INTERNACIONAL
Hidden communications devices found in Chinese solar power inverters spark security alarm
U.S. energy officials are reassessing the risk posed by Chinese-made devices that play a critical role in renewable energy infrastructure after unexplained communication equipment was found inside some of them, two people familiar with the matter said.
Power inverters, which are predominantly produced in China, are used throughout the world to connect solar panels and wind turbines to electricity grids. They are also found in batteries, heat pumps and electric vehicle chargers.
While inverters are built to allow remote access for updates and maintenance, the utility companies that use them typically install firewalls to prevent direct communication back to China.
CHINESE OFFICIALS CLAIMED BEHIND CLOSED DOORS PRC PLAYED ROLE IN US CYBERATTACKS: REPORT
However, rogue communication devices not listed in product documents have been found in some Chinese solar power inverters by U.S. experts who strip down equipment hooked up to grids to check for security issues, the two people said.
Over the past nine months, undocumented communication devices, including cellular radios, have also been found in some batteries from multiple Chinese suppliers, one of them said.
Reuters was unable to determine how many solar power inverters and batteries they have looked at.
Solar panels are arrayed on Earth Day in Northfield, Massachusetts, on April 22, 2022. (Reuters/Brian Snyder/File Photo)
The rogue components provide additional, undocumented communication channels that could allow firewalls to be circumvented remotely, with potentially catastrophic consequences, the two people said.
Both declined to be named because they did not have permission to speak to the media.
«We know that China believes there is value in placing at least some elements of our core infrastructure at risk of destruction or disruption,» said Mike Rogers, a former director of the U.S. National Security Agency. «I think that the Chinese are, in part, hoping that the widespread use of inverters limits the options that the West has to deal with the security issue.»
A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington said: «We oppose the generalization of the concept of national security, distorting and smearing China’s infrastructure achievements.»
Using the rogue communication devices to skirt firewalls and switch off inverters remotely, or change their settings, could destabilize power grids, damage energy infrastructure, and trigger widespread blackouts, experts said.
«That effectively means there is a built-in way to physically destroy the grid,» one of the people said,
The two people declined to name the Chinese manufacturers of the inverters and batteries with extra communication devices, nor say how many they had found in total.
The existence of the rogue devices has not previously been reported. The U.S. government has not publicly acknowledged the discoveries.
Asked for comment, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) said it continually assesses risk associated with emerging technologies and that there were significant challenges with manufacturers disclosing and documenting functionalities.
«While this functionality may not have malicious intent, it is critical for those procuring to have a full understanding of the capabilities of the products received,» a spokesperson said.
Work is ongoing to address any gaps in disclosures through «Software Bill of Materials» – or inventories of all the components that make up a software application – and other contractual requirements, the spokesperson said.
Trusted Equipment
As U.S.-China tensions escalate, the U.S. and others are reassessing China’s role in strategic infrastructure because of concerns about potential security vulnerabilities, two former government officials said.
«The threat we face from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is real and growing. Whether it’s telecom hacks or remotely accessing solar and battery inverters, the CCP stops at nothing to target our sensitive infrastructure and components,» said U.S. Representative August Pfluger, a Republican member of the Committee on Homeland Security.
«It is about time we ramp up our efforts to show China that compromising us will no longer be acceptable,» he told Reuters.
Chinese energy infrastructure plays a large role in the power grids of many European countries. (Reuters/Pascal Rossignol/File Photo)
In February, two U.S. Senators introduced the Decoupling from Foreign Adversarial Battery Dependence Act, banning the Department of Homeland Security from purchasing batteries from some Chinese entities, starting October 2027, due to national security concerns.
The bill was referred to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on March 11 and has yet to be enacted.
THE REAL BREAKTHROUGH IN U.S.–CHINA TRADE TALKS IS MUCH BIGGER THAN JUST TARIFFS
It aims to prevent Homeland Security from procuring batteries from six Chinese companies Washington says are closely linked to the Chinese Communist Party: Contemporary Amperex Technology Company (CATL), BYD Company, Envision Energy, EVE Energy Company, Hithium Energy Storage Technology Company, and Gotion High-tech Company.
None of the companies responded to requests for comment.
Utilities are now preparing for similar bans on Chinese inverter manufacturers, three people with knowledge of the matter said.
Some utilities, including Florida’s largest power supplier, Florida Power & Light Company, are attempting to minimize the use of Chinese inverters by sourcing equipment from elsewhere, according to two people familiar with the matter. FPL did not respond to requests for comment.
The DOE spokesperson said: «As more domestic manufacturing takes hold, DOE is working across the federal government to strengthen U.S. supply chains, providing additional opportunities to integrate trusted equipment into the power grid.»
‘Catastrophic Implications’
Huawei is the world’s largest supplier of inverters, accounting for 29% of shipments globally in 2022, followed by Chinese peers Sungrow and Ginlong Solis, according to consultancy Wood Mackenzie.
German solar developer 1Komma5 said, however, that it avoids Huawei inverters, because of the brand’s associations with security risks.
«Ten years ago, if you switched off the Chinese inverters, it would not have caused a dramatic thing to happen to European grids, but now the critical mass is much larger,» 1Komma5 Chief Executive Philipp Schroeder said.
«China’s dominance is becoming a bigger issue because of the growing renewables capacity on Western grids and the increased likelihood of a prolonged and serious confrontation between China and the West,» he said.
Since 2019, the U.S. has restricted Huawei’s access to U.S. technology, accusing the company of activities contrary to national security, which Huawei denies.
CHINESE IMPORTS TO US PLUMMET TO LOWEST LEVELS SINCE PANDEMIC AMID TRUMP TARIFFS
Chinese companies are required by law to cooperate with China’s intelligence agencies, giving the government potential control over Chinese-made inverters connected to foreign grids, experts said.
While Huawei decided to leave the U.S. inverter market in 2019 – the year its 5G telecoms equipment was banned – it remains a dominant supplier elsewhere.
Huawei declined to comment.
In Europe, exercising control over just 3 to 4 gigawatts of energy could cause widespread disruption to electricity supplies, experts said.
The European Solar Manufacturing Council estimates over 200 GW of European solar power capacity is linked to inverters made in China – equivalent to more than 200 nuclear power plants.
At the end of last year, there was 338 GW of installed solar power in Europe, according to industry association SolarPower Europe.
«If you remotely control a large enough number of home solar inverters, and do something nefarious at once, that could have catastrophic implications to the grid for a prolonged period of time,» said Uri Sadot, cybersecurity program director at Israeli inverter manufacturer SolarEdge.
Strategic Dependencies
Other countries such as Lithuania and Estonia acknowledge the threats to energy security. In November, the Lithuanian government passed a law blocking remote Chinese access to solar, wind and battery installations above 100 kilowatts – by default restricting the use of Chinese inverters.
Energy minister Zygimantas Vaiciunas said this could be extended to smaller rooftop solar installations.
Estonia’s Director General of the Foreign Intelligence Service, Kaupo Rosin, said the country could be at risk of blackmail from China if it did not ban Chinese technology in crucial parts of the economy, such as solar inverters.
Estonia’s Ministries of Defense and Climate declined to comment when asked if they had taken any action.
In Britain, the government’s review of Chinese renewable energy technology in the energy system – due to be concluded in the coming months – includes looking at inverters, a person familiar with the matter said.
In November, solar power inverters in the U.S. and elsewhere were disabled from China, highlighting the risk of foreign influence over local electricity supplies and causing concern among government officials, three people familiar with the matter said.
Reuters was unable to determine how many inverters were switched off, or the extent of disruption to grids. The DOE declined to comment on the incident.
Plants grow through an array of solar panels in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on May 6, 2022. (Reuters/Brian Snyder/File Photo)
The incident led to a commercial dispute between inverter suppliers Sol-Ark and Deye, the people said.
«Sol-Ark does not comment on vendor relationships, including any relationship with Deye, nor does it have any control over inverters that are not branded Sol-Ark, as was the case in the November 2024 situation you referenced,» a Sol-Ark spokesperson said.
Deye did not respond to requests for comment.
The energy sector is trailing other industries such as telecoms and semiconductors, where regulations have been introduced in Europe and the U.S. to mitigate China’s dominance.
Security analysts say this is partly because decisions about whether to secure energy infrastructure are mostly dictated by the size of any installation.
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Household solar or battery storage systems fall below thresholds where security requirements typically kick-in, they said, despite now contributing a significant share of power on many Western grids.
NATO, the 32-country Western security alliance, said China’s efforts to control member states’ critical infrastructure – including inverters – were intensifying.
«We must identify strategic dependencies and take steps to reduce them,» said a NATO official.
El 2 de agosto de 2027 el cielo ofrecerá un espectáculo que, según los expertos, no solo captará la atención de millones de personas, sino que marcará un récord difícil de igualar. Ese día, la Luna cubrirá por completo al Sol durante más de seis minutos, en lo que se perfila como el eclipse solar más largo de todo el siglo XXI.
Desde hace meses, astrónomos profesionales y aficionados discuten detalles técnicos, rutas de visibilidad y comparaciones con eventos pasados. Lo que parecía un fenómeno lejano ya figura entre los temas astronómicos más buscados en Google, al punto que algunos usuarios confundieron el calendario y esperaban verlo este año.
Las aclaraciones no tardaron: no será en 2025 ni en Argentina, México o Estados Unidos. El “eclipse del siglo” —como ya lo llaman varios portales especializados— tendrá lugar en 2027 y será visible desde Europa, África y parte de Asia.
La Administración Nacional de Aeronáutica y del Espacio (NASA) confirmó la fecha y el recorrido del evento. El eclipse se producirá el lunes 2 de agosto, y si bien una amplia región podrá ver una versión parcial del fenómeno, solo una franja específica del hemisferio oriental vivirá la totalidad. Esa franja, de alrededor de 258 kilómetros de ancho, atravesará más de 15.000 kilómetros del planeta y abarcará unos 2,5 millones de kilómetros cuadrados, cruzando países como España, Marruecos, Argelia, Túnez, Libia, Egipto, Sudán, Arabia Saudita, Yemen y Somalia.
Según datos del sitio Eclipse Wise, esa jornada el cielo se oscurecerá por completo durante un máximo de 6 minutos y 22 segundos, una duración que supera ampliamente la de cualquier otro eclipse del siglo XXI observado desde tierra firme.
Para comparar, el eclipse total que ocurrió el 8 de abril de 2024 —visible desde México, Estados Unidos y Canadá— tuvo una duración máxima de 4 minutos y 28 segundos, lo que ya se consideraba un tiempo excepcional. El del 2027 irá más allá, y no volverá a haber otro eclipse con semejante duración hasta el año 2114.
El secreto detrás de la magnitud del evento radica en la cercanía de la Luna a la Tierra. Ese día, el satélite natural se encontrará en su punto más próximo, lo que hará que su disco aparente cubra por completo al del Sol, y por más tiempo de lo habitual. Esta coincidencia geométrica amplía la duración de la totalidad y también ensancha la franja desde donde se podrá observar el fenómeno en su máxima expresión.
La alineación entre la Tierra, la Luna y el Sol ocurre solo en momentos específicos del año y no siempre garantiza un eclipse total. La órbita lunar está ligeramente inclinada respecto al plano en que gira nuestro planeta, por eso se requieren condiciones muy precisas para que la Luna proyecte su sombra sobre la superficie terrestre. Esa sombra se divide en dos zonas: la umbra —desde donde se ve la totalidad— y la penumbra, donde solo se produce un oscurecimiento parcial.
Los eclipses solares despiertan desde siempre una fascinación única. La NASA los define como fenómenos que “cambian drásticamente el aspecto de los dos objetos más grandes que vemos en nuestro cielo: el Sol y la Luna”. Aunque se trate de un proceso puramente astronómico, la percepción del evento impacta profundamente a quien lo presencia. Durante esos minutos de totalidad, la temperatura desciende, los animales modifican su comportamiento y el cielo adquiere un tono crepuscular que rodea al horizonte.
“El eclipse del siglo” combinará varios factores poco frecuentes: una duración máxima muy superior a la media, un trayecto que recorre zonas densamente pobladas y un contexto tecnológico que permitirá observarlo con una precisión y cobertura inéditas. Equipos de investigación ya planifican expediciones para estudiar su impacto atmosférico, registrar la dinámica de la corona solar y probar nuevos instrumentos ópticos.
Según Time and Date, solo quienes se encuentren directamente bajo la ruta de la umbra podrán vivir el eclipse en su totalidad. En cambio, regiones adyacentes tendrán acceso a una versión parcial, donde la Luna cubrirá solo una porción del Sol. África del Norte, el sur de Europa y partes de Medio Oriente se preparan para recibir a miles de visitantes que buscarán estar en el lugar correcto, a la hora justa. Las agencias de turismo astronómico ya comienzan a ofrecer paquetes para viajar a puntos estratégicos del eclipse, con equipos especializados, charlas científicas y observación segura.
Un eclipse solar ocurre cuando la Luna se interpone entre el Sol y la Tierra, proyectando su sombra sobre una porción del planeta y bloqueando la luz solar de forma parcial o total.
Para que esto ocurra, es necesario que haya una Luna nueva y que su órbita, que está inclinada en unos 5 grados respecto a la de la Tierra, coincida con el plano orbital terrestre.
Existen cuatro tipos de eclipses solares:
- Total, cuando el Sol queda completamente oculto por la Luna.
- Parcial, cuando solo una parte del Sol es cubierta.
- Anular, cuando la Luna está más lejos de la Tierra y no cubre por completo al Sol, dejando un anillo visible.
- Híbrido, que es una combinación de total y anular dependiendo de la ubicación geográfica del observador.
Los registros de eclipses anteriores permiten comprender la magnitud de este evento. El más largo del siglo XX ocurrió el 11 de julio de 1991 y alcanzó los 6 minutos y 53 segundos de totalidad. Fue visible desde México, Perú y otras zonas del Pacífico. Aunque su duración superó a la del eclipse de 2027, no fue tan accesible para el público general. En cambio, el próximo fenómeno del 2 de agosto tendrá una amplia cobertura territorial y mejores condiciones de observación.
Un detalle que aumenta la expectativa es que no se trata del único eclipse total cercano en el calendario. El 12 de agosto de 2026, justo un año antes, habrá otro eclipse solar total que podrá verse desde Groenlandia, Islandia, parte de España, Rusia y algunas zonas de Portugal. Ese evento, aunque también llamativo, será más breve y cubrirá una franja más limitada. Por eso, el de 2027 se lleva todos los focos.
En tanto, Argentina se prepara para ser uno de los lugares privilegiados para disfrutar de un fenómeno astronómico excepcional: el eclipse solar anular que tendrá lugar el sábado 6 de febrero de 2027 y generará un espectacular “anillo de fuego”. También se verán en Chile y Uruguay, y parcialmente en Paraguay, Bolivia y Brasil.
Las recomendaciones de seguridad no pueden faltar. Los especialistas insisten en que nunca debe mirarse un eclipse directamente sin la protección adecuada.
Salvo durante los minutos exactos de totalidad, es obligatorio usar anteojos especiales para eclipses o recurrir a métodos alternativos como proyectores estenopeicos. La luz solar, incluso parcialmente cubierta, puede dañar la retina de manera irreversible.
Además del interés científico, estos eventos tienen un enorme valor cultural. En muchas regiones del mundo, los eclipses se han vinculado con leyendas, rituales y símbolos. Hoy, esa dimensión mística convive con el avance de la tecnología, que permite predecir con años de anticipación cada detalle del fenómeno: duración, recorrido, horarios y hasta condiciones climáticas esperadas.
A medida que se acerca la fecha, las campañas de divulgación ganan fuerza. Medios, instituciones educativas y organismos astronómicos difunden contenido para comprender mejor lo que ocurrirá ese 2 de agosto. La frase que más se repite entre quienes ya lo anotaron en el calendario resume el sentir general: “no hay que perdérselo”.
El eclipse solar total de 2027 no solo promete ser el más largo del siglo, también se convertirá en un evento colectivo de aprendizaje, fascinación y conexión con el cielo. Una invitación a mirar hacia arriba, con asombro y cuidado, mientras la Luna cubre al Sol por más de seis minutos. Una rareza astronómica que, con solo estar en el lugar adecuado, se convierte en una experiencia inolvidable.
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President Donald Trump notched his 200th day back in office Thursday, with the administration celebrating a lengthy list of wins across its latest chapter of actions and policies unfolding at a breakneck pace.
«In just 200 days, President Trump has turned America into the hottest country in the world,» White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers told Fox News Digital. «Under Joe Biden’s failed leadership, families and businesses were struggling, and America was dead — but President Trump has quickly restored American greatness. The historic trade deals and peace deals he secured on behalf of the American people made President Trump’s second 100 days just as successful as the first.»
Trump hit his 100th day of his second administration in April, which included operating at warp speed as Trump signed dozens of executive orders, leveled harsh tariffs on foreign nations to bring parity to the U.S.’ trade deficit, negotiated with foreign nations to work to end wars, unveiled the Department of Government Effeciency to investigate the federal government for potential mismanagement and fraud, locked down the U.S. border with Mexico and continued an overhaul of the federal government so it falls in line with the admin’s «America First» policies.
The first 100 days of a new administration commonly has been viewed as a symbolic benchmark to measure a president’s early successes. A White House official told Fox Digital that Trump’s measure of success was not only seen in the first 100 days, but also in the timeframe between the 100th day and Aug. 7 — the 200th day.
The White House touted that the administration across the board has seen big wins involving immigration, the economy and trade, education, foreign policy, bilateral meetings, strides in the AI race, unleashing energy initiatives and releasing bombshell details on the Russia hoax from the Obama era in the past 100 days.
TRUMP HAS NOW BEEN IN OFFICE FOR SIX MONTHS, FOR THE SECOND TIME. HERE ARE THE HIGHLIGHTS
President Donald Trump smiles as he meets with President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador in the Oval Office of the White House on April 14, 2025, in Washington. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
The president secured a massive win ahead of the Fourth of July when Republican lawmakers in Washington passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which Trump touted as securing big tax cuts that will make the U.S. economy similar to a «rocket ship» as Americans begin feeling its effects.
House and Senate Republicans delivered the legislation to Trump’s desk in July after a hard-fought battle that included a handful of Republicans joining Democrats in their condemnation of the bill, mostly over its increase to the debt limit.
The bill includes key provisions to permanently establish individual and business tax breaks included in Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, and incorporates new tax deductions to cut duties on tips and overtime pay. It also rescinds certain Biden-era green energy tax credits, allocates approximately $350 billion for defense and Trump’s mass deportation efforts and institutes Medicaid reforms.
«We have officially made the Trump tax cuts permanent,» Trump said during the July signing ceremony. «That’s the largest tax cut in the history of our country. . . . After this kicks in, our country is going to be a rocket ship economically. We’ve delivered no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, and no tax on Social Security for our great seniors. It makes the child tax credit permanent for 40 million American families. The Golden Age of America is upon us.»
On the economic front in the last 100 days: the U.S. economy grew at a 3.0% pace in the second quarter, which shattered forecasters’ predictions; Trump secured trade deals with nations such as South Korea, Japan, Indonesia, the Philippines and the European Union. While businesses such as drugmaker AstraZeneca, carmaker Rolls-Royce, and various tech companies pledging millions in investments in the U.S.
Trump celebrated ahead of his inauguration that the «golden age» of America would unfold under his leadership — which has been a common theme across his past 200 days. At the forefront of Trump’s «golden age» plan of action has not only involved leveling tariffs on foreign nations, but also unleashing artificial intelligence and energy initiatives.
«From this day forward, it’ll be a policy of the United States to do whatever it takes to lead the world in artificial intelligence,» Trump said in July, when he signed a trio of executive orders aimed at boosting the country’s artificial intelligence capabilities.
DETAILS OF TRUMP’S HIGHLY ANTICIPATED AI PLAN REVEALED BY WHITE HOUSE AHEAD OF MAJOR SPEECH
The Trump administration rolled ut its AI Action Plan in July after Trump ordered the federal government in January to develop a plan of action for artificial intelligence in order to «solidify our position as the global leader in AI and secure a brighter future for all Americans.» The AI Action Plan includes a three-pillar approach focused on American workers, free speech and protecting U.S.-built technologies.
The Trump administration rolled ut its AI Action Plan in July after Trump ordered the federal government in January to develop a plan of action for artificial intelligence in order to «solidify our position as the global leader in AI and secure a brighter future for all Americans.» (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
The Trump administration has notched massive wins in the artificial intelligence race in recent days, which pits the U.S. against China to develop the most high-tech artificial intelligence systems. Oracle and OpenAI, for exampled, announced in July that the companies will further develop the Stargate project, which is an effort to launch large data centers in the U.S. The two companies’ most recent announcement promises an additional 4.5 gigawatts of Stargate data center capacity, a move expected to create more than 100,000 jobs across operations, construction and indirect roles such as manufacturing and local services.
While the U.S. General Services Administration announced on Wednesday that OpenAI’s ChatGPT Enterprise is now available to all federal agencies to incorporate into their workflow at $1 per agency, the GSA told Fox Digital. The deal with OpenAI, the tech company behind ChatGPT, is part of GSA’s OneGov Strategy that aims to modernize «how the federal government purchases goods and services» under the Trump administration.
TRUMP RIDES MAJOR WAVE OF MOMENTUM GOING INTO JULY FOURTH AFTER IRAN, BBB, SUPREME COURT AND LAWSUIT VICTORIES
Chris Wright, Donald Trump, Doug Burgum (Reuters)
While the AI race hits new levels, Trump has also cut red tape surrounding the energy sector — which is vital to the growth of AI and the tech sector. Energy companies in the past 100 days have pledged billions to upgrade nuclear plants and modernize gas pipelines, while the administration celebrated the July opening of the newest coal plant in Wyoming in decades, as well as Trump signing a multidecade agreement to increase natural gas exports to Europe.
On the domestic political front, the Trump administration has also championed uncovering and releasing further details surrounding the Russian collusion hoax that plagued Trump’s 2016 presidential win and first presidency.
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard released bombshell unclassified documents in July that reportedly show «overwhelming evidence» that then-President Barack Obama and his national security team allegedly laid the groundwork for what would be the yearslong Trump–Russia collusion probe after Trump’s election win against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2016.
FOX NEWS POLL: THE FIRST 100 DAYS OF PRESIDENT TRUMP’S SECOND TERM
«The implications of this are frankly nothing short of historic,» Gabbard told Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo in July.
«Over 100 documents that we released on Friday really detail and provide evidence of how this treasonous conspiracy was directed by President Obama just weeks before he was due to leave office after President Trump had already gotten elected,» she continued. «This is not a Democrat or Republican issue. This is an issue that is so serious it should concern every single American, because it has to do with the integrity of our democratic republic.»
Attorney General Pam Bondi directed the DOJ to act on the criminal referral Gabbard sent in July over the matter. Amid the DNI’s bombshell revelations, FBI Director Kash Patel reported late in July that the FBI had recovered a trove of sensitive documents related to the origins of the Trump–Russia probe buried in multiple «burn bags» left in the bureau. Burn bags are used to destroy documents designated as classified or higher, Fox Digital previously reported.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks alongside President Donald Trump on recent Supreme Court rulings in the briefing room at the White House on June 27, 2025, in Washington, DC. The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that individual judges cannot grant nationwide injunctions to block executive orders, including the injunction on President Trump’s effort to eliminate birthright citizenship in the U.S. The justices did not rule on Trump’s order to end birthright citizenship but stopped his order from taking effect for 30 days. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) (Getty Images)
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Trump is expected to continue the breakneck pace of presidential actions and policies as his administration continues ironing out trade deals, negotiating with Russia to end the war continuing to rage in Ukraine, as well as a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, and prepares for another high-stake overseas trip to the UK in September, when the royal family is expected to roll out the red carpet for Trump’s unprecedented second state visit to the country.
Fox News Digital’s Brooke Singman, Ashley Oliver and Diana Stancy contributed to this report.
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As President Donald Trump’s global tariffs go into effect, Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva remains staunchly opposed to making deals with the U.S. The South American leader has been an outspoken critic of U.S. tariffs, which he sees as a bullying tactic.
«The day my intuition says Trump is ready to talk, I won’t hesitate to call him,» Lula told Reuters. «But today my intuition says he doesn’t want to talk. And I won’t humiliate myself.»
More than 60 countries and the European Union were hit with new tariffs just after midnight on Thursday. While the baseline rate is 10%, select nations, like Brazil, face additional penalties that push the total tariff up to 50%.
In the past, Lula slammed Trump’s tariffs as «unacceptable blackmail.»
TRUMP’S GLOBAL RESET OF TRADE RELATIONSHIPS WILL REMAIN IN THE SPOTLIGHT THIS WEEK
Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva speaks during an interview with Reuters at the Alvorada Palace, in Brasilia, Brazil, AuG. 6, 2025. (REUTERS/Adriano Machado)
On July 31, one day after announcing an additional 40% tariff on Brazil, Trump said that Lula «can talk to me anytime he wants.» The Brazilian president seemed to respond in a post on X without mentioning Trump by name. He said that his country has «always been open to dialogue.»
«The ones who determine Brazil’s direction are the Brazilians and their institutions. At this moment, we are working to protect our economy, businesses, and workers, and to respond to the tariff measures of the U.S. government,» Lula wrote.
Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and President Donald Trump feud over tariffs and Brazil’s treatment of Bolsonaro. (Adriano Machado/Evelyn Hockstein/rEUTERS)
TRUMP CALLS FOR IMMEDIATE END TO ‘UNJUST’ TRIAL OF FORMER BRAZILIAN PRESIDENT JAIR BOLSONARO
The dispute between Trump and Lula goes deeper than trade deals. The White House has been open about its opposition to Brazil’s treatment of its former President Jair Bolsonaro.
This was emphasized in an executive order that Trump signed last month in which he decried «the Government of Brazil’s politically motivated persecution, intimidation, harassment, censorship, and prosecution» of Bolsonaro.
Lula told Reuters that Brazil’s Supreme Court «does not care what Trump says, and it should not.» He also reportedly said that Bolsonaro was a «traitor to the homeland» who should face another trial for provoking Trump’s intervention.
«But this now is not a small intervention. It’s the president of the United States thinking he can dictate rules for a sovereign country like Brazil. It’s unacceptable,» Lula said.
Demonstrators, wearing masks depicting President Donald Trump and former Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro, gesture in handcuffs during a protest against Trump’s tariffs on Brazilian products, in front of the U.S. Embassy in Brasilia, Brazil, Aug. 1, 2025. (REUTERS/Mateus Bonomi)
BRAZIL’S EX-PRESIDENT AND MAJOR TRUMP ALLY BOLSONARO PLACED ON HOUSE ARREST
Bolsonaro, who was defeated by Lula in 2022, was recently placed under house arrest amid ongoing legal proceedings over his alleged attempt to overturn the country’s presidential election results.
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Brazil’s president is seemingly unafraid of entering negotiations with Trump. Though he said that there were no pending reciprocal tariffs, Lula told Reuters he was planning to call the leaders of BRICS member states to discuss a possible joint response to the U.S.
Additionally, according to Reuters, Lula said Brazil was looking at joining a collective complaint with other countries at the World Trade Organization.
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