Brazil's Lula and Trump Discuss Tariff Removal in Productive First Official Call

Trump celebrated "a very good telephone call" in a post on Truth Social platform.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva urged US President Donald Trump to eliminate punitive trade tariffs during their first official conversation Monday, following months of tension between the two nations. Both leaders indicated interest in arranging an in-person meeting soon.

The leaders engaged in a 30-minute discussion described as having a "friendly tone," with Lula suggesting a potential meeting in Malaysia next month, according to a statement from the Brazilian presidency.

During the call, Lula specifically "requested the removal" of tariffs imposed on Brazilian products and sanctions against Brazilian officials.

Trump described the interaction positively on Truth Social, stating, "We will be having further discussions, and will get together in the not too distant future, both in Brazil and the United States," though he provided no specific details.

Relations between Washington and Brasilia have deteriorated in recent months, with Trump expressing anger over the trial and conviction of his ally, former far-right president Jair Bolsonaro.

Trump had imposed a 50-percent tariff on Brazilian products and sanctioned several high-ranking officials, including a Supreme Court judge, characterizing Brazil's actions against Bolsonaro as a "witch hunt."

Brazil's Vice President Geraldo Alckmin, who has been assigned to continue negotiations with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, expressed optimism: "We are very optimistic that we will move toward a win-win situation in this relationship." He noted that the call had exceeded expectations and that the presidents had exchanged personal phone numbers.

The conversation follows what initially appeared to be a chance encounter at the UN General Assembly last month, where Trump praised his "excellent chemistry" with Lula. However, Brazilian news outlet Estadao reported that the brief meeting, which included a hug, actually resulted from intensive behind-the-scenes diplomatic efforts.

In his UN address, Lula had criticized what he called an "unacceptable" attack on Brazil's judicial independence. Despite economic and political pressure, Brazil's Supreme Court sentenced Bolsonaro to 27 years imprisonment for his involvement in a failed coup attempt following his 2022 electoral defeat to Lula.

Trump, in his own UN speech, accused Brazil of "censorship, repression" and "judicial corruption." However, he later changed his tone, describing Lula as "a very nice man, actually" after their encounter.

The two leaders maintain fundamentally different positions on issues such as multilateralism, international trade, and climate change policies.

According to the Brazilian presidency, Lula suggested meeting Trump at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Malaysia in October. He also renewed an invitation for Trump to attend the COP-30 climate conference in Brazil's Amazon city of Belem in November, adding that he was "willing to travel to the United States."

Lula has consistently stated that Brazil was "ready to negotiate" regarding tariffs but complained there was "no one to talk to" in Washington.

A Brazilian government source revealed to AFP that the private sector played a significant role in facilitating the diplomatic thaw, mentioning a meeting between Trump and Brazil's billionaire beef tycoon Joesley Batista at the White House. The source indicated that while "JBS played an important role, it wasn't the only one."

An anonymous European diplomat told AFP that Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer had also exerted pressure on the White House.

Trump's tariffs primarily affect major Brazilian exports including beef, coffee, and sugar. Brazilian trade data for September, released Monday, showed exports to the United States decreased by 20.3 percent compared to last year, while imports from the US increased by 14.3 percent.

Nevertheless, Brazil maintains other significant markets for its beef and coffee exports, particularly in Asia, and has been actively diversifying its export destinations. Overall exports grew 7.2 percent in September, with substantial increases to China, India, Singapore, Argentina, Peru, and Panama.