Trump’s Tariffs Give Lula a Rallying Cry Ahead of 2026 Vote (2)

Brazil spent months flying under the radar as Donald Trump upended global trade. Now that it’s in the spotlight, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva may stand to benefit from the attention.

Hours after the US president threatened to hit Brazil with 50% tariffs, the leader known universally as Lula announced that, rather than rush to appease Trump, his government would retaliate with measures of its own.

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva at the BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro on Monday.

Photographer: Dado Galdieri/Bloomberg

It’s a decision that sets Brazil on a path of escalation with its No. 2 trading partner at a time when Lula is already confronted with a slowing economy, a fragile ...