KUALA LUMPUR: Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva Monday said a trade deal with the United States could happen within days, possibly easing punitive tariffs after months of animosity.
Lula met President Donald Trump at an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit on Sunday, after urging the US leader earlier this month to lift punitive 50 percent trade tariffs.
“I’m convinced that in a few days we’ll have a definitive solution…. so that life can continue well and happily,” Lula told reporters in Malaysia on Monday.
The two leaders of the Americas’ largest economies stand on polar opposite sides on issues such as multilateralism, international trade and the fight against climate change.
Trump has instituted a 50 percent tariff on many Brazilian products. He has also imposed sanctions on several top officials, including a Supreme Court judge, to punish Brazil for what he termed a “witch hunt” against former president and ally Jair Bolsonaro.
In September, Brazil’s Supreme Court sentenced Bolsonaro to 27 years in prison for his role in a botched coup bid after his 2022 election loss to Lula.
Trump again on Sunday told reporters he felt “very badly about what happened” to Bolsonaro. “I’ve always thought he was a straight-shooter, but you know, he’s going through a lot”, Trump said.
Asked by a reporter whether Bolsonaro would form part of Trump’s discussions with Lula, Trump replied: “None of your business.”
