11/02/2014 01:00 – Portal Brasil
Representatives of the U.S. and Brazilian Governments met to discuss ways to increase trade flow between the two countries. The meeting took place during the 11th edition of the Commercial Dialogue between the Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade and the Commerce Department of the United States, on Friday, February 7, 2014. In 2012, the amount of investments of US companies in Brazil surpassed the US$79 billion, while the stock of direct Brazilian investments in the American economy was approximately US$14 billion.
The Secretary of Foreign Trade of Brazil, Daniel Godinho, claimed that one of the priorities of the bilateral agenda is to identify competitive productive sectors in the two economies, and encourage them to enhance their participation in trading. The undersecretary for International Trade of the United States, Kenneth Hyatt, also found that there is real potential for Brazilian and American companies to increase their trading. “It is necessary to face challenges and overcome geographic distances to reach new markets,” he said. Godinho and Hyatt have agreed to a visit to the United States to intensify the work of identification of competitive sectors of the two countries. The trip should take place in early April 2014.
The two bodies have decided to still share knowledge on simplification of trade related to the projects for creating a unique platform for foreign trade operators (single window). Both governments intend soon to launch programmes with this objective and have also established a partnership to promote a flow of investment. A memorandum signed between the Brazilian Agency of Promotion of Exports and Investments – Apex-Brasil(Agência Brasileira de Promoção de Exportações e Investimentos, in Portuguese) and the North American variant of this SelectUSA Agency, provides for the exchange of information on policies, norms and rules that are relevant to guide potential investors, in addition to assistance for the realization of contacts with representatives of the respective national industries sectors.