By Kavita Mistry 
Top trade negotiators from the US and Brazil are set to meet Monday after President Donald Trump predicted the nations could “pretty quickly” strike a trade deal as he met with counterpart Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
Trump said the pair “get along very well” and indicated a willingness to claw back the punishing tariffs he had imposed on Brazil in recent months in a spat over the prosecution of his right-wing ally, Jair Bolsonaro.
“We should be able to make some pretty good deals for both countries,” Trump said as the leaders met in Malaysia, which is hosting a regional summit.
More formal negotiations had been expected to kick off just hours after the presidents met, with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio aiming to meet Sunday night with Brazil Foreign Affairs Minister Mauro Vieira and the deputy minister of Development, Industry, Trade and Services Marcio Rosa.
Later on Sunday, Brazilian negotiators and Greer talked on the phone and set an in-person meeting for Monday morning, according to Lula’s administration.
“The meeting was very positive, and the overall result is highly satisfactory,” Vieira said in a press conference after the presidential conversation.
The tone was a marked shift from recent months, where Trump and Lula have traded missives in public statements.
“There’s no reason for having any kind of conflict” between Brazil and the US, Lula said in the meeting, adding that he was hopeful he soon could announce “good news.”
Vieira said that in addition to renewing Brazil’s request regarding the tariffs, Lula also asked for sanctions on Brazilian officials to be lifted. The Brazilian foreign minister said he expects the negotiations to be concluded “within a few weeks.”
Lula offered to serve as an interlocutor in relations with Venezuela. The US has struck down multiple boats it says were carrying drugs from Venezuela in recent months, prompting speculation that it may be preparing to attack the country on land. Though Brazil has avoided any direct involvement, Lula had previously told Trump in a phone call that a military conflict in South America would be devastating for the region.