According to CoinMeta, Brazilian President Lula had a telephone call with U.S. President Trump on August 21 local time, opposing the recent imposition of additional tariffs by the U.S. government on Brazilian goods. He stated that the tariffs imposed by the United States on Brazil "are not only completely detached from reality but are also based on lies." Lula mentioned that trade officials from Brazil and the United States will meet to discuss the tariff issue and pointed out that the accusations by the United States regarding deforestation and slavery in Brazil are entirely unfounded. On July 15, the U.S. Trade Representative's Office announced that it would impose an additional 25% tariff on certain Brazilian products starting from July 22, and also imposed new tariffs ranging from 10% to 12.5% on dozens of countries and regions, including Brazil, on the grounds of "forced labor." The Brazilian government has initiated relevant procedures in accordance with economic equivalence laws to counter the new tariff measures taken by the U.S. government.