Brazil’s president tells Trump that rationale for US tariffs ‘unfounded’

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva told US President Donald Trump on Friday that the rationale behind Washington’s recently imposed tariffs on Brazilian goods was “unfounded,” according to the Brazilian presidency.

In a phone call that lasted an hour and 20 minutes, Lula said the tariffs hurt both countries and called for continued negotiations, according to a Brazilian statement. Trump agreed on the need to maintain strong trade ties and proposed that the two sides meet again soon, it said.

The US last month imposed 25% tariffs on some Brazilian goods over alleged unfair trade practices, along with 12.5% tariffs linked to alleged lax enforcement of forced labor.

Earlier this month, Brazil opened a process seeking further consultations with US trade authorities, a move that could lead to reciprocal measures against Washington.

In the call, Lula reiterated Brazil’s interest in cooperating with the US to combat organized crime but said criminal gangs operating in Brazil should not be equated with terrorist organizations, a designation Washington applied to two of them in May.

Trump expressed willingness to strengthen bilateral cooperation and said he would mobilize senior US officials to follow up on agreements reached in the area, according to the Brazilian presidency.

The leaders also exchanged views on major global conflicts, particularly the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.

According to the Brazilian presidency, both agreed on the urgency of finding a negotiated solution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, now in its fourth year. Trump also shared his views on prospects for resolving the conflict with Iran.

Lula also proposed convening an extraordinary meeting of the UN Security Council to seek diplomatic solutions to current crises, according to the Brazilian government.