Trump and Brazilian President Lula have a “friendly” call

President Donald Trump and his Brazilian counterpart Louis Inasio Lula da Silva had a call described by both sides as friendly and positive, as Brazil seeks to reduce 50% of the US tariff for imports.

In video chat on Monday, Lula asked Trump to eliminate most duties. Trump said on social media that they had a “very good phone call”.

For the first time, the two officially spoke, as last month they had a brief meeting at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Relationships were icy as Trump raised the rates this summer to 50% on some Brazilian goods in response to the process of the ancestor of Lula, Jeir Bolsonaro.

Lula has accused Trump of foreign intervention and acts as an “emperor”.

But on Monday, the Brazilian government said the two leaders had spoken in a “friendly tone” for half an hour and “recalled the good chemistry” they had in New York.

Lula described the meeting as an opportunity to “restore” the friendly relations between the “two largest Western democracies” and reiterated that the United States had a trade surplus with Brazil.

He requested that the tariffs be reduced to their original 10%, and the sanctions of some Brazilian officials be removed.

The two exchanged phone numbers to keep in touch directly.

Trump told his truth a social platform: “This (the call) was most focused on the economy and trade between our two countries.

“We will have additional discussions and meet in the not too distant future, both in Brazil and in the United States.”

Brazilian Vice President Geraldo Alkmin described the call as “better than expected” and said he was optimistic about conversations between the two countries.

Lula invited Trump to the UN Climate Summit next month in Belem, Brazil, suggested that he meet during the ASEAN summit in Malaysia and offered to travel to the United States.

Trump has appointed Secretary of State Marco Rubio to continue negotiations with Vice President of Brazil, Foreign Minister and Finance.

A source within the Brazilian government, close to Lula, told the BBC that the appointment of Rubio, as the leading negotiator on tariffs is still being reviewed by the team led by Vice President Alkmin.

The source noted that the Brazilian government did not neglect the fact that Rubio was considered part of the so -called “ideological wing” of the Trump administration.

On the other hand, the source added that it is preferable for the government to have a negotiator who is directly related to the president and has his approval, not with someone without direct communication with Trump.

Another source, also included in the negotiations and speaking of the BBC Brasil, provided for anonymity, was more resilient: they said the Lula’s government would prefer a different interlocutor to Rubio.