President Donald Trump said Monday he had a “very good” phone call with Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva — the first substantial conversation between the two leaders after years of public sparring over trade, energy policy, and the prosecution of conservative former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.
“We will be having further discussions, and will get together in the not too distant future, both in Brazil and the United States,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “I enjoyed the call — our countries will do very well together!”
The outreach marks a possible thaw in a relationship that has been icy since Lula returned to power and Trump took a hard line on what his team viewed as unfair treatment of Bolsonaro and unbalanced trade.
Background: A Rocky Relationship Over Trade and Bolsonaro’s Persecution
Trump and Lula have long been at odds. Earlier this year, Trump’s administration moved to defend American workers and producers by imposing a 40% tariff on Brazilian exports, targeting petroleum, soybeans, sugar, coffee, and iron and steel — industries that benefit from cheap production but have challenged U.S. competitiveness. Brazil is also America’s third-largest meat supplier, behind only Australia and Canada, a trade flow now under review.
The tariffs followed Trump’s criticism of Brazil’s left-wing government for what he described as a “witch hunt” against Bolsonaro. A Trump ally and longtime champion of free-market reforms, Bolsonaro was recently sentenced to 27 years in prison after a controversial trial tied to the 2023 protests against Lula’s return to power. Many on the right — both in Brazil and abroad — say the charges were politically driven.
In a June letter to Brasília, Trump said Brazil’s treatment of Bolsonaro was “an international disgrace,” and directed U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer to begin a Section 301 investigation — a formal step toward stronger trade action if Brazil continues to pursue policies seen as punishing political opponents and undermining fair competition.
New Signs of Diplomacy After UN Encounter
While Trump and Lula have been adversaries on key issues, there were hints of a possible reset last month at the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The two leaders briefly exchanged words and shook hands. Trump joked afterward that “at least for 39 seconds, we had excellent chemistry,” signaling an openness to dialogue if Brazil moves toward fairer treatment of political dissent and better trade terms.
Monday’s phone call appears to build on that opening. Trump’s message focused on mutual opportunity, but it’s clear he hasn’t forgotten the stakes: ensuring U.S. industry is protected and standing up for political allies abroad who face selective prosecution.
What This Could Mean
For Republicans watching U.S.–Brazil relations, this call may be a first step toward rebuilding a partnership with one of the hemisphere’s largest economies — but not without conditions. Trump’s position remains clear: Brazil must stop punishing Bolsonaro and adopt fairer trade practices if relations are to truly normalize.
