MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Haddad's talks with Secretary of the Treasury called off - Was it due to pressure from US far right?

The trade issue is not the focus, Haddad stressed

Brazilian Finance Minister Fernando Haddad announced Monday that his meeting with US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent, scheduled for Wednesday, had been canceled. The minister claimed the decision was triggered by the US far right.

“The anti-diplomatic militancy of these far-right forces working with the White House learned of my speech, acted with some advisors, and the virtual meeting that was to take place on Wednesday was canceled,” the minister told GloboNews.

Last week, Haddad said that Bessent had approached him to discuss the Donald Trump administration's tariffs on Brazilian products. The meeting was initially scheduled to take place via videoconference and would then be extended to a face-to-face conversation.

“Secretary Bessent's office contacted us yesterday [Wednesday, 30] and will finally schedule a second conversation. The first, as I had mentioned, was in May, in California. There will now be a round of negotiations, and we will present our point of view to the US authorities,” Haddad said on July 31.

The former presidential candidate said he was informed of the cancellation by email, “a day or two after” the US Treasury Secretary himself had announced the meeting to the press. He insisted the motivation for the cancellation was political, not economic.

“They acted together with some of President Trump's advisors, and the meeting with him, which was to be virtual on Wednesday, was canceled and has not been rescheduled so far,” Haddad commented while explaining that the US officials had cited agenda issues. “A very unusual situation. What is clear to us is that the trade issue is not the focus,” he said.

The finance minister pointed out that Brazil was being treated differently from other countries and economic blocs that have managed to negotiate with Trump's administration, such as the European Union, Japan, and South Korea. (Source: Agencia Brasil)