Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva held a 30-minute video call with U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday, October 6, during which he urged the removal of a 50% surcharge the U.S. government has imposed on Brazilian products.
According to Brazil’s Finance Minister Fernando Haddad, the discussion between both leaders was “favorable” from an economic standpoint. The meeting reportedly took place in a cordial atmosphere, with the two presidents recalling their earlier encounter during the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
“The conversation was friendly, and both leaders reaffirmed the positive rapport they shared during their previous meeting,” the Planalto presidential palace said in an official statement.
The statement added that the call was initiated by Trump, and the two leaders exchanged direct contact information to strengthen communication channels.
Lula emphasized that the renewed dialogue marks an opportunity to “restore the 201-year-old friendship between the two largest democracies in the West.” He also noted that Brazil remains one of the few G20 nations with which the U.S. maintains a trade surplus and called for the removal of the surcharge and other restrictions targeting Brazilian officials.
To advance talks, Trump appointed Secretary of State Marco Rubio to lead discussions with Brazil’s Vice President Geraldo Alckmin, Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira, and Finance Minister Haddad.
Both presidents agreed to meet in person soon. Lula proposed holding the meeting during the upcoming ASEAN Summit in Malaysia, while also inviting Trump to attend COP30 in Belém, located in the Amazon region. He further expressed willingness to travel to the U.S. for future talks.
