Al Jazeera reported that Lula said Sunday’s meeting with Trump, an ally of his political rival and former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, was “great”, adding that negotiating teams from both countries would address tariffs and other issues “immediately”.
“We have agreed that our teams will meet immediately to proceed with finding a solution to the tariffs and sanctions against the Brazilian authorities,” Lula said in a message to X after the meeting.
Trump had linked the July tariffs, which raised tariffs from 10% to 50% on most Brazilian goods imported into the United States, to what he called a “witch hunt” against Bolsonaro, the far-right leader who lost the 2022 presidential election and was sentenced to 27 years in prison for attempting a coup.
Mr. Bolsonaro’s supporters rioted in the capital’s political center, sparking a riot by Mr. Trump’s supporters in Washington, D.C., two years ago on January 6.
The U.S. government also sanctioned a number of Brazilian officials, including Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who oversaw the trial that led to Bolsonaro’s conviction.
But ahead of Sunday’s meeting, Trump said that while he was concerned about Bolsonaro’s fate, there was a chance that some kind of agreement could be reached with Lula and that he hoped the two countries would enjoy strong ties.
“We should be able to get a pretty good deal for both countries,” Trump said.
Lula has previously called the U.S. tariff hike a “mistake,” citing the U.S. trade surplus with Brazil, which has reached $410 billion over 15 years.
MNA