BRICS, planes and beef in spotlight as Brazil's Lula visits Vietnam, sources say

Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will visit Vietnam next week, bringing with him a business delegation including executives from planemaker Embraer and food giant JBS that are both in talks for possible deals in the Southeast Asian country, sources said. Lula's second visit to Vietnam as president will take place as Vietnam, under pressure from the Trump administration to reduce its large trade surplus, is pledging to boost imports from the United States, including of farm products such as soybeans of which Brazil is a top exporter to the country. Lula will travel to Vietnam on March 27-29 after visiting Japan, according to the Brazilian government. Lula is expected to invite Vietnam to attend a BRICS summit in Brazil in July, a Brazilian official said, noting Vietnam was invited last year to become a BRICS partner but has so far not taken an official position on the matter. Vietnam's foreign ministry did not reply to a request for comment. Brazil's embassy to Vietnam declined to comment. The two countries are expected to agree on an action plan on defence, agriculture and energy, which could boost cooperation on ethanol, a fuel of which Brazil is a major global producer, the Brazilian official said.<br/>