President Donald Trump welcomed Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to the White House on Thursday for a closely watched meeting centered on trade disputes, tariffs, and international security issues. Thursday’s meeting marked Lula’s first White House visit during either of Trump’s nonconsecutive terms and signaled an effort by both governments to stabilize relations despite ongoing political and economic disagreements.
Although the meeting had originally been expected to include a joint appearance before reporters in the Oval Office, the press event was ultimately canceled. Lula departed the White House after roughly three hours of closed-door talks, without addressing the media alongside Trump.
The discussions came amid strained relations between the two countries after the Trump administration imposed a 50% tariff on Brazilian imports and sanctioned Brazilian Supreme Federal Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes over cases involving former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, a longtime Trump ally.
In addition to trade, the leaders reportedly discussed global security concerns, including tensions involving Iran. Lula said he shared with Trump a copy of a 2010 nuclear agreement negotiated by Brazil and Turkey with Iran, arguing that diplomacy had once offered a path toward limiting nuclear development. Lula has previously criticized Trump’s military actions involving Iran, calling the conflict “madness” and saying Trump “has no right to wake up in the morning and threaten a country.”
Trump later described the meeting positively on Truth Social, calling Lula “very dynamic” and saying discussions covered trade and tariffs. He added that representatives from both governments would continue negotiations in the coming weeks, with additional meetings expected later this year.
Lula later spoke to reporters at the Brazilian embassy, where he said he left the talks “very satisfied” and described the conversation as important for both nations. Brazilian officials also characterized the discussions as productive and confirmed that both sides plan to continue talks aimed at reducing U.S. tariffs on Brazilian goods. The Brazilian president said he had chosen not to participate in a press conference before the meeting took place, arguing that it made little sense to answer questions before the leaders had spoken privately.
Despite political differences and past clashes, relations between the two leaders appear to have improved over recent months. Trump has repeatedly defended Bolsonaro, who is facing legal action over an alleged coup attempt following Brazil’s last presidential election, describing the case as a “witch hunt” and accusing Brazilian courts of political persecution.
Still, Trump and Lula have maintained communication since first meeting backstage at the U.N. General Assembly last year, where both leaders publicly noted unexpectedly positive chemistry. They later met again during Trump’s trip to Malaysia and have spoken several times by phone since then.