Alckmin: Lula asked Trump for an immediate suspension of the 40% tariff.
In a phone conversation, Lula asked that 'while negotiations continue, the 40% be suspended'.
247 - Acting President Geraldo Alckmin (PSB) stated this Sunday (12), in Aparecida (SP), that President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) requested the President of the United States, Donald Trump, to immediately suspend the 40% tariff imposed on Brazilian products. The request was made in a telephone call on Monday (6), amidst negotiations to reduce trade barriers between the two countries.
The information was released by CNN Brazil, which highlighted Alckmin's statement to journalists. "President Lula's request to President Trump was that, while negotiating, he suspend the 40%. That was the request. While negotiating, suspend the 40%," the vice-president explained.
Lula-Trump meeting and Marco Rubio's role
The meeting between Lula and Donald Trump took place on October 6th. On that occasion, the US president designated Secretary of State Marco Rubio to continue negotiations with the Brazilian government. Representing Brazil in the negotiations are Alckmin, Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira, and Finance Minister Fernando Haddad (PT).
According to Alckmin, Rubio should not represent an obstacle. "I don't believe so. President Trump's guidance was very clear. We want to have a dialogue and reach an understanding. And Brazil has always defended that," he stated.
Next steps in the negotiation
On Friday (17), Mauro Vieira will have a meeting with Marco Rubio in Washington. The meeting should address not only the surcharge, but also restrictive measures applied against Brazilian authorities, such as the Magnitsky Act and the revocation of visas.
In addition to technical discussions between their teams, Lula and Trump also agreed on an in-person meeting soon. The Brazilian leader suggested that the meeting could take place at the ASEAN Summit in Malaysia, but also expressed his willingness to travel to Washington.
Economic impact
According to data presented by Alckmin, 42% of Brazilian exports to the United States were not affected by the tariff increase. However, approximately 34% of products manufactured in the country are directly impacted by the surcharge, which reaches 50% in some sectors.
Negotiations in the coming weeks will be crucial to reducing the impact on the Brazilian economy and redefining bilateral trade between Brasília and Washington.
