Brazil’s Vice President Geraldo Alckmin. Photo: CFP

Brazil's Vice President and Minister of Development, Industry and Trade, Geraldo Alckmin, said on Tuesday that President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's upcoming trip to Washington is expected to focus on the complete removal of remaining US tariffs on Brazilian exports. The visit is scheduled for March, according to Brasil 247.

In remarks reported by Brasil 247, Alckmin said the so-called "tariff hike" imposed by the US has already been partially reduced in recent months but continues to affect a significant share of Brazilian exports. According to him, the issue will be one of the central topics in the talks between the leaders of the two nations.

"The expectation [for the trip] is positive and very focused on the Brazil-United States relationship. It has already improved. We had 37% of Brazilian exports to the US affected by the tariff hike; that has been reduced and today stands at 22%," Alckmin said. "The tariffs have already fallen considerably, but the idea is to bring them to zero. There is no reason to have such a tariff hike."

Alckmin noted that several sectors have already been removed from the list of products subject to the higher tariffs as a result of progress in bilateral negotiations. "We have already made significant advances. The entire meat sector, aircraft, orange juice, fruits, coffee — many products have already been taken out [of the tariff hike]," he said. "Now the idea is to focus strongly on some agricultural products and especially on industry, which is still facing a 50% tariff."

The Brazilian government assesses that a face-to-face meeting between the leaders of the two nations could help reorganize and strengthen bilateral relations. In addition to trade issues, the agenda is expected to include broader topics of mutual interest, such as developments in Latin America and cooperation in combating organized crime.

(Reported by Brasil 247 on Feb 3, 2026)