Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announced Wednesday that Brazil will activate its economic “Reciprocity Law” in response to former U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to impose 50% tariffs on Brazilian imports.

In a sharply worded statement, Lula said the law allows Brazil to suspend trade, investment, and intellectual property agreements with countries that undermine its economic competitiveness.

“Brazil is a sovereign nation with independent institutions, and we will not accept being disrespected by any party,” Lula declared, denouncing the move as an affront to fair bilateral relations.

He defended Brazil’s judiciary amid U.S. criticism of legal proceedings against former President Jair Bolsonaro, and pointed out that the U.S. has run a trade surplus of over $410 billion with Brazil in the past 15 years.

Trump justified the new tariffs by citing “unfair treatment” of Bolsonaro, reigniting tensions in the two countries’ economic ties.