How to Export to Brazil - Sprint Lazio

III.4. Administrative treatment of imports
III.4.1. Administrative structure
Brazil – Ministry of External Relations
For an effective control of import activities, the Brazilian government relies on a
diversified administrative structure, the Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign
Trade (MDIC) being directly responsible for such activities.
The most important agency is the Foreign Trade Secretariat – SECEX, which has
several objectives and attributions, among which the following are noteworthy :
• Manage the mechanisms and instruments that monitor and control export and
import operations;
• Formulate policy proposals and foreign trade programs and establish norms for
their implementation;
• Coordinate defense initiatives against unfair trade practices, as well as support the
Brazilian exporter undergoing investigation regarding trade defense abroad;
• Take part in negotiations towards international trade agreements or treaties; and
• Design and disseminate information regarding foreign trade.
The Ministry of External Relations and the PSCI
The Ministry of External Relations – MRE performs a key role in the area of foreign
trade in Brazil, having as one of its competencies the commercial promotion of
Brazilian products abroad and the incentive to import goods originating from
priority countries. The selection of these countries is based on their strategic and
geo-economic situation, as it is the case of South American countries. In particular,
the Ministry has been engaged in developing, within its Department for Trade
Promotion – DPR, the Program on Competitive Substitution of Imports – PSCI.
The Program on Competitive Substitution of Imports (PSCI) was created in 2003,
in line with the priority status attributed to South America by President Luiz Inácio
Lula da Silva. In recent years, the trade flow between Brazil and South American
countries has experienced significant growth. Such growth is characterized,
however, by a persistent asymmetry in trade exchanges: most countries in the
region still face a deficit position in their trade relations with Brazil.
The main idea behind the PSCI consists in increasing trade between Brazil and
South American countries, replacing, whenever possible and in a competitive
manner, Brazilian imports from third markets with imports originating in the region.
To meet its goal – reducing trade imbalances between Brazil and the other South
American countries – the Program implements actions that seek to increase
contacts between South American business people and eliminate information
barriers that still prevent the entry of competitive regional products to meet Brazilian
market demands.
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