U.S. President Donald Trump and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva spoke this week in what both sides described as a “friendly” and “positive” conversation — a sign of possible
thawing relations after months of tension over trade tariffs.
During Monday’s video call, Lula urged Trump to roll back a steep 50% tariff the U.S. recently placed on certain Brazilian imports. The two leaders reportedly chatted for about 30 minutes, discussing trade, the economy, and the future of bilateral relations.
Trump later wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social, that the pair had a “very good telephone call,” adding that they plan to meet again “in the not too distant future” — either in Brazil or the U.S.
The conversation marks the first formal exchange between the two since a brief encounter at the United Nations General Assembly in New York last month. Relations had cooled earlier this year after Trump raised tariffs in response to the trial of former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, who was convicted of plotting a coup.
At the time, Lula accused Trump of acting like an “emperor” and interfering in Brazil’s internal affairs. But this week’s call suggests a shift in tone.
According to Brazil’s government, the presidents spoke “in a friendly tone” and even reminisced about their short meeting in New York, saying they wanted to “restore” the good chemistry between “the two largest Western democracies.”
Lula reminded Trump that the U.S. still enjoys a trade surplus with Brazil and asked that the tariffs be reduced back to their original 10%. He also pushed for the removal of sanctions against certain Brazilian officials.
In a sign of personal diplomacy, the two leaders reportedly exchanged phone numbers to stay in direct contact.
Brazil’s Vice President Geraldo Alckmin called the conversation “better than expected” and said he was optimistic about the next round of talks.
Lula invited Trump to attend next month’s UN climate summit in Belém, Brazil, and suggested they meet during the upcoming ASEAN summit in Malaysia. He also said he’s open to traveling to Washington for further discussions.
Trump has tasked U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio with leading negotiations on the tariff issue. However, a senior Brazilian official told the BBC that Lula’s team is still reviewing that appointment, saying they’d prefer to work with someone who has a direct line to the U.S. president.
Another source familiar with the talks was more blunt: Lula’s government “would have preferred a different interlocutor” than Rubio. Photo by Palácio do Planalto from Brasilia, Brasil, Wikimedia commons.