President Donald Trump said he spoke with his Brazilian counterpart, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, about sanctions the US imposed on officials from the South American country, a signal that relations between the two nations continue to improve.
“We had a great talk. We talked about trade. We talked about sanctions, because, as you know, I sanctioned them having to do with certain things that took place. But we had a very good talk. I like him,” Trump told reporters on Tuesday at the White House.
Trump earlier this year sanctioned Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, his wife and an institute affiliated with him in retaliation over the prosecution of former President Jair Bolsonaro for his role in a failed coup attempt.
Lula, as the Brazilian leader is known, has gradually won over Trump since ties reached reached a low point over the probe of Bolsonaro, an ally of the US president.
Trump had imposed a 40% duty on exports from Brazil in retaliation for the Bolsonaro prosecution, on top of a 10% baseline levy — amounting to one of the highest tariff rate imposed on goods from any US trading partners.
The president last month expanded tariff breaks on Brazilian food products, including beef, coffee and orange juice, amid growing voter dissatisfaction over his handling of the cost of living.
The two leaders also spoke about the fight against organized crime and the economy during a call that lasted about 40 minutes, Lula’s office said in a statement earlier Tuesday.
Lula indicated his desire to move quickly on negotiations over tariffs on other items, his office said.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
