Lula and Trump signal a reset as Brazil–US tensions ease after months of tariff threats and political friction

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and US President Donald Trump appear to be steering their countries toward a political détente after months of trade fights, courtroom drama involving Jair Bolsonaro, and unusually sharp diplomatic exchanges.

The two leaders spoke for 40 minutes on Tuesday, a call both sides described as “productive,” signalling a shift away from the acrimony that defined most of the year.

Lula said he used the conversation to stress “the urgency of strengthening cooperation with the US to combat international organised crime,” noting that Trump expressed “full willingness” to work on joint initiatives.

Trump, meanwhile, framed the call as a continuation of the unexpectedly warm encounter the pair had at the UN General Assembly in New York.

“President Lula and I established a relationship [at the UN]… and I believe it set the stage for very good dialogue and agreement long into the future,” he wrote on Truth Social. “Much good will come out of this newly formed partnership!”

The tone marks a sharp departure from the turbulence that defined relations earlier this year.

The diplomatic chill began after Trump returned to the White House and quickly aligned himself with former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, who faced charges in Brazil for attempting to overturn the 2022 election.

When Brazil’s attorney general brought the case forward, Trump publicly protested. By July, he was threatening, and later imposing, 50 percent tariffs on key Brazilian exports unless the case was dropped.

The US also slapped sanctions and visa bans on Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who oversaw much of the Bolsonaro investigation. Lula denounced the moves as “blackmail” and an assault on Brazil’s judicial independence.

Bolsonaro has since been sentenced to 27 years in prison and taken into custody, a development that removed one of the key political flashpoints.

A surprising handshake-hug at the UN General Assembly in September seemed to break the ice. Trump later said the two had “excellent chemistry” and that he only works with people he likes, “and he liked me, I liked him.”

The leaders met again on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Malaysia, and on November 20, Trump began unwinding the tariff hikes on Brazilian coffee, cocoa, beef and other exports.

Now, the latest phone call suggests both men see strategic upside in stabilising relations, Brazil wants trade predictability and space to distance itself from Washington’s Bolsonaro-era pressure campaigns, while Trump is courting regional alliances during a volatile geopolitical moment.