Overview
- The presidents met at the White House on Thursday in a closed-door session with no joint press event, and both later said the talks went well.
- They ordered their teams to keep negotiating on trade and security, with Brazilian media reporting a follow-up meeting within 30 days.
- Tariffs dominated the agenda after last year’s steep U.S. duties on Brazilian goods, alongside a U.S. probe of PIX, Brazil’s free instant-pay system that Washington says hurts Visa and Mastercard and that Brasília defends as public infrastructure.
- Both sides discussed critical minerals as the U.S. seeks supply chains outside China and Brazil insists any extraction include processing in Brazil to build local industry and jobs.
- Security cooperation remained sensitive as U.S. officials weigh terrorist labels for Brazil’s PCC and Comando Vermelho, which Brazil opposes, and Lula said Trump told him he does not plan to invade Cuba.