Brazil's Lula says he will call Trump again if negotiations do not progress soon

BELEM, Brazil (Reuters) -Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Tuesday he will call his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump again if talks between their countries do not progress by the end of COP30, the United Nations climate conference Brazil is hosting this month.

Lula and Trump met in Malaysia in October seeking to overcome tensions between Brazil and the United States after Trump increased tariffs on U.S. imports of most Brazilian goods to 50% from 10% in August.

"I left the meeting with President Trump certain that we will reach an agreement," Lula told reporters in Belem. "I told him that it was very important that our negotiators start talking soon."

Lula said that Vice President Geraldo Alckmin and Finance Minister Fernando Haddad are ready for a new round of negotiations and could travel to the U.S. if needed.

"When COP30 ends, if the meeting between my negotiators and his hasn't been scheduled yet, I'll call Trump again," the leftist leader added.

(Reporting by Katy Daigle and Lisandra Paraguassu; Writing by Gabriel Araujo, Editing by Alexandra Hudson)