 "Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (L) has hit out against US President Donald Trump after the latter slapped an additional 40 per cent tariff on Brazil, taking the total to 50 per cent. File image/AFP")
Brazil’s top diplomat appealed Thursday for the United States to reverse punitive tariffs but both sides spoke of a positive meeting after months of tension.Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira met in Washington with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US trade representative Jamieson Greer.
The two countries in a joint statement released by the US State Department said the officials had “very positive talks regarding trade and ongoing bilateral issues” and that they sought to “establish a working path forward.”
Vieira separately told reporters that the meeting was “very productive.”
Referring to tariffs, he said: “I reiterated the Brazilian position on the need to reverse the measures adopted by the US government since July, which will obviously require negotiation.”
President Donald Trump has imposed a 50 percent tariff on Brazilian products and slapped sanctions on a top Supreme Court judge, among others, as he seeks to punish Latin America’s largest economy over the prosecution of former far-right president Jair Bolsonaro, his ideological ally.
Bolsonaro was sentenced to 27 years in prison over a botched coup aimed at staying in power, which drew parallels to the January 6, 2021 riot at the US Capitol by Trump supporters.
But Trump shifted gears after a brief encounter at the United Nations last month with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, a veteran leftist.
Trump and Lula spoke by telephone 10 days ago and discussed meeting later this month on the sidelines of a regional summit in Malaysia.
Lula has refused to back down under pressure from the United States, holding out Brazil as a model of safeguarding democracy.