United States President Donald Trump and Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva met on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Kuala Lumpur, according to Brazilian officials. The meeting was described as “constructive” and has raised expectations for improved bilateral relations following recent U.S. tariff measures against Brazilian goods.
Lula characterized the encounter with Trump, who is known to support his political opponent, former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, as “great.” He stated that both nations’ negotiating teams would begin working immediately to address the tariffs and other trade-related issues. “We agreed that our teams will meet immediately to advance the search for solutions to the tariffs and sanctions against Brazilian authorities,” Lula said in a statement on X.
The U.S. imposed a 50% tariff on most Brazilian imports in July, up from 10%, which Trump attributed to what he called a “witch hunt” against Bolsonaro. Bolsonaro, a far-right leader, was recently sentenced to 27 years in prison for allegedly orchestrating a coup after losing the 2022 presidential election. His supporters later stormed the capital, mirroring the events of January 6, 2021, when Trump supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol.
In addition to the tariffs, the U.S. government has sanctioned several Brazilian officials, including Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who presided over Bolsonaro’s trial.
Despite these tensions, Trump expressed optimism ahead of the meeting, stating that he believed agreements could be reached with Lula and that the two countries could maintain strong ties. “I think we should be able to make some pretty good deals for both countries,” he said.
Lula had previously criticized the U.S. tariff increase as a “mistake,” citing a $410 billion trade surplus the U.S. has maintained with Brazil over the past 15 years. Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira confirmed that negotiations would start immediately and that Brazil has requested a temporary suspension of the tariffs during discussions. However, it remains unclear whether the U.S. has accepted this request.
“We hope to conclude bilateral negotiations that address each of the sectors of the current American [tariffs on] Brazil in the near future, in a few weeks,” Vieira said.
Lula also offered to assist in mediating between the U.S. and Venezuela, where Washington has deployed its largest warship and threatened ground strikes targeting alleged drug cartels. Caracas has condemned these actions as fabricated pretexts for war.
Bolsonaro was not mentioned during the Trump-Lula meeting, according to Marcio Rosa, executive secretary of Brazil’s Foreign Ministry.
Meanwhile, higher U.S. tariffs on Brazilian goods have begun to reshape the global beef trade, leading to increased prices in the U.S. and prompting Brazilian exporters to seek alternative markets through third countries like Mexico. At the same time, Brazilian exports to China continue to grow steadily.
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