In a decisive week regarding new US tariffs, Lula says he does not believe in tariffs President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) stated this Monday (13) that "there will be no tariffs" when asked about concerns about a possible increase in US tariffs on Brazilian products. The speech takes place in a decisive week for the commercial relationship between Brazil and the United States. The expectation is that the White House will announce by Wednesday (15) whether new tariffs of 25% and 12.5% ??on Brazilian products will be put into practice. The statement was given to reporter João Mota, from TV Vanguarda, upon leaving an event to launch an ethanol-powered turbine, in São José dos Campos, in the interior of SP (read more below). Lula did not hold a press conference and only answered the question while walking to the exit. The Brazilian government reported that it is awaiting the decision to define a possible response to the confirmation of the new tariffs and is working on the confirmation of the new tariffs as the most likely scenario. The hypothesis was reinforced after the recent statement by the representative of the United States Department of Commerce, Jamieson Greer, that the two countries are still far from reaching an agreement. However, Brazilian negotiators assess that, in this scenario, there is a possibility that the US State Department will include a modified annex in the decision on the 25%, increasing the list of exceptions to the tariff, for example. The Brazilian government is also waiting to be called for a final virtual meeting until Wednesday (15) with Jamieson Greer. The expectation is that there will be a preview of the decision at this meeting. President Lula completed his agenda in São José dos Campos this Monday afternoon (13). Reproduction/TV Vanguarda Turbine powered by ethanol The statement was made during a visit to the Campus of the Department of Aerospace Science and Technology (DCTA), in São José dos Campos (SP), where Lula visited the first Brazilian electricity generation unit equipped with a gas turbine completely developed in the country and fueled with hydrated ethanol. The technology, created by Brazilian researchers, seeks to expand the use of biofuel in energy generation and in applications such as military operations, isolated regions and emergency systems. During a speech at the event, Lula defended the strengthening of the defense industry and stated that Brazil needs to invest in the Armed Forces to guarantee national sovereignty. The president also highlighted that the country must add value to strategic minerals, such as rare earths, and said that anyone who wants to explore these resources in Brazil will have to carry out the processing in the country, and not just export the raw material. See more news from Vale do Paraíba and the Bragantina region