Brazil Pushes for Full ASEAN Membership Amid Growing Trade and Diplomatic Engagements
President Lula advances Brazil's bid for full ASEAN membership, highlighting robust trade ties and plans for enhanced economic cooperation.
- • Brazil aims to become a full ASEAN member under President Lula's leadership.
- • Trade between Brazil and ASEAN exceeded $37 billion in 2024, ranking ASEAN as Brazil's fifth-largest trade partner.
- • Brazil currently holds a sectoral dialogue partnership with ASEAN since 2023.
- • Lula participated in ASEAN and East Asia Summits, meeting ASEAN leaders and US President Donald Trump.
- • Plans include expanding cooperation beyond trade to bioenergy, health, education, and climate initiatives.
Key details
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announced Brazil's intention to become a full member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) during his visit to the region in 2025. This move follows Brazil’s existing sectoral dialogue partnership with ASEAN, established in 2023, and highlights the country’s commitment to leveraging economic opportunities in the region's market of 680 million people.
Lula met with ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn in Jakarta, Indonesia, as part of his participation in the ASEAN Summit and the East Asia Summit, where he also held talks with U.S. President Donald Trump. Brazil’s trade with ASEAN exceeded $37 billion last year, making ASEAN Brazil’s fifth-largest trade partner. Lula emphasized the importance of strengthening multilateralism and expanding economic cooperation, especially in bioenergy, with future plans to extend collaboration to health and education sectors by 2026.
ASEAN, founded in 1967, fosters economic, political, security, and socio-cultural cooperation among its members, with Timor-Leste soon joining as the 11th member. Lula invited ASEAN leaders to the upcoming COP30 climate conference in Belém, Brazil, underscoring the potential for deeper environmental collaboration. His diplomatic outreach reflects Brazil's strategic aim to build diverse economic partnerships to enhance resilience and growth in its economy.