President Lula departs for G7 summit amid trade tensions—what it means for diplomatic travel and visa demand

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva boarded the presidential Airbus on Sunday bound for Évian-les-Bains, France, where he will be guest of honour at the 50th G7 summit. His entourage of 70 officials and 30 business leaders marks Brazil’s largest outbound governmental mission since COP-30. The trip comes days after the United States signalled possible 25 percent tariffs on selected Brazilian imports and the EU confirmed a September ban on certain Brazilian meat products, raising the stakes for side-line negotiations. From a mobility standpoint, the visit concentrates consular resources in Europe. The Itamaraty has activated mobile passport-issuance units in Geneva and Paris to handle a forecast 40 percent spike in urgent-travel requests from Brazilian executives seeking last-minute lobby access. Corporations planning fly-in advocacy teams should note that the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs has reinstated mandatory pre-clearance for delegations of more than ten people attending summit venues—a requirement suspended after 2024. Air-fares on the São Paulo–Paris route rose 18 percent week-on-week, according to data from Anac’s marketplace dashboard, with premium-economy cabins almost sold out for departures through 16 June. Travel-managers are advising clients to route through Madrid or Zurich, where Schengen entry queues remain shorter than at Charles de Gaulle. Visa-wise, holders of Brazilian diplomatic and official passports remain exempt from Schengen visas, but supporting staff travelling on ordinary passports must secure Type-C visas; French consulates in Brasília and Rio have added Saturday appointments to cope with demand. Analysts also highlight a soft-power angle: success in brokering talks with Japan on an eventual Mercosur–Japan agreement could catalyse a new wave of business-traveller mobility between São Paulo and Tokyo, potentially reviving LATAM’s shelved direct Narita service.