US President Donald Trump and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Tuesday spoke over a phone call and discussed trade, the economy and fighting organized crime, both sides said.
While briefing reporters at the White House on Tuesday, Trump said he and President Lula also discussed sanctions - which is an apparent reference to his administration's targeting of Brazil's judiciary over the criminal case of right-wing former President Jair Bolsonaro.
"We had a very productive call with President Lula of Brazil. Among the things discussed were Trade, how our Countries could work together to stop organised crime, Sanctions imposed on various Brazilian dignitaries, Tariffs, and various other items," Trump wrote on Truth Social.
"President Lula and I established a relationship at a meeting which took place at the United Nations, and I believe it set the stage for very good dialogue and agreement long into the future. I look forward to seeing and speaking with him soon," he further wrote.
Brazil's presidential palace said in a statement that Lula thanked Trump for his decision to remove additional tariffs on US imports of Brazilian goods including coffee and beef, and added that Brazil seeks to progress on talks about products still affected by the levies.
Trump last month removed the 40 per cent tariffs on several Brazilian food products, which also included cocoa and fruits, that he had announced in July to punish Brazil over the prosecution of Bolsonaro, a Trump ally.
During the 40-minute call on Tuesday, which the Brazilian presidential palace called "very productive," Lula also stressed the urgency of strengthening cooperation with the United States to fight international organised crime, according to its statement.
The two leaders spoke amid recent US actions in the region, including a massive military buildup in the Caribbean and three months of US strikes on suspected drug boats off Venezuela's coast.
(With agency inputs)
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