The President of Brazil, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silvadeclared on Tuesday that he maintains a friendly relationship with his US counterpart, Donald Trumpand reduced the impact of tariffs that Washington imposed and then reduced on Brazilian products by presenting a political and economic review at the end of the year at the Planalto Palace in Brasilia.
“Even the imposition of tariffs that the United States imposed on Brazil was ultimately irrelevant. When many thought Trump and I were going to war, we ended up becoming friendsLula said during an official event at the Brazilian government headquarters.
The President listed the reorganization of bilateral relations with the United States among the positive news that, in his opinion, marked the end of the year. Lula claimed that relations with Washington were at a critical moment, but stressed that the scenario had changed after a series of direct contacts with the US president.
At the same event, the Brazilian head of state also referred to the internal economic situation and highlighted price developments. He pointed out that interannual inflation was 4.46%, below the upper limit of the target set for this year. Lula linked this achievement to the need to sustain political and social efforts.
“We must always believe and never give up. You have to fight all day and never give up“, the President explained to those present at an event where a decree was signed to recognize gospel music as a national cultural manifestation.
The relationship between Brazil And USA In the middle of this year, the country experienced an unprecedented crisis when President Trump announced the application of 50 percent tariffs on Brazilian imports. The move, the White House said at the time, was in response to the court case that led to the former president’s conviction. Jair Bolsonaropolitical ally of the Republican president, sentenced to 27 years in prison for attempted coup.
These tariffs were compounded by a series of measures taken by the Trump administration. These included launching an investigation into alleged trade abuses attributed to Brazil, sanctions against the judge who oversaw Bolsonaro’s trial and revoking visas of senior Brazilian officials. These decisions strained diplomatic ties between the two countries.
The scenario began to change after a brief meeting between Trump and Lula in the corridors of the United Nations General Assembly in New York in September. From this first contact, diplomatic channels and direct dialogue between the two governments were reactivated.
From that moment, the heads of state and government resumed talks at the highest level. As Lula reports, both heads of state and government held several telephone conversations and agreed to meet in person on October 26 in Kuala Lumpur. This approach marked a turning point in bilateral relations.
As a result of the ongoing negotiations USA decided to reduce or eliminate tariffs that burdened some Brazilian products. In addition, Washington lifted sanctions imposed on the judge investigating Bolsonaro’s trial, one of the most sensitive points of the diplomatic conflict.
Within this framework, Brazil and the United States also agreed to advance the organization of official visits. Lula and Trump agreed to hold meetings in Brasilia and Washington, but without setting a specific date for these trips.
(With information from EFE)
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