Brazil will be responsible for refounding the WTO after Trump's tariff hike, says foreign minister

Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira said on Tuesday (26) that Brazil will play a central role in the refounding of the World Trade Organization (WTO) after the crisis generated by US President Donald Trump's tariff hike. According to him, the entity is in a "total crisis" and paralyzed in its role of resolving disputes and signing new international agreements.

Vieira stated that Trump's tariff war has set global trade rules back on track, returning them to the period before GATT, the 1947 agreement that gave rise to the WTO.

“We can say that the World Order, as we know it, or rather, as we knew it, is being dismantled, and precisely by those who most directly contributed to its formation,” he stated at an event held by the Federation of Industries of the State of São Paulo (Fiesp).

Mauro Vieira asserts that the United States has sought alternatives outside of multilateral organizations, weakening the system it helped build. Brazil, according to the minister, intends to take the lead in this reconstruction process, reaffirming its defense of multilateralism and international institutions.

"We will continue to resist these pressures while insisting on respect for our institutions and our sovereignty. Without ever giving up our willingness to engage in dialogue," he emphasized.

Last week, the government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (Workers' Party) filed a lawsuit against the United States at the WTO in response to the 50% tariff hike imposed by Trump on Brazilian products exported to the WTO. The move is symbolic, as the organization's highest authority is paralyzed and unlikely to have any immediate practical effect.

Vieira also made it clear that any negotiations between Brazil and the United States regarding the surcharge will only take place without interference in the country's internal affairs. Trump had cited the trial of former PresidentJair Bolsonaro (PL) when justifying the measures, which was perceived by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as undue political pressure.

"This is a measure expressly adopted for political reasons related to the case involving the former president of the Republic and his top advisors for attempting to violently abolish the democratic rule of law. This issue is an internal and sovereign matter for Brazil, handled within the scope of the judiciary and in response to which there is no possibility of interference from the executive branch," he emphasized.

Earlier, President Lula criticized the global impact of Trump's measures , saying he acts "as if he were emperor of planet Earth."

The PT member emphasized that his government keeps the doors open for dialogue and that his ministers are prepared to negotiate "24 hours a day," but always in defense of national sovereignty and international trade rules.