Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva asked U.S. President Donald Trump to remove the 40 per cent tariff on Brazilian goods and the restrictive measures applied by the U.S. against local authorities, Brazil’s government said on Monday.

The two leaders held a 30-minute call earlier in the day and agreed to meet in person “soon,” the statement said, adding the call had a friendly tone.

Lula suggested a meeting during the ASEAN Summit in Malaysia, and expressed his willingness to travel to the United States, according to the statement.

Both presidents exchanged phone numbers to establish a direct line of communication, Brazil’s government added.

In a social media post, Trump said the call was “very good,” adding it focused on economic and trade relations between the two

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