In Belém, California governor criticizes Trump’s tariffs against Brazil

The United States government did not send official representatives to COP30, in Belém (PA). However, the governor of the state of California, Gavin Newsom, was present and criticized the absence of his compatriots and also disapproved of the trade tariffs imposed on Brazil.

The Democrat made a point of being present at the Conference that debates climate change, highlighting his opposition to Donald Trump. The governor is a constant target of criticism from the US president, who started threatening him with arrest for failing to prevent demonstrations in Los Angeles against immigration policies adopted at the federal level. Trump even sent National Guard troops to the state, which created a power crisis.

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Before going to the capital of Pará, Newsom passed through the city of São Paulo, an opportunity in which he considered the absence of the North American delegation to be disrespectful and nonsense to give up negotiating with Brazil, which has many rare earths so sought after by the USA. Thus, he assesses that the 50% trade tariffs on Brazilian products are “a middle finger”.

“No person from the American government to show respect to you. Forget about politics, it’s disrespectful. We are in Brazil, one of our biggest trading partners and one of the great democracies in the world. So much rare earth here, but instead, they give a middle finger with 50% tariffs. It’s shameful”, he lamented.

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At COP30, during a press conference, he reaffirmed his position by saying that the imposed tariffs are illegal, calling them a “joke” and “abomination”, as well as “Bolsonaro’s tariffs”.

“I’ve been very clear. These tariffs on your country are a joke. They’re an abomination. I mean, Bolsonaro’s tariffs. Let’s just establish what they are. We have a trade surplus with you. It’s absurd. They’re illegal tariffs,” he declared.

Lack of delegation

During his visit to Brazil, Newsom expressed his disapproval with the absence of the Trump government at COP30, indicating that the climate denialism adopted is a “bet on stupidity”. Currently, the USA has once again invested in nuclear energy and the use of coal for electrical generation, a highly polluting option that is contrary to what environmental agreements promote.

Furthermore, upon returning to the White House, Trump withdrew the US from the Paris Agreement in the same way as he did in his first term. For the Andreia Sadi’s blogNewsom stated that China understands the importance of the energy transition much better than his country, and with his current stance, Trump cedes leadership in the area to the Chinese: “Xi Jinping is thrilled”, reinforced the Democrat.

During his stay in Belém, the governor of California also signed a memorandum of understanding with the governor of Pará, Helder Barbalho, for cooperation in low-carbon solutions and sustainable development.