Trump announces meeting with Brazilian President Lula amid tariff dispute

Reuters

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he will meet Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva next week, as tensions between Washington and Brasília deepen over tariffs and sanctions.

Speaking at the UN General Assembly in New York, Trump said the two leaders had agreed to hold talks after a brief encounter at the venue. “I saw him, he saw me, and we actually agreed that we would meet next week,” he told delegates.

Relations between the two countries have worsened following Trump’s decision to impose tariffs of up to 50% on Brazilian imports. He said the measures were a response to “censorship, repression, weaponization, judicial corruption, and targeting of political critics” in Brazil.

The U.S. has also sanctioned Brazilian Supreme Court justices over alleged restrictions on freedom of expression and the prosecution of former President Jair Bolsonaro.

Trump defended the tariffs as part of efforts to “defend sovereignty and security”, adding that Brazil risked further decline unless it cooperated with Washington.

Lula has criticised the measures as interference in Brazil’s sovereignty and democracy.

Tags