Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva met with US President Donald Trump in Washington on Thursday amid rising trade disputes and mounting political pressure ahead of Brazil’s presidential election later this year.
The high-level meeting came at a sensitive moment for Lula, whose approval ratings have weakened as polls show a tight contest against Flavio Bolsonaro, son of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.
After nearly three hours of discussions at the White House, Lula described the talks as a major step toward improving ties between the two largest democracies in the Americas.
Speaking to reporters at the Brazilian Embassy in Washington, Lula said both nations have the potential to set a global example through stronger cooperation despite recent tensions.
Relations between Brasília and Washington have been strained since the Trump administration reintroduced aggressive tariff measures after returning to power in 2025. Trump had previously imposed retaliatory duties on Brazil following the sentencing of his political ally Jair Bolsonaro over his involvement in an alleged coup attempt.
Lula also pointed to major shifts in the global economy, saying US influence began declining after 2008 as China became Brazil’s leading trading partner. He stressed that Brazil is expanding economic cooperation with countries such as Canada and Japan to strengthen multilateral trade partnerships in response to what he called unilateral US economic policies.
The Brazilian leader further confirmed that the controversial Pix digital payment system was not discussed during the meeting despite criticism from Washington that it disadvantages American companies.
On security matters, Lula raised concerns over illegal firearms entering Brazil from the United States, urging closer bilateral cooperation to combat organized crime across the region.
“We need shared responsibility to tackle organized crime,” Lula said, emphasizing that weapons trafficked from the US have contributed to violence in South America.
Although a planned joint Oval Office press conference did not take place, Trump later described the meeting positively on his Truth Social platform, saying discussions focused mainly on tariffs and trade relations.
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