The Brazilian president expects a “definitive solution” in the coming days regarding the tariffs raised by the United States for Bolsonaro’s imprisonment.
Posted on October 27, 2025
A trade agreement between Brazil and the United States could be sealed in a few days, said Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Lula made the statement in Kuala Lumpur on Monday after meeting with US President Donald Trump. Lula has been seeking a deal since the White House imposed a 50 percent tariff on Brazilian exports in July due to legal pressure on former president and Trump ally Jair Bolsonaro.
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Lula described his meeting with Trump on Sunday, on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit, as “surprisingly good,” and said he received assurances that a deal could soon be reached.
“He guaranteed me that we would reach an agreement,” Lula said at a news conference. “I am very confident that in a few days we will reach a solution.”
Later, while heading to Japan, Trump also noted that a deal was likely to be reached after “a big meeting.”
“We’ll see what happens,” the US president told reporters. “They would like to reach an agreement.”
A deal could avoid punitive tariffs from the United States after months of animosity between Lula and Trump, whose relationship has strengthened since an unscheduled meeting at the United Nations in New York earlier this month.
The Trump administration imposed a 50 percent tariff on Brazilian products in July. He linked the decision to what the US president described as a “witch hunt” against Bolsonaro.
Lula said that during the meeting in Malaysia he presented Trump with a document in which he presented arguments against the increase in tariffs.
While the document recognizes that the United States has the right to impose the measures, its action was based on “misinformation,” the Brazilian president said.
Trump did not commit to suspending the tariff increases, but he also did not raise any conditions during their talks, Lula said.
“I am convinced that in a few days we will have a definitive solution, you know, between the United States and Brazil, so that life can continue well and happily,” he concluded.
“He guaranteed me that we would reach an agreement,” Lula said, speaking through an interpreter.
In another interview with journalists, Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira described the meeting as “very positive” and “very productive.”
“The meeting was very positive and the final result is excellent. President Trump stated that he will instruct his team to begin a process, a period of bilateral negotiations,” Vieira added.
Lula has previously called the US tariff a “mistake,” citing a $410 billion trade surplus with Brazil over the past 15 years.
He has also noted that far-right political figure Bolsonaro, who has been sentenced to 27 years in prison for attempting a coup after losing the 2022 presidential election, had received a fair trial and that his case should not be taken into account in his trade negotiations.
“Bolsonaro is part of the past now in the history of Brazil,” he said.
