President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva briefly met with US President Donald Trump on Tuesday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
The encounter, which lasted less than a minute, is seen as paving the way for a more substantive discussion in the coming days, likely in a virtual format.
According to Brazilian outlet InfoMoney, Lula’s government sees room for advancing commercial dialogue.
However, officials close to the president stressed that political requests from Washington — particularly any move that would allow former President Jair Bolsonaro to return to political life — are “absolutely out of the question.”
Commercial agenda on the table
According to Lula administration officials, the United States’ priorities are still unclear.
American authorities have made no formal economic demands since President Trump announced tariff increases on Brazilian companies earlier this month.
On Tuesday night, Finance Minister Fernando Haddad emphasised the importance of shifting conversations to “things that really matter,” emphasising economic unity and mutual investment.
He noted that prior administrations’ negotiations centred on productive change, specifically clean energy, rare minerals, and biofuels.
The Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade, and Services, which oversees trade negotiations, is also assessing whether the Trump administration will raise the topic of regulating internet platforms.
Trump has joined major internet businesses in opposing content filtering, describing it as censorship.
Tariffs and trade concerns
Trump explained his decision to slap a 50% surcharge on Brazilian producers by noting the ongoing Supreme Court lawsuit against Bolsonaro and what he called unfair tariffs on US exports.
However, eight of the top ten US exports to Brazil are already duty-free.
Privately, officials of Brazil’s business sector see the possibility of meaningful trade discussions with Washington as encouraging.
However, some express concern that US demands may be “absurd or downright disadvantageous” to Brazil.
Critical minerals at the forefront
Access to Brazil’s reserves of critical minerals — including lithium, niobium, and rare earths used in batteries, wind turbines, and LED screens — is expected to be a priority for Washington.
These resources are considered vital to the global energy transition.
In July, US chargé d’affaires Gabriel Escobar raised the issue with Brazilian mining representatives, among them Raul Jungmann, president of the Brazilian Mining Institute and a former justice minister.
Jungmann later relayed the proposal to Vice President Geraldo Alckmin.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has acknowledged the possibility of negotiating over these minerals.
In an interview with Reuters that month, he said his government planned to create a presidential council to oversee strategic minerals as a matter of national sovereignty.
While stressing that “no one lays their hands” on Brazil’s resources, he also left the door open to foreign participation in exploration projects.
Next steps
For now, the contours of US-Brazil talks remain undefined.
Lula’s government signals openness on commercial issues—from trade integration to energy cooperation, but insists that any political demands, particularly regarding Bolsonaro’s legal troubles, are non-negotiable.
With tariff tensions rising and critical minerals in play, the upcoming meeting between Lula and Trump could mark the beginning of a complex new chapter in bilateral relations.
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