Lula, Trump move to mend ties after ‘friendly’ trade call
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Brazil’s president and Donald Trump, United States president have held what both sides described as a “friendly and positive” phone conversation, marking a tentative reset in ties strained by a months-long tariff dispute.
The two leaders spoke for about 30 minutes on Monday, discussing trade, the economy, and ways to “restore” relations between the hemisphere’s two largest democracies, according to statements released by both governments.
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Lula urged Trump to lift a steep 50 percent tariff Washington imposed on Brazilian exports earlier this year. The US administration had introduced a 40 percent duty in July, adding to an earlier 10 percent rate, in response to what it described as “economic instability” linked to Brazil’s prosecution of former president Jair Bolsonaro over an alleged coup plot.
The Brazilian leader reminded Trump that the United States maintains a trade surplus with Brazil and called for a return to the previous 10 percent tariff level. He also asked that US sanctions on several Brazilian officials be reconsidered.
Lula’s office said the conversation took place in a “cordial and constructive” tone. The presidents exchanged phone numbers to keep in direct contact, and Lula reiterated an invitation for Trump to attend the UN climate summit next month in Belém, northern Brazil.
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“It was mostly focused on the economy and trade between our two countries,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform shortly after the call. “We will be having further discussions and will get together in the not too distant future, both in Brazil and the United States.”
The conversation was the first formal exchange between the two leaders since their brief encounter at last month’s United Nations General Assembly in New York. Then, Trump praised their “excellent chemistry,” despite recent tensions.
Relations soured after Lula accused Trump of “foreign interference” and “behaving like an emperor” over the tariff hike. The Brazilian government had publicly condemned the move as politically motivated, arguing that it punished Brazil for internal judicial matters.
On Monday, however, Lula struck a conciliatory tone, describing the call as an opportunity to “rebuild bridges” and pursue “mutual economic interests.”
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Trump has named secretary of state Marco Rubio to lead negotiations with Brazil’s vice-president Geraldo Alckmin, foreign minister Mauro Vieira, and finance minister Fernando Haddad.
A source close to the Brazilian government told the BBC that Lula’s team was still assessing Rubio’s appointment, noting that while he is seen as part of the Trump administration’s “ideological wing,” his direct access to the president could make talks more effective.
Lula also offered to visit Washington soon and suggested a possible meeting with Trump during the upcoming ASEAN summit in Malaysia.
For now, the tone between Brasília and Washington appears to have softened, but whether that warmth translates into lower tariffs remains to be seen.
