Brazil's Lula asks Trump to remove tariffs and sanctions

BRASILIA: Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva asked President Donald Trump to remove the 40% tariff on Brazilian goods and the restrictive measures applied by the U.S. against local authorities, Brazil's government said on Monday.

The two leaders held a 30-minute call earlier in the day and agreed to meet in person "soon," the statement said, adding the call had a friendly tone.

Lula suggested a meeting during the ASEAN Summit in Malaysia, and expressed his willingness to travel to the United States, according to the statement.

Both presidents exchanged phone numbers to establish a direct line of communication, Brazil's government added.

Brazilian Finance Minister Fernando Haddad told reporters in Brasilia after the meeting that the call was "positive." Vice President Geraldo Alckmin and Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira also participated.

Last month, following a brief encounter at the U.N. General Assembly in New York, Trump said he planned to meet with Lula and highlighted their "excellent chemistry."

A meeting between the two leaders has been closely watched by Brazilian markets after the country was hit with one of the highest tariff rates.

Initially, Brazil faced the minimum 10% tariff, but Trump later raised the rate to 40% on several key exports, bringing the total levy to 50%.

At the time, Trump said the tariffs were a response to what he described as a "witch hunt" against former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, his ally, who was later sentenced to 27 years in prison for attempting to stage a coup to remain in power after he lost the 2022 elections to Lula.

The Trump administration sanctioned Brazil's Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who oversaw Bolsonaro's case, under the Magnitsky Act. It also revoked the visas of six high-ranking officials, including Brazilian Solicitor-General Jorge Messias.

Without naming Trump directly, Lula said at the U.N. General Assembly last month that there was no justification for unilateral and arbitrary measures targeting Brazil's institutions and economy.