“I was pleased to receive a call from President Trump, a 15-minute conversation. I understood what he wanted and intended to do and give my arguments to him,” Bolsonaro said in a Facebook live broadcast after the call on Friday.

He became convinced of my arguments and decided to tell us all that our steel and aluminum will not be overcharged. That way our policy remains the best possible.

President Trump said he had a “great call” with Bolsonaro in a tweet soon after the conversation, noting that the two leaders discussed trade, though he did not elaborate further on any decision to hold off on new levies. An American source cited by Reuters appeared to confirm Bolsonaro’s account of the call, however.

In early December, Trump accused Brazil and Argentina of “presiding over a massive devaluation of their currencies,” which he said was harmful to the American agricultural sector, and vowed to slap tariffs on steel and aluminum imported from both countries, “effective immediately.”

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