President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and the President of the United States, Donald Trump, had a 30-minute videoconference conversation this Monday (6). On that occasion, Lula requested the withdrawal of the 50% surtax imposed by the U.S. government on Brazilian products.
Earlier, Finance Minister Fernando Haddad described the conversation between the two heads of state as “positive” from an economic standpoint.
“In a friendly tone, the two leaders talked for 30 minutes, recalling the good chemistry they had in New York on the occasion of the UN General Assembly. The two presidents reiterated the positive impression of that meeting,” informed the Planalto.
According to the Planalto, the phone call took place at Trump’s initiative. The two presidents even exchanged phone numbers to establish a direct line of communication.
In the conversation, Lula said that the contact represents an “opportunity to restore the 201 years of friendly relations between the two largest democracies in the West”.
He recalled that Brazil is one of the three G20 countries with which the United States maintains a surplus in the balance of goods and services. Subsequently, he requested the withdrawal of the 50% surtax imposed on national products, in addition to the restrictive measures applied against Brazilian authorities.
“President Trump designated Secretary of State Marco Rubio to follow up on the negotiations with Vice President Geraldo Alckmin, Chancellor Mauro Vieira, and Finance Minister Fernando Haddad,” informed the Planalto.
The two presidents agreed to meet in person soon. Lula suggested that the meeting take place during the ASEAN Summit in Malaysia. He reiterated the invitation to Trump to participate in COP30 in Belém; and also offered to travel to the United States.
Source: Agência Brasil