Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva asked United States President Donald Trump to lift the 40 percent additional trade tariff imposed by the US government on Brazilian imports, in a phone call on Monday.The leaders spoke for 30 minutes. During the call, they exchanged phone numbers in order to maintain a direct line of contact, and President Lula reiterated his invitation for Trump to attend the upcoming climate summit in Belem, according to a statement from Lula’s office.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of listThe apparently friendly call may signal a turnaround in relations between the two, which have been strained in recent months, experts say. It also follows Trump’s comment that he had “excellent chemistry” with his Brazilian counterpart after the two had a brief, unscheduled meeting and even exchanged a hug on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York last Tuesday.“I was surprised indeed,” Lula said about embracing the US president. “I was going to get my papers and leave, then Trump came to my side. A very friendly face, very nice, you know? I think there was some chemistry indeed.”Since then, both sides have suggested that a formal, in-person meeting between the two could happen later this month.Trump and Lula have been at loggerheads since July, when the US leader imposed tariffs totalling 50 percent on Brazilian exports (the 40 percent tariff plus a 10 percent standard tariff imposed by the current administration in Washington on all nations). In announcing those tariffs on Brazil, Trump …
