U.S. Chamber's Brazil-U.S. Business Council Completes Annual Advocacy Mission and Plenary Meeting in Brazil

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Brazil-U.S. Business Council (BUSBC) last week completed its Annual Advocacy Mission and held its 30th Plenary Meeting in Brasília, Brazil, where substantive public-private discussions on economic and commercial issues took place. In April 2012, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff characterized the bilateral relationship as a “Partnership for the 21st Century” during her visit to the U.S. Chamber. The Annual Plenary Meeting and Advocacy Mission built on this momentum to advance an ambitious Brazil-U.S. business agenda. 

“The U.S. private sector, represented by the BUSBC and 26 of our over 100 member companies, engaged with key players in the Brazilian private and public sectors to discuss the major issues in the bilateral relationship,” said Monique Fridell, executive director of the BUSBC.

The Plenary’s agenda featured Greg Page, chair of the U.S. Section of the BUSBC and chairman of the board and CEO of Cargill, and Frederico Curado, chair of the Brazil Section of the BUSBC and President of Embraer, as well as representatives from the U.S. and Brazilian governments, Brazil’s National Confederation of Industry (CNI), U.S.-Brazil CEO Forum, U.S. Travel Association, the American Chambers of Commerce for Brazil, and the Brazil Industries Coalition.

“The Brazil-U.S. Business Council is the driving force to push the bilateral commercial and economic relationship,” said Greg Page, chair of the U.S. Section of the BUSBC and chairman of the board and CEO of Cargill. “We have been vigorously working together with our partners in both governments and private sectors to further the Brazil-U.S. partnership and the key areas of mutual interest such as visas, innovation, and tax and investment cooperation.”

The BUSBC Advocacy Mission delegation, comprised of representatives of U.S. companies that have major operations or investments in Brazil, met with officials from a number of Brazilian ministries, members of Congress, and other Brazilian agencies to discuss ways to facilitate greater trade and investment between both countries, and heard from the Brazilian government about its plans for boosting innovation and competitiveness.

In addition to addressing a range of sector-specific policy issues on BUSBC’s agenda, the delegation and BUSBC’s U.S. and Brazil chairs advocated for a set of goals that they consider urgent and achievable in the near-term, such as the negotiation process for a Brazil-U.S. Bilateral Tax Treaty (BTT) and the facilitation of entry and elimination of visa requirements for tourists and business travelers in both countries. The BUSBC also put forth an ambitious long term goal of encouraging the launch of discussions towards an overarching partnership agreement that would be reflective of the depth and breadth of the multi-faceted relationship between Brazil and the United States.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world’s largest business federation representing the interests of more than 3 million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions, as well as state and local chambers and industry associations.