The limited trade agreement now under discussion with Brazil is focusing on principles we can all support, including transparency, non-discrimination, and the rule of law. It won’t achieve every goal that the Congress or the U.S. business community seek in a comprehensive trade agreement — which is not in the offing in the near term — but it will advance our values and interests.  This includes:

• What we hope will be the strongest anti-corruption measures included in a trade agreement;
• Measures to ensure transparency and accountability in regulation and customs administration; and
• Rules to bar discrimination in digital trade and foster a rule-of-law environment for online commerce.

Refusing to proceed with this limited trade deal with Brazil will do nothing to advance these objectives, which have traditionally enjoyed broad bipartisan support in the United States. We encourage swift action to seize this opportunity in the coming months and deliver results never previously achieved. The U.S. and Brazilian business communities stand ready to support this endeavor.

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Each year the Council, together with its member companies, institutional partners and stakeholders, defines its priorities and action plans to most effectively advance its goals under the current political and economic landscape.

Building on 43 years of history and experience as strategic partner, the Council is working to strengthen the already deep U.S.-Brazil relationship with framework agreements in a number of sectors.

Combining original research, policy analysis, and engagement with policymakers and corporate leaders, the Council’s 2020 Program of Work examines and advocates policy issues and priorities in many industry sectors. Click the image below for PDF version.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Leading business organizations from the United States and Brazil, including  the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Brazil-U.S. Business Council, the American Chamber of Commerce for Brazil and the National Confederation of Industry of Brazil, sent a letter to the governments of both countries last week, supporting their commitment to secure the first phase of a comprehensive bilateral trade agreement in 2020. The letter emphasizes that the business community views this an opportune time to take bold action in light of the coronavirus pandemic and believe that a trade agreement would contribute to restoring economic growth and job creation in both countries.

In the letter, the organizations recommend that a trade agreement be comprehensive and include binding commitments in the areas of trade facilitation, good regulatory practices, digital trade, anti-corruption, intellectual property, among other non-tariff areas.

“We are confident that a bilateral trade agreement would unlock economic benefits for both countries and strengthen the relationship in dynamic ways,” said Myron Brilliant, Executive Vice President and Head of International Affairs, U.S. Chamber of Commerce. “Deepening the ties between the region’s two largest economies is critical, especially as our countries navigate the recovery from this global pandemic, and will lead to new commercial opportunities.”

Such a bilateral trade package is in line with the recent statement between Presidents Donald Trump and Jair Bolsonaro, as well as with statements of the USTR and Brazil’s Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Economy. It would be an initial step toward concluding a more comprehensive agreement in the future.

The U.S. and Brazilian private sectors stand ready to work with both governments during this process. The joint letter is supported by more than 25 business organizations from both the U.S. and Brazil, and was sent to the United States Trade Representative, the Director of the National Economic Council of the United States and to the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Economy of Brazil.

Read the full letter here.

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