US President Donald Trump and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva engaged in a phone call on Monday described by both leaders as friendly and positive. The discussion comes as Brazil seeks to reduce a 50% US tariff on imports.
During the video call, Lula requested that Trump remove most of the tariffs. Trump, in a post on his Truth Social platform, called it a “very good telephone call.” This marks their first formal conversation since a brief encounter at last month’s United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Relations between the two countries had been tense since Trump imposed 50% tariffs this summer on certain Brazilian goods following the conviction of Lula’s predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro, for plotting a military coup. Lula had accused Trump of interfering in Brazil’s affairs and likened his behavior to that of an “emperor.”
On Monday, the Brazilian government described the half-hour conversation as conducted in a “friendly tone,” noting that the leaders “reminisced about the good chemistry” they shared in New York.
Lula framed the call as a step toward restoring cordial relations between “the two largest Western democracies” and pointed out that the US runs a trade surplus with Brazil. He asked that tariffs be reverted to their original 10% and that sanctions on certain Brazilian officials be lifted.
The two leaders exchanged phone numbers to facilitate direct communication.
Trump highlighted that the call primarily focused on economic and trade matters and indicated that further discussions would follow, with potential meetings in both Brazil and the United States.
Brazilian Vice-President Geraldo Alckmin described the conversation as “better than expected” and expressed optimism about future negotiations.
During the call, Lula extended invitations to Trump for next month’s UN climate summit in Belém, Brazil, suggested a meeting during the ASEAN summit in Malaysia, and offered to visit the US.
Trump has appointed US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to continue negotiations with Brazil’s vice-president, foreign minister, and finance minister.
A Brazilian government source close to Lula told the BBC that Rubio’s appointment as lead negotiator on the tariff issue was still under review by Vice-President Alckmin’s team. The source noted that while Rubio is part of the so-called “ideological wing” of the Trump administration, the government valued having a negotiator with direct access to Trump.
Another source involved in the talks, speaking on condition of anonymity to BBC Brasil, said that Lula’s government would have preferred a different interlocutor to Rubio.
