Overview

• This follows a phone call confirmed by Itamaraty in which U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio invited Chancellor Mauro Vieira to a meeting in Washington and to convene their teams.
• Initial discussions will prioritize reversing or reducing the roughly 50% U.S. surtax that has hit Brazilian exports since August.
• Brazilian officials signal that U.S. sanctions on Brazilian figures, including Magnitsky designations, are unlikely to be resolved soon and may be sequenced after trade issues.
• Lula said his earlier conversation with President Donald Trump was cordial and opened a direct channel, setting the stage for ministerial contacts to prepare a leaders’ meeting.
• Brazilian diplomats and U.S. analysts emphasize that Rubio will carry out Trump’s instructions, so any deal will hinge on decisions by the U.S. president.