* Trump to restore tariffs on imports from Brazil, Argentina * Brazil stocks rise 1% after strong manufacturing data * Chilean peso firms as central bank intervention kicks in By Ambar Warrick Dec 2 (Reuters) - Brazil's real firmed on Monday as a spot auction by the central bank supported the currency following a tweet by U.S. President Donald Trump that said he was restoring tariffs on metal imports from Brazil and Argentina. Without going into details, Trump said he would restore tariffs on U.S. steel and aluminum imports, surprising officials in the two South American countries and prompting them to seek explanations. The real eased 0.4% immediately after the tweet, but reversed course after the central bank sold 9,600 reverse currency swap contracts and $480 million in spot currency. The Argentine peso was largely unchanged, but the country's stock index fell about 1.7% after gaining for three days in a row. Aluminum producer Alua Aluminio Argentino led declines on the index. "We don't know what kind of response we're going to see (from Brazil and Argentina), but I suspect at this point it is more of a sell-the-news situation and then investors can settle back and interpret the data in a sober fashion," said Mark Luschini, chief investment strategist at Janney Montgomery Scott in Philadelphia. A manufacturing rebound in China spurred optimism in Latin American markets, with the MSCI index tracking stocks in the region rising for the fourth straight session. Brazilian stocks hit a near one-month high after data showed the country's manufacturing sector grew in November, pointing to a steady recovery in Latin America's largest economy. Financials and material stocks were the biggest boosts to the Bovespa, while electronics retailer Via Varejo SA led gains after it flagged strong sales during the Black Friday discount shopping event. Focus now turns to Brazil's third quarter economic growth data, due Tuesday, which is likely to show an expansion of 0.4%, according to a Reuters poll. The Chilean peso firmed as the central bank's $20 billion currency intervention program kicked in. The bank had outlined the plan last week after the peso hit a record low against the dollar. The peso was also supported by higher prices for copper, Chile's largest export, as markets perceived increased demand for the metal following the stronger-than-expected Chinese data. Key Latin American stock indexes and currencies at 1505 GMT: Stock indexes Latest Daily % change MSCI Emerging Markets 1038.95 -0.11 MSCI LatAm 2662.03 0.19 Brazil Bovespa 108904.90 0.62 Mexico IPC 42731.88 -0.21 Chile SPIPSA 4518.24 -0.45 Argentina MerVal 33868.37 -1.831 Colombia Colcap 1601.31 -0.66 Currencies Latest Daily % change Brazil real 4.2280 0.25 Mexico peso 19.5737 -0.06 Chile peso 806.2 -0.30 Colombia peso 3522.56 -0.20 Peru sol 3.4048 0.01 Argentina peso (interbank) 59.9500 -0.02 (Reporting by Ambar Warrick in Bengaluru; Additional reporting by Sruthi Shankar Editing by Alistair Bell)