Kuala Lumpur (AFP) – Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Monday a trade deal with the United States could happen within days, possibly easing punitive tariffs after months of animosity. Lula met President Donald Trump at an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit on Sunday, after urging the US leader earlier this month to lift punitive 50 percent trade tariffs.
“I’m convinced that in a few days we’ll have a definitive solution….so that life can continue well and happily,” Lula told reporters in Malaysia on Monday. The two leaders of the Americas’ largest economies stand on polar opposite sides on issues such as multilateralism, international trade, and the fight against climate change. Trump has instituted a 50 percent tariff on many Brazilian products. He has also imposed sanctions on several top officials, including a Supreme Court judge, to punish Brazil for what he termed a “witch hunt” against former president and ally Jair Bolsonaro.
In September, Brazil’s Supreme Court sentenced Bolsonaro to 27 years in prison for his role in a botched coup bid after his 2022 election loss to Lula. Trump again on Sunday told reporters he felt “very badly about what happened” to Bolsonaro. “I’ve always thought he was a straight-shooter, but you know, he’s going through a lot,” Trump said. Asked by a reporter whether Bolsonaro would form part of Trump’s discussions with Lula, Trump replied: “None of your business.”
– ‘Surprisingly good’ – Lula, who turned 80 on Monday, stressed that the issue about Bolsonaro had ended after his talks with Trump, saying the jailed politician “is part of the past of Brazilian politics.” Relations between Trump and Lula first began to thaw when the leaders had a brief meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in September. They then spoke by phone on October 6. On Monday, Lula said his meeting with Trump had been “surprisingly good.”
“He (Trump) assured me that we are going to have an agreement,” he said. Brazilian officials on Monday added they were in a “much more positive scenario” than a few weeks ago. “We are making spectacular progress,” said Marcio Rosa, executive secretary for Brazil’s foreign ministry. Brazil’s Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira said he and other officials had met US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. “We agreed to work towards building a satisfactory agreement for both parties in the coming weeks,” Vieira said.
Lula is returning to Brazil on Tuesday, after visits to Indonesia and his first attendance at the ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur, highlighting Brazil’s growing partnership with the region.
© 2024 AFP
