"People only respect you if you respect yourself. Anyone who thinks that bootlicking helps is wrong," Lula said, Xinhua reported.
In late July, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order imposing an additional 40 percent tariff on Brazilian goods, raising the total tariff to 50 percent on most Brazilian products.
Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira spoke by phone on Thursday with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Both sides agreed to continue discussions on bilateral trade and economic issues, following a phone conversation on Monday between Lula and Trump, during which the Brazilian leader called for the removal of US tariffs on Brazilian products and the lifting of sanctions, including visa revocations affecting Brazilian officials.