The United States raised tariffs on a wide range of Brazilian exports to 50% on 6 August, five times the previous rate. The measure, announced by President Donald Trump, targets commodities such as coffee, meat and sugar and now affects roughly 36% of Brazil’s shipments to its second-largest trading partner. The White House said the step responds to what it calls political persecution of former President Jair Bolsonaro, while granting more than 700 product exemptions including orange juice and commercial aircraft parts. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva rejected the idea of phoning Trump to seek relief, telling Reuters he will not submit to a "humiliation" and sees no sign the U.S. leader is ready for serious talks. Lula reiterated that Brazil is willing to negotiate only "on equal terms," but for now will focus on cushioning affected companies rather than imposing mirror tariffs. Brazil formally requested consultations at the World Trade Organization on Wednesday, the first step toward a potential dispute panel over the U.S. duties. Lula said his government will use “all available measures” in the WTO and is also calling the leaders of India and China to gauge a coordinated BRICS response. Cabinet-level channels with Washington remain open, and Finance Minister Fernando Haddad plans to speak with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Haddad added that Brasília hopes to strike agreements with the United States on efficient battery production, leveraging Brazil’s deposits of critical minerals and rare earths. Lula, in the same Reuters interview, said he will unveil a national policy that treats strategic minerals as a matter of sovereignty to ensure more domestic value-added processing.