Photo: screengrab from the official website of Brasil 247

By Brasil 247 - Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is to meet Monday, September 22, 2025, in New York with Shou Zi Chew, the chief executive officer of TikTok. The meeting, announced on the official presidential schedule, highlights the government's push to attract large-scale foreign investment into Brazil's technology infrastructure.

The meeting follows recent remarks by Brazil's Minister of Mines and Energy, Alexandre Silveira, who disclosed that TikTok is negotiating a potential 50 billion reais ($9.2 billion) investment to build data centers in the country, with the northeastern state of Ceará as a leading candidate. "I am very confident that Ceará will receive good news about the TikTok data center. There are negotiations underway," Silveira said, adding that a specific policy was created to facilitate such a project at the Port of Pecém.

Mounting expectations for new data centers

The potential TikTok project is part of a broader government initiative to make Brazil a hub for digital infrastructure. In July, Lula signed a decree including data centers among enterprises eligible for benefits under Brazil's Export Processing Zones (ZPEs), which offer tax, exchange, and administrative incentives.

The administration is also advancing a National Data Center Policy (PNDC) that would grant full federal tax exemptions on equipment and products acquired by companies building data centers in the country. The plan is currently under review by the presidential chief of staff's office.

Why it matters

Analysts see the prospective TikTok investment as strategically significant for three reasons:

1.Digital infrastructure — New data centers would boost Brazil's capacity for data storage, cloud services, and artificial intelligence applications.

2.Renewable energy — The Northeast stands out as a prime location thanks to abundant wind and solar resources, meeting the environmental demands of large-scale data operations.

3.Regulatory stability — The deal hinges on long-term legal and tax predictability, a condition major tech firms consider essential for commitments of this magnitude.

Broader impact

If confirmed, TikTok's multibillion-dollar project would generate jobs, attract complementary technology businesses, and reinforce Brazil's role as a regional leader in digital infrastructure. Lula's direct engagement with Shou Zi Chew in New York underscores his administration's determination to present Brazil as a stable and attractive destination for international capital.

(Reported by Brasil 247 on September 22, 2025)