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

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Lula to meet Vietnamese leaders in Hanoi to boost ties

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Business delegation with Lula includes Embraer ( ERJ ), JBS

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JBS eyes meat plant if Brazil beef import approved, sources say

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Embraer ( ERJ ) in talks to sell planes to Vietnam, sources say

By Francesco Guarascio

HANOI, March 20 (Reuters) - Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will visit Vietnam next week, bringing with him a business delegation including executives from planemaker Embraer ( ERJ ) 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.

Brazil wants also to increase exports to Vietnam and is asking Hanoi to authorise imports of its beef, the official said confirming earlier reports on Vietnamese state media.

BUSINESS TALKS

The opening of the Vietnamese market for Brazilian beef is a precondition for an investment that Brazil's food giant JBS is considering in Vietnam, three people briefed about the talks, including the Brazilian official, told Reuters.

The company is studying building a meat-processing hub in northern Vietnam, its first plant in Asia, with a possible investment of tens of millions of dollars, the three people said, declining to be named because the information was not public.

JBS declined to comment.

Separately, Embraer ( ERJ ) is also in talks for the possible sale of ten E190 narrow-body jets to flag carrier Vietnam Airlines, the Brazilian official said.

It is also trying to sell C-390 military transport planes, with a possible showcase flight in Vietnam in May, the official and an industry source said.

Embraer ( ERJ ) declined to comment. Vietnam Airlines did not reply to a request for comment.

Hanoi is in talks with the U.S. to buy C-130 military transport planes produced by Lockheed Martin ( LMT ).

Vietnam is one of the world's fastest-growing aviation markets and local carriers have long been seeking to expand their fleets.

In recent days senior executives from aviation giants Airbus and Boeing ( BA ) met top Vietnamese officials, according to state media and an internal agenda seen by Reuters. Vietnam is also working on the approval of China's COMAC jets. (Reporting by Francesco Guarascio; Additional reporting by Phuong Nguyen; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)