President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Monday urged US President Donald Trump to remove punitive tariffs on Brazil in the first-ever official talks between the two leaders.

After months of diplomatic animosity, Lula and Trump spoke for 30 minutes in a "friendly tone" and Lula raised the possibility of an in-person 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.

Diplomatic ties have become increasingly strained 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.

Trump has imposed a 50-percent tariff on Brazilian products and imposed sanc

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