President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva stated on Monday (27) that he is optimistic regarding the suspension of the tariffs imposed on Brazil by the United States and that, in a few days, the countries should reach an agreement.
“I had a good impression yesterday in the meeting [with President Donald Trump] that soon, soon there will be no problem between the United States and Brazil,” stated Lula, during a press conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, at 11 a.m. on Monday (27), local time (midnight in Brazil).
“I am convinced that, in a few days, we will have a definitive solution between the United States and Brazil so that life goes on good and joyful the way Gonzaguinha said in his song,” he added.
In the meeting, Lula said he reinforced the argument that the United States records a surplus in trade with Brazil, with no need to tax Brazilian products. Lula said he delivered a document with the topics he intends to address in the negotiations.
“I am not claiming anything that is not fair for Brazil and I have on my side the truest and most absolute truth in the world, the United States does not have a deficit with Brazil, which was the explanation for the famous taxation to the world, that the United States would only tax countries with which they had a trade deficit,” he said.
Asked by journalists if Trump made any promise to Brazil, Lula joked saying he is not a saint to receive promises.
“For me, what he has to do is commit. And the commitment he made is that he intends to make a very high-quality agreement with Brazil.”
According to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mauro Vieira, who also took part in the press conference, in the coming weeks, meetings of the teams from both countries will occur to build an agreement.
“We agreed to work to build a satisfactory agreement for both parties. In the coming weeks, we agreed on a schedule of meetings between the negotiating teams to address the negotiations of both countries with a focus on the sectors most affected by the tariffs,” he stated.
The executive secretary of the Ministry of Development, Industry, Commerce and Services, Márcio Rosa, said that the discussions with the United States are “advancing spectacularly well”.
“Brazil requests the reversal of the political decision taken [regarding the taxation]. The political aspects that could exist are no longer there, what should never have been on the table is no longer there. Thanks to this position, today we are discussing a trade agreement and not ones of other natures that are not commercial,” Rosa highlighted.
Venezuela and COP
In the meeting with Trump, the president also placed himself at Brazil’s disposal to help in the negotiations with Venezuela.
“That was very clear, if Brazil needs to help, we are available, we are available to negotiate,” he said.
“Brazil has no interest in there being a war in South America. Our war is against poverty and hunger. If we don’t manage to solve the problem of hunger and misery, how are we going to wage war? To kill the hungry? We can’t think that everything is resolved at the point of a gun, which it isn’t,” he added.
Lula also said he reinforced the invitation for Trump to participate in the 30th United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP30), which will take place in November in Belém. The U.S. president announced the country’s exit from the Paris Agreement, in which countries commit to reducing pollutant gas emissions, among other measures to reduce global warming.
“I invited him to go to the COP again, I said to him: ‘It’s important that you go to say what you think. If you don’t believe in these things, go there so you can say what you think.’ We can’t pretend there is no climate situation,” he said.
Other markets
In the press conference, the Brazilian team also emphasized the importance of the visits to Indonesia and Malaysia, countries with which Brazil intends to expand relations.
“Southeast Asia is the epicenter of global growth, a dynamic zone and hub of technological innovation that is at the center of the priorities of Brazil’s foreign policy of diversifying partnerships and attracting investments,” stated Minister Mauro Vieira.
President Lula also told journalists that Malaysia will have Brazil’s support to become a full member of the Brics. Currently, the country is one of the group’s partners.
Lula turns 80 years old on this October 27. He began the press conference by saying he is at the best moment of my life. “I have never felt so alive and with so much desire to live.”
Source: Agência Brasil