Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said on Friday he would let US President Donald Trump know that the tariffs imposed on his country were a “mistake” during a possible meeting in Malaysia at the Asean summit this weekend.
Officials from both countries said this week that talks were underway for a meeting between the two leaders at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations regional summit in Kuala Lumpur.
The beginning of relaxation?
Donald Trump imposed customs duties of 50% on Brazilian products and targeted Judge Alexandre de Moraes and his wife in particular with economic sanctions, accusing them of orchestrating “a witch hunt” following the sentencing of former President Jair Bolsonaro to 27 years in prison for attempted coup d’état in September.
But relations between Trump and Lula began to improve when the leaders, both 79, met briefly on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in September. They then spoke by phone in early October and first raised the possibility of meeting at the Asean summit. During this meeting, Lula asked Donald Trump to lift surcharges on part of Brazil’s exports.
Source: BFM TV
