President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said on Thursday (Nov. 20), in a video posted on social media, that the US suspension of the 40 percent trade tariff on a specific list of Brazilian products was an important signal.

“It’s not everything I want, it’s not everything Brazil needs, but it’s an important step. President Trump has just announced that he will begin to reduce the tariff on several Brazilian products that were taxed at 40 percent. This is a very important result,” he said. Lula praised the US president’s decision and said he hoped the two could meet again in person in Brazil or the United States.

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“He [Trump] is invited to come to Brazil whenever he wants, and I hope to be invited to Washington to resolve any commercial or political disputes between Brazil and the United States,” he added.

Lula recorded the video alongside Vice President Geraldo Alckmin and Finance Minister Fernando Haddad in São Paulo, shortly before departing for South Africa to attend the G20 Summit. The president made a point of thanking Trump, albeit partially, and urged countries to work toward a comprehensive trade agreement.

“I will thank you only partially, because I will thank you fully when everything is completely agreed between us,” Lula stated.

Retroactive measure

US President Donald Trump announced on Thursday (Nov. 20) the withdrawal of the 40 percent import tariff on certain Brazilian products. The list released by the White House includes items such as coffee, tea, tropical fruits and fruit juices, cocoa and spices, bananas, oranges, tomatoes, and beef.

In the executive order published by the US Presidency, Trump states that the decision was made after a telephone conversation with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, “during which we agreed to begin negotiations to address the issues identified in Executive Order 14,323.” According to the publication, these negotiations are still ongoing.

The measure taken by the United States is retroactive to November 13, the same date as the most recent meeting between Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira and American Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington. On that occasion, they discussed the progress of negotiations to reduce tariffs.

The 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belém, scheduled to conclude this Friday (Nov. 21), may be extended to allow negotiators more time to reach consensus on the climate issues under discussion.

This is the assessment of COP30 President Ambassador André Corrêa do Lago, who, in an interview with TV Brasil, evaluated the impact of a fire at a stand in the Blue Zone, the official negotiation area, which led to the suspension of activities at the conference headquarters on Thursday (20) afternoon. The venue reopened later that evening.

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“Things have changed quite a bit. We are holding consultations with regional groups, both online and by phone. Tomorrow (21), now that the Blue Zone has reopened, negotiations will take place in the morning and continue throughout the day. We’ll see how long it lasts - COPs, as you know, generally run longer than expected. We want to move forward, but we’ll see how best to do that,” said Corrêa do Lago.

According to the ambassador, who acknowledged the complexity of the negotiations, a clearer sense of “when it will end” should be possible by late Friday afternoon (21).

“Everyone has already seen, through your coverage, that the negotiations are complex, geopolitics are challenging, and financial issues are difficult. But we feel there is a desire for a good and ambitious outcome here in Belém,” he said.

For the president of COP30, it is essential that the conference produces a strong outcome; otherwise, it could undermine multilateralism and its ability to deliver results that positively impact people’s lives.