Listen to the article
Brazil’s Lula Ready to Call Trump Directly on Tariff Disputes
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announced Tuesday his intention to personally contact Donald Trump if negotiations over U.S. tariffs on Brazilian goods fail to advance in the coming weeks.
“I have his number, he has mine. I have no trouble calling him,” Lula told reporters ahead of the United Nations’ COP30 climate summit in Belém, a city situated on the edge of the Amazon rainforest.
The tariff dispute intensified when Trump signed an executive order on July 30 imposing 50% tariffs on numerous Brazilian products. These measures have significantly impacted bilateral trade relations between the two largest economies in the Americas. Despite the U.S. maintaining a $6.8 billion trade surplus with Brazil last year according to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Trump administration has linked the tariffs to Brazil’s domestic policies and the prosecution of former President Jair Bolsonaro.
Lula and Trump previously discussed the possibility of reaching a trade agreement during a meeting in Malaysia in October. The Brazilian president now appears determined to resolve the issue after the climate summit concludes.
“When COP30 ends, if a meeting between my negotiators and his is not yet scheduled, I’ll call Trump again,” Lula said, noting that Vice President Geraldo Alckmin and Finance Minister Fernando Haddad are eager to continue discussions. “I won’t have any issue in going to Washington, going to New York [to discuss tariffs] and I hope that he has no problem in coming to Brazil.”
The Brazilian leader emphasized the importance of maintaining respectful relations between the two nations, describing them as “the biggest democracies in the Western world.” He added, “The more we respect each other, the more cordial we are with each other before the world, the best it will be for the U.S. and for Brazil. That’s how I do politics.”
The tariff issue isn’t the only point of contention between the two leaders. Lula also expressed concern about U.S. military actions in Venezuela, urging Latin American states to help prevent conflict in the region. He revealed that he is considering attending a Community of Latin American and Caribbean States meeting in Colombia next week, where the 33-member body will discuss U.S. military operations in the region.
Trump’s recent military actions in the Caribbean have reportedly resulted in dozens of casualties among individuals accused of being members of a drug cartel allegedly led by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Last month, Trump authorized CIA covert actions inside Venezuela and doubled the bounty for Maduro’s capture.
“I told Trump that Latin America is a region of peace,” Lula said. “I don’t want us to reach the point of a U.S. ground invasion of Venezuela.” He suggested that the United States could better support countries in their fight against drug trafficking through assistance rather than military intervention.
Lula recalled his diplomatic efforts during the Bush administration following a coup attempt against then-Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez in 2002. “At that time I suggested we create a group of friends of Venezuela. I put the U.S. there, I put Spain,” Lula said. “It was not a group of friends of Chávez. We eventually reached a deal.”
On domestic matters, Lula criticized recent police operations in Rio de Janeiro that resulted in 121 fatalities during a massive raid targeting a drug trafficking gang on October 28. He described the operation as “disastrous” and called for independent forensic investigations to determine what occurred in Rio’s favelas during the intense gunbattles.
The developing situation highlights the complex diplomatic challenges facing Brazil as it navigates relationships with the incoming Trump administration while addressing regional security concerns and domestic law enforcement issues.
Fact Checker
Verify the accuracy of this article using The Disinformation Commission analysis and real-time sources.
7 Comments
The tariffs have clearly had an impact on bilateral trade, so it’s good to see Lula willing to engage Trump directly. Hopefully they can find a mutually beneficial solution that works for both countries’ economies.
Absolutely. A constructive dialogue between the leaders could lead to a positive outcome for trade between the U.S. and Brazil.
It will be interesting to see if Lula is able to make progress on the tariff issue through direct talks with Trump. Their personal relationship could play a key role in finding a compromise.
This tariff dispute has created tensions, but Lula’s willingness to engage Trump directly is a positive step. Constructive dialogue between the leaders may be the best path forward.
Agreed. Resolving trade frictions through diplomatic channels is often more effective than escalating tensions. Lula’s approach seems prudent.
Lula’s personal outreach to Trump signals the importance he places on resolving this tariff dispute. As the two largest economies in the Americas, cooperation between Brazil and the U.S. is crucial.
This could be an interesting development in the U.S.-Brazil trade relationship. Lula seems committed to resolving the tariff dispute directly with Trump. It will be worth watching how the negotiations unfold in the coming weeks.