U.S. President Donald Trump met with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva behind closed doors at the White House to speak about trade, security and critical minerals, g1 reported on May 7. No formal agreement was announced, but U.S. and Brazilian officials agreed to discuss tariffs in the coming weeks, and both leaders independently described the meeting in positive terms.

The meeting follows a rapprochement between Trump and Lula since September 2025, after a deterioration in bilateral relations culminating in the U.S. imposition of 50% tariffs on Brazilian goods in July. The U.S. government has grown increasingly interested in Brazil's rare earths deposits, the second-largest globally. Flavio Bolsonaro, former President Jair Bolsonaro's eldest son and a presidential candidate, is polling on par with Lula, who is seeking reelection.