President Donald Trump and Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva conducted a call described by both leaders as friendly and positive as Brazil seeks to lift a 50% US tariff on imports. During Monday's video chat, Lula pressed Trump to reduce these duties significantly. Trump later took to social media to characterize the conversation as a very good telephone call.
This was the first structured dialogue between the two since a brief encounter at the United Nations General Assembly last month. Their relationship had cooled recently due to escalating tariffs, a response from Trump to Lula’s predecessor Jair Bolsonaro’s legal troubles.
Lula had previously criticized Trump for perceived overreach by labeling him as acting like an emperor, but their recent exchange lasted around half an hour and the Brazilian government emphasized a friendly tone, reminiscing about previous positive interactions.
The Brazilian president utilized the meeting to seek a restoration of relations between the two largest Western democracies, also adding that the US maintains a trade surplus with Brazil. He urged for tariff reductions to the original 10% and the removal of sanctions on various Brazilian officials.
Trump noted the focus would primarily revolve around economic issues and future negotiations, with both leaders expressing a desire for more direct communication by exchanging phone numbers.
Brazilian Vice-President Geraldo Alckmin remarked the call exceeded their expectations, projecting optimism for forthcoming discussions. Lula also extended invitations for upcoming global summits to Trump, expressing interest in meeting during the Asean summit in Malaysia or inviting him to the UN climate summit in Belém, Brazil.
Trump appointed Secretary of State Marco Rubio to lead negotiations with Lula’s team, though some within the Brazilian government harbor reservations about Rubio's ideological alignment with the Trump administration. Yet, the consensus leans towards favoring direct engagement from an accredited negotiator.
