Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said he had a positive bilateral meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump on Oct. 26 and that the two nations’ teams will meet again “immediately” to find a solution on U.S. tariffs and sanctions.
Bolsonaro was charged and ultimately convicted of plotting a coup against the Brazilian government after losing the 2022 election. Judges in September sentenced him to 27 years and three months in prison. His lawyers say he plans to appeal the ruling.
Bolsonaro, who was also accused of attempting to assassinate Lula in connection with his alleged plot to overturn the election, has denied involvement in the scheme. His convictions include participating in an armed criminal organization and the attempted violent abolition of the democratic rule of law.
In addition to increasing tariffs on Brazil, the U.S. government also imposed sanctions on several Brazilian officials, including Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who oversaw Bolsonaro’s trial.
However, ahead of their meeting on Oct. 26, Trump said he could reach some agreements with Lula.
“I think we should be able to make some pretty good deals for both countries,” Trump said.
Lula had previously described Trump’s tariffs as a “mistake” while pointing out the $410 billion U.S. trade surplus with Brazil over 15 years.
The Brazilian delegation will meet with the U.S. delegation on Oct. 26, where they will immediately start negotiating solutions to the current impasse, according to Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira.
“We will establish a negotiation schedule and establish the sectors we will talk about so that we can move forward,” Vieira told reporters at the summit.
He noted that Brazil has asked the United States to pause tariffs while negotiations continue, but it’s not clear if the Trump administration agreed to the request.
Vieira said Trump was joined by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on Oct. 26.
“We hope to conclude bilateral negotiations that address each of the sectors of the current American [tariffs on] Brazil in the near future, in a few weeks,” Vieira said.
Marcio Rosa, executive secretary for the Brazilian Ministry of Development, Industry, and Commerce, who stood next to Vieira during the meeting, said Bolsonaro was not mentioned.
The increased U.S. tariffs on Brazilian products have shaken up the global beef trade, leading to rising prices in the United States while Brazil’s beef exports to its largest buyer, China, are surging.
Brazilian beef industry group ABIEC stated that it saw the meeting between Trump and Lula as a positive step forward.
“The understanding between the two countries can preserve the competitiveness of the Brazilian product, guarantee predictability for exporters and expand the presence of [Brazilian] beef in the North American market,” ABIEC said in a statement.
ABIC, a trade group that represents the Brazilian coffee industry, said it was confident in the historic bond between Brazil and the United States. Brazil is the world’s largest producer and exporter of coffee, and the United States is the largest buyer.
“The recent meetings between the presidents of the United States and Brazil have been more positive, and at ABIC we are optimistic,” Pavel Cardoso, ABIC’s president, said in a statement.
Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
