Lula Ends Europe Trip in Lisbon With Push to Make Portugal Brazil’s EU Gateway

Overview

• Lula, who ended his five-day Europe trip Tuesday, made a five-hour stop in Lisbon to meet President António José Seguro and Prime Minister Luís Montenegro.
• He said Portugal should be the main entry point for Brazilian companies into Europe as the EU–Mercosur pact starts provisional application on May 1.
• He pointed to Embraer’s plant in Évora, operating since 2012, as a model for expanding Brazilian industrial investment in Portugal.
• Trade between Brazil and Portugal reached about US$4.5 billion in 2025, with Brazil running roughly a US$2 billion surplus and investments spanning steel, machinery, and energy.
• The leaders also addressed migration as about 500,000 Brazilians live in Portugal and laws since 2025 have tightened residency, work visas, and paths to citizenship, while police reported rival protests in Lisbon without clashes.