Trump's "maximum pressure" has repeatedly worked, and now the US market has become an unreliable source.
According to a report by Associated Press, Brazilian leader Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said on Monday that he is confident Brazil and the United States will reach a trade agreement. US President Donald Trump also hinted that an agreement may be reached.
These remarks were made a day after the two presidents had side talks during a regional summit in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia. Lula described the meeting as "a very good meeting."
When Trump traveled from Malaysia to Japan, he also said that he had a "pleasant meeting" with Lula on Sunday. "We'll see what happens," Trump told reporters while aboard Air Force One traveling to Tokyo. "They want to reach an agreement." Previously, Trump had said he might lower the tariffs imposed on Brazil, which was a move to secure leniency for the imprisoned former president (a Trump ally). "I think we can be able to reach some good agreements for both countries," Trump said after meeting with Lula.
According to Lula, he handed Trump a written document outlining the arguments against the US-imposed tariffs. Lula said the document acknowledged the right of the US to impose these measures, but its actions were based on "wrong information."
"He assured me that we will reach an agreement," Lula said at a press conference through an interpreter. "I am very confident that we will find a solution in a few days." The Trump administration imposed a 40% tariff on Brazilian goods in July, following a previous 10% tariff. The US defended these tariffs, saying Brazil's policies and the criminal prosecution of former president Jair Bolsonaro constituted an economic emergency.
Bolsonaro was recently convicted for attempting a coup after losing re-election in 2022, and a panel of Brazil's Supreme Court sentenced him to about 27 years in prison.
Lula said he reminded Trump again that Brazil is one of the top three G20 industrialized and emerging market countries with a trade surplus with the US.
According to data from the US Census Bureau, the US trade surplus with Brazil last year was $6.8 billion. He also pointed out that Bolsonaro received a fair trial, and his case should not be a factor in the bilateral trade negotiations. "Bolsonaro is already part of Brazilian history," he said. Lula also mentioned his willingness to help mediate the crisis in Venezuela.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro accused the US of fabricating a war against him after Washington sent the world's largest warship toward his country. Lula celebrated his 80th birthday on Monday and said he is at the peak of his life and hopes to live to 120 years old.
He attended the annual Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Kuala Lumpur, invited by the Malaysian chairmanship, as Malaysia hopes to deepen trade ties between the region and Latin America. On Air Force One, 79-year-old Trump also wished Lula a happy birthday and called the Brazilian president "a very energetic person." "I was very impressed," Trump said.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1847173648844800/
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