing and asserting the sovereignty of emerging economies.

Speaking at the close of a two-day summit that brought together 11 countries, a group that spans both allies and rivals of the United States, Lula made it clear that the bloc would not be intimidated by protectionist rhetoric coming from Washington.

“We are sovereign nations,” he said. “We don’t want an emperor.”

The comment came in response to Trump’s recent announcement of a 10 percent across-the-board tariff increase on BRICS members, accusing them of pursuing what he described as “anti-American policies.”