Brazilian officials hope the talks will yield the best possible outcome, given tensions last year over President Trump’s tariff policies.
Published May 7, 2026
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva met with US President Donald Trump at the White House, with talks expected to focus on trade, security and critical minerals as Lula seeks to mend rocky relations.
Thursday’s meeting between Lula and Trump brought together two of the world’s most prominent populists, despite sharp ideological differences.
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The two leaders were scheduled to answer questions from reporters together in the Oval Office, but they did not appear, sparking speculation that the talks would break down.
However, President Trump posted on social media praising the “very dynamic” meeting with his Brazilian counterpart.
“We talked about a lot of topics, including trade, especially tariffs. The meeting went very well,” President Trump said on Truth Social. He added that additional meetings are scheduled in the coming months.
Lula said he left the three-hour meeting in Washington “very, very satisfied.”
“It was an important meeting for Brazil, and I think it was an important meeting for the United States,” he told reporters at the Brazilian embassy.
“We have taken an important step in strengthening the relationship between Brazil and the United States. It is important that the United States regains attention to what is happening in Brazil.”
Despite marked differences on issues ranging from economic policy to international alliances, both leaders have built loyal political followings by standing against established elites.
Brazilian officials had hoped for the best outcome from the talks, given last year’s tensions over Trump’s tariff policies and his anger over the trial and conviction of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.
Last year, President Trump imposed a 50% tariff on Brazilian goods, the highest on any U.S. import, accusing the country of facilitating a witch hunt against Mr. Bolsonaro. Bolsonaro was later convicted of attempting to subvert democracy.
President Trump has since lifted most of the taxes on Brazilian beef and coffee, at least in part to calm soaring U.S. food prices.
Concerns about new tariffs
In February, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the global tariffs he had imposed under the National Emergencies Act and eliminated many of the remaining charges.
Brazilian goods are still subject to an additional 10% tariff, which is set to expire in July.
But in recent weeks, Brazil has shown signs that exports could be hit by new tariffs related to a Section 301 investigation into unfair trade practices.
Tensions over digital trade and Brazil’s high tariffs on some goods, including ethanol, continue as Brazil blocks the U.S.-backed World Trade Organization from renewing its suspension of e-commerce tariffs.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative also claimed last month that nearly half of Brazil’s timber exports come from illegal sources, a charge denied by Lula’s government, which maintained that deforestation rates had reached historic lows.
The trip comes amid a difficult domestic scenario for Lula, who suffered two blows from Congress last week.
The House of Representatives overrode Bolsonaro’s veto of a bill to reduce his sentence, and the Senate rejected his nomination to the Supreme Court, the first such move in more than 100 years.
The 80-year-old leader will seek a fourth nonconsecutive term in October’s election. Opinion polls currently show him tied with Bolsonaro’s senatorial son Flavio.
