Trump and Lula's private Oval Office meeting signals effort to ease tension
US President Donald Trump met privately with Brazil's Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in the Oval Office. BBC reported the meeting as an effort to ease the lingering trade strain between the two countries. Agriculture, coffee and tariff disputes dominated the agenda.
The White House said Trump and Lula spoke one-on-one in the Oval Office for about an hour. According to BBC, the two leaders sought to soften the tone of a relationship that has frayed over tariffs in the past year. Brazil pushed for a review of duties imposed on Brazilian coffee and beef.
In statements after the meeting, Trump described Lula as a "tough but honest counterpart". Lula said the leaders had agreed to set up a technical working group on bilateral trade imbalances. Climate policy and the protection of the Amazon rainforest were also raised during the discussion.
BBC noted the format of the encounter, with both sides avoiding sharp public language. Economists said any tariff easing could pass through to commodity prices, particularly for coffee and soy. The working group is expected to deliver its first report in June.
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