Lula Says Brazil, U.S. to Meet “Immediately” to Resolve Tariff Dispute

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said on Sunday that he had a “positive meeting” with his U.S. counterpart, President Donald Trump, and that their teams would begin talks “immediately” to address tariff and other trade issues.

The two leaders met on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to ease tensions between Brazil and the United States after Trump raised tariffs on most Brazilian imports from 10% to 50% in early August.

“We agreed that our teams will meet right away to work toward resolving the tariffs and sanctions imposed on Brazilian officials,” Lula said in a post on X following the meeting.

Trump had linked the tariff hike to what he called a “witch hunt” against former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.

The U.S. government also imposed sanctions on several Brazilian officials, including Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who oversaw the trial that led to charges against Bolsonaro for attempting a coup.

Before Sunday’s meeting, Trump had hinted that he was open to striking a deal with Lula. “I think we can reach some very good agreements for both countries,” he told reporters.

Lula had previously described the tariff hike as a “mistake,” noting the $410 billion U.S. trade surplus with Brazil over the past 15 years.

Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira said that talks to find a solution would begin immediately and that a meeting with the U.S. delegation was scheduled for Sunday.

“We will set a negotiation timetable and identify the sectors to be discussed so that we can move forward,” Vieira told journalists at the summit, adding that Brazil had requested the suspension of tariffs during the negotiation process.

It was not immediately clear whether Washington had agreed to that request.

Vieira said Brazil hoped to conclude discussions covering all sectors affected by U.S. tariffs “within the coming weeks.”

Márcio Rosa, Executive Secretary of Brazil’s Ministry of Development, Industry and Commerce, who stood alongside Vieira, said Bolsonaro’s name did not come up during the meeting.

The higher U.S. tariffs on Brazilian goods have begun reshaping global beef trade, driving up prices in the United States and encouraging rerouting through third countries such as Mexico. Meanwhile, Brazil’s exports to its largest beef market, China, have surged.

The Brazilian Beef Exporters Association (ABIEC) welcomed the Lula–Trump meeting, calling it “a positive step.”

“Greater understanding between the two countries could preserve the competitiveness of Brazilian products, ensure predictability for exporters, and strengthen the presence of Brazilian beef in the North American market,” the group said in a statement.

Globally, Brazil’s total beef exports — including fresh and processed meat, edible offal, and tallow — generated $1.92 billion in revenue in September, reaching a volume of 373,867 metric tons, up 49% in value and 17% in volume compared to the same month last year.