U.S. President Donald Trump and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva held a three-hour meeting at the White House on Thursday, discussing trade, tariffs, rare earth minerals, and regional security, according to both governments. The extended talks, which surpassed their scheduled duration, marked a diplomatic effort to steady relations between the two largest economies in the Americas despite stark ideological contrasts.

Trump, in a post on Truth Social, described Lula as a "very dynamic President" and said discussions included trade and tariffs, which had previously strained ties after Washington imposed sweeping duties on Brazilian goods in July over U.S. objections to the prosecution of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. Those tariffs were later eased following a prior meeting in Malaysia. Lula stated he was "very, very satisfied" with the discussions and emphasized his preference for dialogue over conflict, while acknowledging differences on U.S. foreign policy in Venezuela and Iran.

Both leaders addressed cooperation on combating organized crime, building on a April agreement to share customs data to intercept arms and drug trafficking. Lula proposed a global coalition, including all Latin American nations, to tackle transnational crime. They also discussed Brazil's vast rare earth reserves—the second-largest in the world—and potential partnerships for mineral development, as Washington seeks to diversify supply chains away from China.

Lula, facing a close re-election bid in October against Flavio Bolsonaro, son of the jailed former president, downplayed any expectation of U.S. political interference, saying Trump would respect Brazil's sovereignty. The Brazilian Congress recently advanced a bill to boost mineral exploration, which now moves to the Senate for debate.