President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Monday urged US President Donald Trump to remove punitive tariffs on Brazil in the first-ever official talks between the two leaders.
After months of diplomatic animosity, Lula and Trump spoke for 30 minutes in a “friendly tone” and Lula raised the possibility of an in-person meeting in Malaysia next month, the Brazilian presidency said in a statement.
Lula “requested the removal” of tariffs imposed on his country’s products and sanctions against Brazilian officials.
Diplomatic ties have become increasingly strained between Washington and Brasilia in recent months, with Trump angered over the trial and conviction of his ally, the far-right former president Jair Bolsonaro.
Trump has imposed a 50-percent tariff on Brazilian products and imposed sanctions against several top officials, including a top Supreme Court judge, to punish Brazil for what he termed a “witch hunt” against Bolsonaro.
The phone call came after what first appeared to be a chance encounter on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly last month that led Trump to hail his “excellent chemistry” with Lula.
However the Estadao news site reported the brief run-in, which included a hug, was actually the result of an intensive behind-the-scenes “diplomatic operation.”
The Brazilian presidency said Lula and Trump “recalled the good chemistry they had in New York” during their phone call.
The two leaders traded barbs in their UN speeches, with Lula slamming an “unacceptable” attack on the independence of Brazil’s judiciary.
Despite the political and economic pressure, Brazil’s Supreme Court sentenced Bolsonaro to 27 years in prison for his role in a botched coup bid after his 2022 election loss to Lula.
Trump, meanwhile, used his UN speech to accuse Brazil of “censorship, repression” and “judicial corruption.”
He then switched tack, and recounted his run-in with Lula, describing him as “a very nice man, actually.”
The two men stand on polar opposite sides when it comes to issues such as multilateralism, international trade and the fight against climate change.
Lula has repeatedly stated that Brazil was “ready to negotiate” regarding tariffs, but complained of a rebuff from US authorities.
“We’re trying to negotiate, but there’s no one to talk to. No one,” he said at an official ceremony in August in Brasilia.
However, during the call, the two presidents exchanged phone numbers to establish direct communication.
The Brazilian presidency said that Lula had raised the possibility with Trump of an in-person meeting at the ASEAN summit in Malaysia in October.
He also re-iterated an invitation to Trump to attend the COP-30 climate conference in Brazil’s Amazon city of Belem in November, “and also expressed his willingness to travel to the United States.”
