Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said Thursday that his government has not been successful in trying to negotiate the 50% tariff on Brazilian imports that U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to impose.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff threat against Brazil has sparked political turmoil. Trump linked a 50% import tax to the trial of his ally, Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro, calling it a “witch hunt.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Thursday slammed Donald Trump's threat to impose 50 percent tariffs on Latin America's largest economy as "unacceptable blackmail."In his speech, leftist leader Lula slammed Brazilian politicians who back Trump's policies as "traitors to the homeland.