Haddad explains “exchange between currencies” and denies “discomfort” with the USA

The Minister of Finance, Fernando Haddad, tried to soften President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s criticism of the dollar, at a press conference this Friday (14th), during his official trip to China. According to the minister, Lula’s speeches refer to “commercial exchange in their own currencies, without resorting to third-party currencies”, and it is an old issue, which is under negotiation between the economic areas of the countries that make up the Brics.

“It’s something that’s been on the negotiating table for a long time, between the Brics, within Mercosur. And President Lula reestablished this agenda, asking the Treasury, the economic area of ​​both countries to look into this topic and deepen the possibilities in local currency. That is, you can use the real, you can use the yuan, you can use the currencies of developing countries as a unit of account for international exchanges,” he said.

Faced with the “discomfort” with the United States, after Lula’s statements, the minister reinforced that Brazil has no intention of “moving away from anyone, especially from a partner of the quality of the United States.” “We are making an effort to get closer, we want US investment in Brazil,” he said.

Haddad also highlighted the president’s meetings with Chinese authorities and businessmen, to expand studies on the Asian country’s investments in Brazilian industry. The minister pointed to the challenge of “reindustrializing Brazil in partnership with Chinese capital” as “an opportunity to create a platform for its products, both for local sale and for export”.