Obama to talk economy, trade with Brazil's president

WASHINGTON (CNN) -

From jet fighters to science students to the upcoming Summit of the Americas, there are plenty of topics for President Barack Obama and visiting Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff to discuss during her White House visit Monday.

It is Rousseff's first official visit to Washington as Brazilian president and comes more than a year after Obama went to Brazil, shortly after Rousseff came to power in the South American country, which is the world's sixth-largest economy.

Two-way trade between Brazil and the United States last year totaled around $74 billion, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, and the balance has gone from a U.S. deficit to a surplus in recent years.

Brazil has recently announced a series of measures to boost economic growth and rein in its overvalued currency, including slashing interest rates and levying taxes on short-term currency inflows. At the same time, Brazil complains that low U.S. interest rates amid sluggish recovery are hurting foreign trade partners.

Monday's talks will focus on economic ties and other bilateral and regional issues as part of the leaders' "ongoing dialogue regarding the growing partnership between the United States and Brazil," the White House said in a statement.

Brazil's Foreign Ministry said the visit "will allow the deepening of the Brazil-United States relationship, and advance bilateral dialogue between the countries."

While no specific agenda has been released, topics likely to come up include the search by both countries for new military aircraft, with Brazil concerned that the United States recently halted plans to purchase Brazilian training planes in order to seek a possible U.S. manufacturer.

At the same time, Brazil is considering whether to buy new jet fighters of its own from either the United States or France.

Rousseff also is expected to talk about her country's "Science Without Borders" program, which seeks to send 100,000 students overseas for science education and training, including 20,000 to the United States.

After her White House visit Monday, she will travel Tuesday to Boston to speak at two desired destinations of Brazilian science students -- Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

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