WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump will host Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Thursday for talks about shared economic and security issues, a White House official said, speaking on condition of anonymity about a meeting that has not been officially announced.
The leftist Lula and Trump have had an up-and-down relationship since the U.S. leader’s return to the White House last year.
Trump hit Brazil with steep tariffs and has pressed Brazilian authorities over their prosecution of former President Jair Bolsonaro for his involvement in a coup plot.
The Trump administration imposed a 40% tariff on Brazilian products in July on top of a 10% tariff hike earlier. The U.S. president justified the tariffs by saying that Brazil’s policies and criminal prosecution of Bolsonaro constituted an economic emergency.
But Trump later loosened tariffs on Brazil as part of his effort to lower consumer costs for Americans.
Last month, the Brazilian leader came to the defense of Pope Leo XIV during a tense exchange of attacks between the pontiff and Trump over the war in Iran.
The 80-year-old Lula is running for reelection in October.
The Brazilian paper O Globo first reported the planned trip by the Brazilian leader.
