Sao Paulo, May 8 — Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva described his White House meeting with US President Donald Trump as an “important step” toward bolstering relations between the two largest democracies in the Americas.
Speaking to reporters at the Brazilian Embassy in Washington after their talks, Lula said the leaders discussed a range of issues including trade and tariffs, organised crime, critical minerals and national sovereignty. He argued the two countries can deepen cooperation while protecting their own interests.
Lula recalled that the United States was Brazil’s main trading partner for much of the 20th century before China’s economic presence grew after 2008. He said American firms often miss out on Brazilian infrastructure projects while Chinese companies actively win tenders for highways and railways.
Defending multilateralism, Lula criticised unilateral tariff measures and pointed to Brazil’s ongoing trade agreements and talks with blocs and countries such as the EU, EFTA, Singapore, Canada and Japan. He rejected suggestions that Brazil levies high duties on US goods, citing an average Brazilian tariff of about 2.7 percent, and proposed a bilateral working group on trade and tariffs to meet within 30 days.
The two leaders also addressed cooperation against organised crime, drug trafficking and arms smuggling. Lula urged a multilateral response, saying no single nation can tackle these challenges alone.
On critical minerals, he said Brazil is open to partnerships with companies from the US, China, Europe and Japan, while stressing that democracy and national sovereignty remain non-negotiable for his government.
