2012 Latin American Cities Conferences: São Paulo

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Brazil is going through a vigorous process of economic growth, increasing social inclusion and growing international presence, with a robust industrial capacity and an expanding domestic market. With this, the country enters the globalized world’s chains of production with a new perspective.

The Brazilian government initiated the Plano Brasil Maior, a series of measures in industrial policy, technology, and foreign trade. The plan aims to diversify, innovate, and expand Brazilian export markets through the promotion of a new industrial policy based on sustainability, competitiveness, productivity, and social inclusion.

Trade relations between Brazil and the United States are growing, as Brazil has become more competitive internationally. This relationship is crucial to Brazil’s continued growth. The United States is Brazil’s second largest trade partner, as the South American country is proving increasingly receptive to foreign direct investment. According to the U.S. government, trade between the two countries totaled $101 billion in 2011. Moreover, during President Dilma Rousseff's visit to Washington in March, a commission was created to expand U.S.-Brazil trade and remove non-tariff barriers.

Echoing the objectives of the Plano Brasil Maior—“innovation to compete, competition for growth”—one focus of Brazil's trade policy is eco-entrepreneurship. By promoting small- and medium-sized businesses that are environmentally conscious, the country is seeking lucrative "green" export markets. Coupled with the June Rio +20 conference, Brazil is taking steps to consolidate its leadership in sustainability and in the development of an environmentally conscious private sector.

Accordingly, the Council of the Americas and Apex-Brazil present our 2012 conference in São Paulo in order to discuss the new Brazilian economy and the opportunities and challenges of maintaining sustained growth while promoting innovation and competitiveness.

Agenda

08:30 – 09:00h  Registration

09:00 – 09:15h  Welcoming Remarks

• Susan Segal – President & CEO, Americas Society/Council of the Americas
• Maurício Borges – President, Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency - Apex-Brasil

09:15 – 09:35h  Keynote Speaker

• Luis Alberto Moreno, President, Inter-American Development Bank

09:35 – 10:50h  Plano Brasil Maior: Boosting Brazilian Industry
This panel will discuss Brazil’s policies regarding macroeconomics, industry, and technology as well as the strengthening of Brazilian competitiveness by promoting FDI, innovation, and trade.

Some of Plano Brasil Maior’s goals for 2014 include:
-Increase GDP investment share from the current 18.4 percent to 22.4 percent
-Increase R&D expenditure share from the current 0.59 percent to 0.9 percent
-Reduce energy intensity in the industrial sector by 9 percent

• Robson Braga Andrade, President, National Confederation of Industry Brazil – CNI
• Mauro Borges, President, Agência Brasileira de Desenvolvimento Industrial (ABDI)
• Dr. Kenneth G. Herd, General Manager, Brazil Technology Center, General Electric
• Moderator: William Waack, Economics and Business Journalist

10:50 – 11:05h  Coffee Break

11:05 – 12:10h   Trade Facilitation Brazil-USA
This panel will discuss how Brazil and the United States can improve the efficiency of bilateral trade and tariffs.
Brazil is the United States’ eighth largest goods trading partner with $74 billion in bilateral goods trade in 2011. Brazil is the United States’ ninth largest trade partner year-to-date (as of May) in 2012. U.S. exports to Brazil amounted to $17.3 billion year-to-date (as of May), and totaled $63 billion in 2011. Some of the biggest industries for U.S. exports to Brazil include machinery, aircraft, electrical machinery, and mineral fuel. Key Brazilian exports to the United States include mineral fuel and oil (crude), machinery, and steel.

• Tatiana Prazeres, Secretary of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Development, Industry, and Foreign Trade of Brazil
• Henrique Meirelles, Chairman Consulting Committee, J&F Participações
• Jaime Ardila, President, GM South America
• Brian Brisson, Minister Counselor for Commercial Affairs at International Trade Administration, U.S. Embassy, Brasilia, Brazil
• Moderator: Laura Zelenko, Managing Editor, Emerging Markets, Bloomberg News

12:10 – 13:20h Eco-entrepreneurship – Opportunities and Competitiveness
This panel will discuss the prospects and possibilities for sustainable investment in Brazil, including investments in renewable energy, Rio+20, and ecologically sound business as a growth market. One of Plano Brasil Maior’s goals is to increase competitiveness through innovation and technology—which includes investment in environmentally sustainable business and clean technology.

• Francisco Gaetani, Executive Secretary, Ministry of the Environment, Brazil
• Claudia Pires, Sustainability Manager, PepsiCo Brazil
• Moderator: Virgilio Viana, CEO, Fundaçao Amazonas