Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva received a phone call on Monday morning (6) from his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump, just days after the two met briefly on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
According to Brazil’s presidential office (Planalto), the call lasted around 30 minutes and took place in a “friendly tone.” In a statement, the government’s communications office said both leaders recalled the “good chemistry” of their meeting in New York and reiterated the positive impression it left.
During the call, Lula described the conversation as an opportunity to restore “201 years of friendly relations between the two largest democracies in the West.” He highlighted that Brazil is one of only three G20 countries with which the U.S. maintains a trade surplus in goods and services. Lula then requested the removal of the 40% tariff recently imposed on Brazilian products, as well as the lifting of restrictive measures applied against Brazilian authorities.
Trump, for his part, designated Secretary of State Marco Rubio to lead negotiations on behalf of the U.S. Lula appointed Vice President Geraldo Alckmin, Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira, and Finance Minister Fernando Haddad to represent Brazil.
Both presidents also expressed interest in meeting in person soon. Lula suggested a possible encounter at the upcoming ASEAN Summit in Malaysia, renewed his invitation for Trump to attend COP30 in Belém, Brazil, and signaled his willingness to travel to the U.S. The two leaders even exchanged personal phone numbers to maintain direct communication.
Also present during the call were Secom chief Sidônio Palmeira and special presidential advisor Celso Amorim, alongside Alckmin, Vieira, and Haddad.
Bilateral ties between Brazil and the U.S. have been under strain since Trump’s government announced steep tariffs on Brazilian goods and sanctioned Brazilian officials, including Supreme Federal Court (STF) justices and members of Lula’s administration. Trump has admitted that the measures were intended to influence the ongoing trial of former president Jair Bolsonaro, who was sentenced to 27 years in prison. The push for sanctions was reportedly coordinated by Bolsonaro’s son Eduardo Bolsonaro and Paulo Figueiredo, son of Brazil’s last military dictator João Figueiredo.
