Overview
- Lula requested removal of the additional 40% surtax on Brazilian goods and the U.S. restrictions on Brazilian officials during a roughly 30-minute call.
- The presidents exchanged phone numbers, described the discussion as positive, and agreed to meet soon, with a possible encounter at the ASEAN summit in Malaysia and an invitation to COP-30 in Belém.
- According to Brazil’s readout, Trump designated Secretary of State Marco Rubio to lead the next phase of trade negotiations with Vice President Geraldo Alckmin and other senior Brazilian officials.
- U.S. duties were lifted from a 10% baseline to about 50% on many Brazilian products and were paired with Magnitsky sanctions, including measures targeting Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes and visa revocations.
- Reports cite sharp declines in Brazilian coffee and beef shipments to the U.S. since the tariffs took effect, adding pressure for a negotiated rollback even as all measures remain active.