Lula urges Trump to lift tariffs on Brazilian goods in first phone call
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva held his first phone conversation with US President Donald Trump on Monday, described by Brazil’s presidency as taking place in a “friendly tone.”
During the call, Lula requested that Trump remove the tariffs the United States imposed on Brazilian products last August.
Lula was joined by Vice President Geraldo Alckmin, Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira, Finance Minister Fernando Haddad, and senior adviser Celso Amorim. The discussion was scheduled following a brief greeting between the two leaders on 23 September during the UN General Assembly in New York.
The Brazilian government’s main objective was to address the 50% tariffs affecting a wide range of Brazilian exports, measures introduced by Trump in response to the Supreme Court of Brazil sentencing former President Jair Bolsonaro to 27 years in prison. Bolsonaro, a key ally of Trump in Latin America, had long been a contentious figure in bilateral relations.
Foreign Minister Vieira stressed that Lula’s intention was to negotiate the tariffs alone, without questioning Brazil’s sovereignty or the authority of its judiciary. “Political reasons related to Supreme Court decisions have no place in negotiations between sovereign states,” Vieira stated, highlighting that the US has historically benefited from the bilateral trade balance over the past 15 years.
The conversation marks a first step in restoring dialogue on economic matters between Brazil and the United States, with Lula seeking to protect Brazilian exports while maintaining a constructive and amicable tone in relations with Washington.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
