Brazil: Lula talks with Trump about tariffs

Written by David Fletcher 09 Oct 2025
Brazil: Lula talks with Trump about tariffs

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has urged Donald Trump to remove the 40% tariff recently imposed on Brazilian imports. The two leaders held a thirty-minute phone conversation, exchanging direct contact numbers and discussing trade and economic cooperation. Lula reiterated his invitation for Trump to attend the upcoming climate summit in Belém and said that Brazil remains one of the few G20 nations with which the United States enjoys a trade surplus. Trump described the discussion as positive, noting plans for future meetings in both countries. The tariffs, added to an earlier 10% duty, were justified by the Trump administration as a response to Brazil’s internal political instability following former president Jair Bolsonaro’s conviction for attempting a coup. Despite tensions, the leaders’ dialogue signals an effort to preserve economic ties and foster mutual understanding between the Western Hemisphere’s two largest democracies.

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