Overview

• Brazil’s Foreign Ministry is working to arrange a phone or videoconference as the opening step, with both sides asked to keep details confidential, and the call is expected this or next week, according to Brazilian reports.
• Negotiators want the first exchange to prioritize reversing recent U.S. tariffs and unlocking investment tied to local processing of strategic resources such as rare earths.
• Presidential adviser Celso Amorim said the United States do not fool President Lula and pledged that Brazil will not grant concessions without compensation, adding that WTO disputes will not be withdrawn at this stage.
• Potential follow-up venues under discussion align with Lula’s travel to Italy for a mid-October FAO event and to Malaysia for the late-October ASEAN summit, with an in-person meeting explored at either stop.
• Commentary in Brazilian media says even a modest rapprochement could recalibrate domestic politics by weakening Jair Bolsonaro’s standing with U.S. backers.