Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva met US President Donald Trump at the White House on May 7 for a working-format bilateral meeting. Lula confirmed that PIX was not raised by either side during the discussions. 'He didn't touch on the subject, I also didn't touch it,' Lula stated afterward.
PIX's mandatory participation rules were identified as a potential trade barrier in the USTR's 2026 National Trade Estimate report. The USTR listed PIX alongside ethanol subsidies and deforestation-linked imports as areas of bilateral trade friction. Both leaders agreed to establish a 30-day ministerial working group to develop a joint tariff framework.
PIX processed 7.44 billion transactions worth R$3.53 trillion in March 2026, its highest monthly volume on record. The working group's early June deadline will determine whether digital payment infrastructure enters the formal tariff negotiation agenda.