Lula and Xi discuss BRICS unity and new trade opportunities

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Chinese President Xi Jinping have pledged to deepen BRICS cooperation and expand bilateral trade, during an hour-long phone call focused on multilateralism and resisting tariff pressures from the U.S.

The two leaders spoke on Monday, agreeing on the importance of BRICS and the G20 in defending multilateralism, Lula’s office said. Both also committed to seeking new areas of business cooperation, with agriculture a central focus of their economic relationship.

Lula has said he intends to raise the issue of U.S. tariffs with BRICS members, after President Donald Trump labelled the bloc “anti-American” and threatened further trade measures. China last week voiced support for Brazil in resisting what it called the “bullying behaviour” of excessive tariffs, without directly naming Washington.

Xi described BRICS as a key platform for building consensus in the Global South and said Beijing was ready to work with Brasília to set an example of unity and self-reliance among major developing nations, according to Chinese state media Xinhua. He added that bilateral ties were “at their best in history” and urged joint efforts to address global challenges, including promoting a political settlement to the Ukraine crisis.

China is the world’s largest importer of soybeans, sourcing most of them from Brazil. Recent years have also seen Brazilian coffee producers gain access to the Chinese market after steep U.S. tariffs hit the industry. Both countries signalled readiness to expand such trade flows alongside broader diplomatic cooperation.

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