President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva urged Donald Trump to resume negotiations over US tariffs on Brazil during a Friday phone call, seeking to soothe relations with Washington ahead of the country’s October election.
The leftist Lula pushed back on US allegations of unfair trading practices that led to the imposition of 25% tariffs on many Brazilian goods, telling Trump they were “unfounded” during a call that lasted more than one hour, Brazil’s government said in a statement.
Trump proposed that officials from both governments meet as soon as possible, Brazil said. He told Lula he would have top advisers return to the table, and asked the Brazilian to call him directly if any difficulties arose, according to a person familiar with the call.
Later Friday, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer contacted Brazil’s trade ministry about a meeting aimed at resuming talks, the ministry said in a statement. Trade Minister Márcio Elias Rosa and officials from Brazil’s foreign affairs ministry are expected to meet with US trade officials next week, although a date hasn’t been set, according to the statement.
A White House official confirmed the phone call between Lula and Trump but didn’t provide details. The Office of the US Trade Representative didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
The conversation is the first the leaders have held since they met at the White House in early May as they continued to rebuild relations after a trade dispute last year.
Later that month, ties frayed anew when the US designated two major Brazilian criminal groups as terrorist organizations before imposing the tariffs in July.
The moves helped plunge the US and Brazil into a diplomatic dispute, with Lula accusing Washington of attempting to interfere in its election on behalf of right-wing presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro.
In late July, Brazil blocked visas for two State Department officials out of fears they planned to question the integrity of its election system. The US then revoked the visa of Brazil’s ambassador to Washington, although she remains allowed to work in the country, after alleging that Lula’s government had delayed approval for its envoy to Brasilia.
Trump also asked Lula about how the presidential race is going, the person familiar with the call said. The Brazilian replied that the election is proceeding smoothly while touting the reliability of the country’s voting system, the person said.
Lula and Trump squabbled last year after the US leader slapped 50% tariffs on Brazilian goods in an unsuccessful bid to help former President Jair Bolsonaro — Flávio’s father — dodge coup attempt charges. They began mending ties after a brief encounter at the United Nations General Assembly, and Trump lifted the most punishing of the levies.
Lula also reiterated his interest in cooperating with the US to combat organized crime, saying Brazil has the tools to confront the groups without a special designation, according to the Brazilian government statement.
Disclaimer: This report is auto generated from the Bloomberg news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.