Brazil's Lula asks Trump to remove tariffs

BRAZILIAN President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva urged US President Donald Trump to lift punitive trade tariffs in their first official talks Monday after months of animosity - with both suggesting an in-person meeting in the near future.

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The two leaders spoke for 30 minutes in a "friendly tone" and Lula raised the possibility of a meeting in Malaysia next month, the Brazilian presidency said in a statement.

Lula "requested the removal" of tariffs imposed on his country's products and sanctions against Brazilian officials.

Trump hailed "a very good telephone call" in a post on Truth Social.

"We will be having further discussions, and will get together in the not too distant future, both in Brazil and the US," he said, without adding details.

Ties have soured between Washington and Brasilia in recent months, with Trump angered over the trial and conviction of his ally, the far-right former president Jair Bolsonaro.