Trump had several constructive interactions with Brazil's Lula on trade, Trade Representative Greer says

By Andrea Shalal

WASHINGTON, Dec 10 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump has had several constructive interactions on trade with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, and the Latin American country ​seems to be a willing partner, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said on Wednesday.

Greer told ‌an event hosted by the Atlantic Council that the U.S. would like to have a better trade relationship with Brazil, but it ‌would take both sides to make concessions.

"We would like to in the near term have some kind of deal with Brazil. It may not solve every problem, but there are things that they can do. They seem to be quite willing partners," he said. "Of course it takes both sides' willingness to actually make concessions."

Greer ⁠gave no further details on the ‌timing or scope of a potential trade deal between the two countries.

Relations between the two countries have improved in recent months after Trump last month removed 40% ‍tariffs on several Brazilian food products, including coffee, cocoa and fruits, while leaving in place a 10% base tariff. Trump announced the higher tariffs in August to punish Brazil over the prosecution of right-wing former President Jair Bolsonaro, a ​Trump ally and Lula's rival.

Greer said Brazil had been a challenging and important trade partner historically, noting ‌that the United States was investigating Brazil's tariffs and non-tariff policies as part of a probe into Brazil's alleged "unfair" trading practices.

Those include suspected illegal deforestation of the Amazon, which USTR says harms the competitiveness of U.S. timber producers, and what it describes as Brazil's preferential tariff rates for U.S. competitors.

Trump spoke with Lula about trade, the economy and fighting organized crime in a phone call last week, with Lula ⁠later saying he expected further reductions in tariffs.

In addition, Trump ​had non-trade concerns about what he sees as the weaponization ​of law and judicial systems in Brazil, Greer said.

On Tuesday, Lula stated that he told Trump that if the U.S. wants to help in the fight against organized crime ‍in Brazil, the Trump ⁠administration should arrest a Brazilian businessman who lives in Miami, who Lula only identified by describing him as the country's biggest debtor and as "one of the big bosses of Brazilian organized crime."

Earlier ⁠in September, Lula in a forceful speech delivered at the opening of the UN General Assembly also said that Brazilian sovereignty ‌is non-negotiable, criticizing external attacks on the Brazilian judiciary and unilateral measures imposed on ‌the country.

(Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Aurora Ellis)