PROGRAM OF WORK - Brazil-US Business Council

2012 

PROGRAM OF WORK

About Us 

The Brazil-U.S. Business Council (BUSBC) is the premier 

business advocacy organization dedicated to strengthening the 

economic and commercial relationship between Brazil and the 

United States. Established in 1976, the council is composed of 

two sections. The U.S. Section of the council represents major U.S. 

companies that invest in or have business in Brazil. It operates 

under the administrative aegis of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce 

and maintains independent policy formulation and membership. 

The Brazil Section of the council is managed by the Brazilian 

National Confederation of Industry (CNI), composed of the 27 

Brazilian state-level Federations of Industries. BUSBC also works 

in conjunction with the American Chambers of Commerce for 

Brazil (AmCham Brazil), the U.S.-Brazil CEO Forum, and sectoral 

associations in both countries. Together, this powerful structure 

enables the council to forge consensus between the two private 

sectors and communicate to both governments with a unique 

bilateral voice. 

Vision 

A barrier-free bilateral trade and investment relationship between 

Brazil and the United States that contributes to a lasting partnership 

with decisive influence in world politics and global governance. 

Mission 

Foster understanding among the private and public sectors in Brazil 

and the United States to maintain and advance trade and investment 

between both countries through free trade, free markets, and free 

enterprise. 

Objectives 

Serve as an advocate in Brazil and the United States for members’ 

interests. 

Promote substantive interaction between members and leading 

policymakers in Brazil and the United States. 

Deliver timely information to members and facilitate member input 

into policy formulation and program development. 

Advance members’ policy priorities through task forces, working 

groups, coalitions, and joint programs with government and private 

sector stakeholders. 

2012 

PROGRAM 

OF WORK 

1

Brazil-U.S. Business Council Leadership 

Chairman of the Board 

Greg Page 

Cargill 

Chairman & CEO 

Chair Emeritus 

Ambassador Anthony S. 

Harrington 

Albright Stonebridge Group 

President & CEO 

Chair’s Circle 

John M. Dionisio 

AECOM 


Todd J. Teske 

Briggs & Stratton 

Chairman, CEO & President 

Rex Tillerson 

ExxonMobil 


Michael L. Ducker 

FedEx 

COO, Executive Vice President, 

President, International, 

FedEx Express 

Jeffrey R. Immelt 

General Electric 


John V. Faraci 

International Paper 


John A. Luke, Jr. 

MeadWestvaco 


Thomas F. “Mack” McLarty, III 

McLarty Associates 

President 

James C. Smith 

Thomson Reuters 


Dr. Aris Candris 

Westinghouse 


Board of Directors 

Frederick W. Werner 

AECOM 

Executive Vice President, 

Global Business Lines 

Ian Cooling 

Anadarko 

Vice President, International 

Business Development 

Sue Cronin 

Apple 

Senior Manager, Latin America 

Government Affairs 

Julie Felgar 

Boeing 

Director, International 

Operations and Policy 

Edward Wajda II 


Vice President, International 

Gustavo Marin 

Citi 

CEO, Citi Brasil 

Enrique Hidalgo 

ExxonMobil 

Director, Americas 

Marilyn Blanco-Reyes 

FedEx 

Vice President-Legal and 

Regulatory Affairs, 

Latin America & Caribbean 

Division 

Christopher Padilla 

IBM 

Vice President, 

Governmental Programs 

John V. Faraci 



Kellie Meiman 


Managing Director 

John A. Luke, Jr. 

MeadWestvaco 


Mario Traverso 

Metlife 

CEO, Metlife Brazil 

Guilherme Athia 

Nike 

Director, Public and Government 

Relations 

James C. Smith 



Randolph Galm 

Westinghouse 

Vice President, Americas 

Marketing and Project 

Development 

Other Board-Level Member 

Companies 

Abbott Laboratories 

The AES Corporation 

Caterpillar 

Chevron 

Embraer 

FMC Corporation 


Halliburton 

John Deere 

Monsanto 

Raytheon 

2

Brazil-U.S. Business Council Members 

Abbott Laboratories 

ACE Group 

ADM 

AECOM 

The AES Corporation 

Agilent Technologies 

Albright Stonebridge Group 

Alcoa 

Alticor 

Altrius Group 

Amgen 

Anadarko 

Apple 

BAE Systems 

Bank of America 

Black & Veatch Corporation 

Bloomberg 

Boeing 

Brambles 


Cargill 

Caterpillar 

Celanese 

CH2M HILL 

Chartis 

Chevron 

Cisco 

Citigroup 

Coca-Cola Company 

The Cohen Group 

Compass Marketing 

ConocoPhillips 

Covidien 

Cummins 

Dannemann Siemsen 

Dell 

DHL 

Dolby 

Dow Chemical 

Eastman Kodak Company 

Eisai 

Eli Lilly & Co. 

Embraer 

Exxon Mobil 

Federal Express 

Fluor Corporation 

FMC Corporation 


General Motors 

Genworth Financial 

GlaxoSmithKline 

Guardian Industries 

Halliburton 

Hewlett-Packard 

Honeywell 

IBM 

Illinois Tool Works 

Intel 


John Deere 

Johnson & Johnson 

Lockheed Martin 

LORD Corporation 

MasterCard Worldwide 

Mattos Filho 

Mayer Brown 


MeadWestvaco 

Medtronic 

Merck 

MetLife 

Monsanto Company 

Motorola Solutions 

Navistar 

Newscorp 

Nike 

Northrop Grumman 

Novus 

Oil States 

Oracle 

PATRI 

Patton Boggs 

Pelican Energy Consultants 

PepsiCo 

PerkinElmer 

Pfizer 

Philip Morris International 

Praxair 

Qualcomm 

Raytheon Company 

Research In Motion 

Shell Oil Company 


Time Warner 

Trimas Corporation 

United Parcel Service 

UTC Power 

Viacom 

Visa 

Warburg Pincus 

Westinghouse 

Whirlpool 

Xerox 

3

CONTENTS 

Programs ........................................................ 5 

Business Intelligence ............................................... 6 

Policy Advocacy ................................................... 7 

Process. ................................................... 7 

Classification ............................................... 7 

Issues .......................................................... 8 

Defense & Security .......................................... 8 

Energy & Environment. ...................................... 8 

Innovation ................................................. 9 

Tax & Investment ........................................... 9 

Trade Facilitation. .......................................... 10 

BRAZTAC ..................................................... 11 

2010–2011 Achievements ...........................................12 

Export Green .................................................... 13 

Key Events ...................................................... 14 

Partners ........................................................ 16 

Staff .......................................................... 17 

4

Programs 

The Brazil-U.S. Business Council has three regular programs that take place 

every year: the Strategic Planning Meeting, the annual Brazil Mission, and 

the Plenary Meeting. It also has the Brazil Forum Series, an ongoing series 

of events, and in 2011, launched the U.S.-Brazil Business Summit. 

Strategic Planning Meeting & Mid-Year Review 

The annual Strategic Planning Meeting convenes members from the U.S. 

Section of the Brazil-U.S. Business Council to establish the organization’s 

strategies and tactics for the coming year and to ensure that each 

company’s priorities are incorporated into the council’s program of work. 

These priorities are revised during the Mid-Year Review. 

Annual Brazil Mission 

BUSBC annually hosts one or more missions to Brazil that bring together 

high-level executives from U.S. member companies and their Brazilian 

counterparts to meet with Brazilian senior government officials from all 

branches of government at the federal, state, and local levels. BUSBC 

missions advance the council’s program of work and help council members 

identify customers, partners, and opportunities in Brazil. 

President Barack Obama speaks to 

the Brazil-U.S. Business Council 

and the larger U.S. and Brazilian business 

community at the U.S.-Brazil Business 

Summit. President Obama acknowledged 

the need to strengthen economic ties 

between the United States and Brazil to 

create jobs and business opportunities for 

both countries. 

Plenary Meeting 

BUSBC’s Plenary Meeting is its annual major event that brings together 

the two sections of the council to measure progress in advancing its 

goals and laying the groundwork for cooperation in the coming year. The 

BUSBC Plenary is the top forum for substantive public-private discussions 

on the Brazil-U.S. economic and commercial relationship and is held in 

alternate years in Brazil and the United States. 

Brazil Forum Series 

Brazil Forum is the council’s event series featuring high level public and 

private sector authorities from both Brazil and the United States to foster 

in-depth discussions of developments in the growing bilateral commercial 

and economic relationship. With more than 30 events annually, the Brazil 

Forum Series provides members with opportunities to network with 

policymakers and business leaders. 

Brazil’s Finance Minister Guido Mantega 

speaks at the 2011 Brazil Economic 

Conference on Brazil’s current economic 

scenario and the global economy. 

2012 



5

U.S.-Brazil Business Summit 

The U.S.-Brazil Business Summit is a major gathering 

of business and political leaders on the occasions of 

meetings between the presidents of the United States 

and Brazil. 

The Brazil-U.S. Business Council, in conjunction 

with the Brazilian National Confederation of Industry 

(CNI) and the American Chambers of Commerce 

for Brazil (AmCham Brazil) hosted the first 

U.S.-Brazil Business Summit on March 19, 2011. 

President Barack Obama addressed this historic 

event that gathered American and Brazilian business 

leaders to explore progress and goals in the commercial 

relationship. 

President Obama acknowledged the need to 

strengthen economic ties between the United States 

and Brazil to create jobs and business opportunities 

for both countries. The president noted that “there is 

no question that the United States and Brazil benefit 

from the economic ties we’ve developed over the years. 

There’s no question that strengthening those ties would 

be a win-win for both our nations.” 

Further information about the U.S.-Brazil Business 

Summit can be found at www.brazilcouncil.org/summit. 

Business Intelligence 

The Brazil-U.S. Business Council helps members 

explore business opportunities in Brazil. It provides 

information and advice on the state of play, structure, 

influence, and key stakeholders in the public and 

private sectors in both countries. 

Additionally, the Brazil-U.S. Business Council offers 

members the following major sources of executive 

business intelligence: 

News Alerts 

The News Alerts, delivered to members upon 

request, provide up-to-date information about key 

developments in Brazilian economics and politics 

having substantial impact on members’ businesses. 

Brazil Bulletin 

The Brazil Bulletin, delivered to members weekly, is 

a highly regarded executive summary of the latest 

Brazilian business, economic, and political news. 

It features exclusive interviews with policy and 

opinion leaders on major issues of interest and 

includes a calendar of Brazilian government and 

congressional events. 

Business leaders from the Brazilian and U.S. private sector assemble with President Barack Obama at the 

U.S.-Brazil Business Summit. 

6

Policy Advocacy 

Process 

The Brazil-U.S. Business Council develops advocacy positions through 

dialogue with its members. BUSBC governance addresses members 

priorities and issues through its policy committees. 

Each BUSBC committee develops background and position papers 

on all policy issues relevant to its scope. Committee membership is 

voluntary, and each group is chaired by one or more members. BUSBC 

currently has five task forces, six working groups, and co-leads one broadbased 

coalition, as follows: 

• Defense & Security 

• Energy & Environment 

• Green Technology 

• Oil & Gas 

• Innovation 

• Tax & Investment 

• Trade Facilitation 

• Customs Modernization 

• Infrastructure 

• Regulatory Issues & Standards 

• Retail & Consumer Products 

• BRAZTAC 

Thomas A. Shannon Jr., U.S. Ambassador 

to Brazil, addresses the Brazilian private 

sector during a BUSBC business mission in 

São Paulo. 

Classification 

Each policy issue is classified based on its nature in one of four 

categories: 

Multilateral (MLT) issues do not depend exclusively on action by either 

the government of Brazil or the U.S. government but rather require 

accession or adhesion to, or acceptance of, multilateral organizations, 

treaties, or standards. Examples include completion of the World Trade 

Organization (WTO) Doha Round and accession of Brazil to the WTO 

Government Procurement Agreement (GPA). 

Bilateral (BLT) issues depend exclusively on action by both the 

government of Brazil and the U.S. government or are bilateral in nature, 

despite depending on only one government’s action. Examples include 

negotiation of a U.S.-Brazil Bilateral Tax Treaty (BTT) and inclusion of 

Brazil in the U.S. Visa Waiver and Global Entry Programs. 

Government of Brazil (GOB) related issues depend exclusively on action 

by the government of Brazil, whether legislative or regulatory in nature. 

Examples include reduction or elimination of the 60% import tariff 

applied by Brazil on express delivered goods and reduction or elimination 

of discriminatory restrictions against foreign insurance and reinsurance 

companies operating in Brazil. 

Brazilian Ambassador to the United States 

Mauro Vieira meets with members of the 

BUSBC to discuss Brazil-U.S. relations and 

priorities for the bilateral agenda at a Brazil 

Forum event. 

2012 



7

U.S. Government (USG) related issues depend 

exclusively on action by the U.S. government, 

whether legislative or regulatory in nature. 

Examples include a definitive solution to the WTO 

cotton dispute in the context of the 2012 Farm Bill 

as well as to the WTO orange juice dispute. 

Issues 

The Brazil-U.S. Business Council advocates on behalf 

of its members in the following policy priorities: 

Defense & Security 

• Ensure that the implementation of the 2008 

Brazilian National Defense Strategy includes 

business opportunities for members. GOB 

• Identify business opportunities in Brazil in 

surveillance, cargo risk assessment, event 

security (especially in connection with the 2014 

World Cup and the 2016 Olympics in Rio de 

Janeiro), and other security-related fields. GOB 

• Monitor and communicate trends in policies 

in the area of cybersecurity. BLT 

• Promote changes to U.S. export controls 

and technology release policies that would 

contribute to increased bilateral trade and 

investment flows with Brazil. USG 

• Support the negotiation of a Joint Aviation 

Program ( JAP) between Brazil and the United 

States. BLT 

• Support the U.S. bid in the Brazilian F-X2 

program. GOB 

Energy & Environment 

• Support U.S. and Brazil bilateral and 

multilateral efforts to harmonize international 

biofuels standards. MLT 

• Support the negotiation of a new Civil 

Nuclear Agreement between Brazil and 

the United States to foster industrial and 

commercial cooperation. BLT 

• Promote the development of Brazilian 

standards and conformity assessment systems 

for energy efficient windows. GOB 

• Support the free trade of ethanol between 

Brazil and the United States. GOB/USG 

• Urge the Brazilian National Congress to create 

a public fund to finance researchers on wind 

and solar energy. GOB 

• Promote the protection of green patents, 

including clean energy patents, through 

increased USPTO-INPI (Instituto Nacional 

da Propriedade Intelectual) cooperation. GOB 

• Work with both governments to secure an 

accelerated approval mechanism for highskilled 

energy-related professionals’ visas. BLT 

• Promote changes in the Brazilian 

pre-salt regulatory framework to foster 

U.S. investment in Brazil, including with 

regard to exclusivity rights and local content 

requirements. GOB 

• Work with the Brazilian government to 

ensure that the price of electricity and natural 

gas does not prevent new U.S. investment in 

Brazil. GOB 

• Support the procurement of green products, 

services, and technologies by Brazilian federal, 

state, and local governments. GOB 

• Secure Brazilian National Congress approval 

and funding for public investment in nuclear 

energy, particularly the building of new plants 

and investment to expand the life cycle of 

existing reactors. GOB 

• Ensure that the implementation of federal 

legislation and regulations for recycling, 

reverse logistics, and post-recycling programs 

in Brazil is based on international best 

practices. GOB 

• Secure the creation of technical norms and 

an appropriate funding mechanism for Smart 

Grid implementation in Brazil. GOB 

• Support the work of the Strategic Energy 

Dialogue (SED), including through 

permanent and institutionalized private sector 

participation. BLT 

8

• Support U.S.-Brazil trilateral energy-related cooperation with countries in 

Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean. BLT 

Innovation 

• Support the Brazilian private sector-led Brazil IP Coalition. GOB 

• Work with the Brazilian government to ensure a robust broadband 

policy. GOB 

• Oppose efforts to weaken intellectual property rights as a result of the 

issuance or implementation of compulsory licenses and help facilitate 

dialogues to prevent them from being issued. GOB 

• Avoid erosion of intellectual property rights protection and of 

promotion in the Brazilian Copyright Law reform process as well as in 

the approval of the Brazilian Internet Civil Framework Law. GOB 

Deputy Secretary of Energy Daniel B. 

Poneman (right) talks to members of the 

Brazil-U.S. Business Council in preparation 

for the launch of the U.S.-Brazil Strategic 

Energy Dialogue. 

• Raise awareness of the importance of intellectual property rights 

promotion and protection. GOB 

• Support the implementation of the Patent Prosecution Highway 

(PPH) agreement between Brazil and the United States. BLT 

• Support the creation of a tax credit or exemption to foster corporate 

workforce training programs in Brazil. GOB 

• Avoid Brazilian intellectual property rights-related trade retaliation 

connected to the WTO cotton case. USG 

Tax & Investment 

• Support the negotiation of a Bilateral Tax Treaty (BTT) between 

Brazil and the United States. BLT 

Brazil’s Energy and Mines Vice 

Minister Marcio Zimmermann delivers 

opening remarks at the U.S.-Brazil 

Business Summit. 

• Support the approval of the U.S.-Brazil Tax Information Exchange 

Agreement (TIEA) by the Brazilian Federal Senate. GOB 

• Support Brazilian government efforts to update its Transfer Pricing 

Law. GOB 

• Secure Brazilian National Congress approval of the Tax Mediation Bill 

(TMB). GOB 

• Oppose discriminatory policies in the areas of insurance and 

reinsurance. GOB 

• Encourage Brazil membership to the Organization for Economic 

Cooperation and Development (OECD). MLT 

• Promote discussions of a potential Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) 

between Brazil and the United States. BLT 

Carlos Cavalcanti, infrastructure 

director of the Federation of Industry 

of the State of São Paulo (FIESP), 

discusses the bilateral energy 

relationship with council delegation 

members at a FIESP-hosted breakfast. 

2012 



9

BUSBC members, along with representatives of the 

business community and government officials, discuss the 

bilateral energy relationship prior to the launch of the U.S.- 

Brazil Strategic Energy Dialogue. 

(Left to right) Gabriel Rico, CEO of the American Chamber 

of Commerce for Brazil (AmCham Brazil); Robson Andrade, 

president of Brazil’s National Confederation of Industry; 

and Steven Bipes then-executive director of BUSBC, gather 

before the U.S.-Brazil Business Summit. 

Trade Facilitation 

• Encourage airport and seaport cargo 

infrastructure improvements. BLT 

• Support the conclusion of the WTO Doha 

Round. MLT 

• Work with the Brazilian government to continue 

modernizing Brazil’s express delivery system (EDS). 

• Encourage dialogue between both countries on a 

potential free trade agreement (FTA). BLT 

• Work with the U.S. Congress and the 

administration to protect the 2010 U.S.-Brazil 

temporary agreement on cotton, as well as to 

secure a definitive solution to the WTO dispute 

in the context of the 2012 Farm Bill. USG 

• Secure the recognition of Cachaça as a distinct 

product of Brazil by the U.S. government. USG 

• Secure the recognition of Tennessee Whiskey and 

Bourbon as distinct products of the United States 

by the Brazilian government. GOB 

• Promote the accession of Brazil to the WTO 

Information Technology Agreement (ITA). MLT 

• Promote the accession of Brazil to the WTO 

Government Procurement Agreement (GPA). 

MLT 

• Support the inclusion of remanufactured goods 

in the Brazilian legal framework as well as a more 

open import regime for these products. GOB 

• Promote the accession of Brazil to the World 

Customs Organization (WCO) Revised Kyoto 

Convention. MLT 

• Promote joint collaboration on the removal of 

trade barriers in third countries. BLT 

• Secure the inclusion of Brazil in the Visa Waiver 

Program (VWP). BLT 

• Secure the publishing of both the proposed and 

final rules to open the U.S. market to Brazilian 

beef as agreed on by both countries in the 

context of the 2010 U.S.-Brazil temporary cotton 

agreement. USG 

• Promote in Brazil regulatory transparency and 

harmonization of current regulatory processes and 

practices at the federal level. GOB 

• Work with the U.S. Administration to secure a 

definite solution to the WTO orange juice case. USG 

10

BRAZTAC 

The Brazil Trade Action Coalition’s (BRAZTAC) mission is to engage 

the U.S. Congress and the administration in support of policies that 

stimulate trade and investment between the United States and Brazil. It 

is made up of a broad range of agricultural, manufacturing, services, and 

technology businesses and trade associations representing the majority 

of sectors of the U.S. economy and is staffed by BUSBC. 

BRAZTAC addresses a number of issues, foremost among them 

being the WTO cotton dispute, which, if it results in trade retaliation 

by Brazil, will undermine the broader relationship between the two 

countries. The coalition pursued a concerted outreach strategy to key 

members of Congress and the U.S. and Brazilian governments urging 

productive negotiations toward a swift solution to the dispute that 

resulted in a temporary agreement. 

The 2010 U.S.-Brazil temporary agreement avoided the imposition of 

almost US$1 billion in Brazilian trade retaliation against U.S. goods and 

intellectual property rights. The amount of authorized retaliation is the 

second largest in the history of the WTO. 

United States Representative 

Ambassador Ron Kirk (center) discusses 

the bilateral trade relationship with 

members of the BUSBC delegation in 

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 

The agreement rests on five pillars: (1) initial adjustments to the U.S. 

Export Credit Guarantee Program (GSM-102), (2) transfer of technical 

assistance and capacity-building funds to Brazil, (3) actions on pending 

trade issues, (4) monitoring of the commitments and regular discussions 

between both countries, and (5) a definitive solution to the dispute. 

The key elements of these pillars are embodied in a 2010 U.S.-Brazil 

Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and a U.S.-Brazil Framework 

Agreement. 

BRAZTAC’s key goal is to engage members of Congress on the 

importance of complying with the temporary agreement while working 

toward a definitive solution to the dispute in the context of the 2012 

Farm Bill. To that end, the coalition has consistently and effectively 

opposed any measure that would dismantle the agreement, including 

legislative efforts in the form of the First Kind Amendment (February 

2011), the DeLauro Amendment (May 2011), and Second Kind 

Amendment ( July 2011), and the McCain Amendment (October 2011). 

All of these amendments would stop U.S. payments to Brazil, thus 

undermining the agreement and triggering trade retaliation against U.S. 

goods and intellectual property rights. 

Further information about BRAZTAC activities and the WTO cotton 

dispute can be found on the Brazil-U.S. Business Council website at 

www.brazilcouncil.org/BRAZTAC. 

(Left to right) Fred Hochberg, chairman 

and president of the Ex-Im Bank; Thomas 

A. Shannon Jr., U.S. Ambassador to Brazil; 

Gabriel Rico, CEO of AmCham Brazil; 

and Anthony Harrington, former U.S. 

Ambassador to Brazil and chair emeritus 

of BUSBC, gather at an AmCham-hosted 

reception to launch the 2011 council 

Business Mission to Brazil. 

2012 



11

2010–2011 Achievements 

The main policy achievements that the Brazil-U.S. Business 

Council strongly advocated for include the following: 

• Approval by the Brazilian House of 

Representatives of the 2007 U.S.-Brazil Tax 

Information Exchange Agreement (TIEA). 

• Approval by the Brazilian National Congress of 

the 2009 Agreement on Visas implementation bill. 

• Signing of the 2010 Memorandum of 

Consultations (MOC) on Civil Aviation. 

• Establishment of the Brazil Trade Action 

Coalition (BRAZTAC). 

• Signing of the 2010 U.S.-Brazil temporary 

agreement to avoid nearly US$1 billion in 

Brazilian trade retaliation against U.S. goods and 

intellectual property rights in connection with the 

WTO cotton dispute. 

• Opening of the U.S. market to pork from the 

Brazilian state of Santa Catarina. 

• Establishment of an electronic express delivery 

processing system (Sistema Remessa) by the 

Brazilian Federal Revenue Service (RFB). 

• Signing of the 2011 U.S.-Brazil Agreement on 

Trade and Economic Cooperation (ATEC). 

• Signing of the 2011 U.S.-Brazil Open Skies Air 

Transport Agreement (ATA). 

• Defeat of four amendments (Kind I, Kind II, 

DeLauro, and McCain) that would have dismantled 

the 2010 U.S.-Brazil temporary agreement in 

connection to the WTO cotton dispute. 

• Implementation of the World Custom Organization 

(WCO) Istanbul Convention in 2011. 

• Approval of ATA Carnet. 

• Renewal of the U.S. Generalized System of 

Preferences (GSP) with the maintenance of Brazil 

as beneficiary country. 

• Elimination of the $0.54 U.S. per gallon import 

tariff on ethanol and the $0.45 per gallon “blenders’ 

tax credit” subsidy. 

(Left to right) Eduardo Eugenio Gouvêa Vieira, president of 

the Federation of Industries for the State of Rio de Janeiro 

(FIRJAN), Eike Batista, president of EBX Group, Steven 

Bipes, then-executive director of the Brazil-U.S. Business 

Council, and Sergio Cabral, Governor of the State of Rio de 

Janeiro gather at a Brazil Forum event. 

Timothy C. McManus, senior vice president and 

director of program management of AECOM, discusses 

infrastructure and financing in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with 

BUSBC mission members. 

BUSBC hosts a roundtable discussion with then-Senator 

Ideli Salvatti, and current Brazilian secretary of institutional 

relations (second from right); Laura Lane, then-managing 

director and head of international government affairs, 

Citigroup; Julio Castro, partner, Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP (far 

left); and Steven Bipes, then-executive director, BUSBC. 

12 

Brazil’s Finance Minister Guido Mantega (center) gathers 

with Steven Bipes, then-executive director of the Brazil- 

U.S. Business Council (right), and José Roberto Azevedo, 

executive director of the Brazilian-American Chamber of 

Commerce, at the 2011 Brazil Economic Conference.

Export Green 

In his 2010 State of the Union address, President Obama called for a 

new, high-level effort to promote U.S. exports. The goal of the National 

Export Initiative (NEI) is to double U.S. exports over the next five years 

and support 2 million new jobs by working to remove trade barriers 

abroad, helping firms—especially small businesses—overcome the hurdles 

to entering new export markets, assisting with financing, and pursuing a 

government-wide approach to export promotion. 

To support and enhance this initiative, the Brazil-U.S. Business Council 

and TradeRoots, affiliates of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, have been 

awarded a cooperator agreement from the U.S. Department of Commerce to 

implement Export Green: Growing SME Exports to Brazil. 

Export Green, a project that aims to increase green technology exports 

to Brazil from small and medium-size U.S. companies, opens doors to 

the Brazilian market for companies in clean energy, green construction, 

recycling, and other green sectors. This increase in exports will create 

American jobs and strengthen American competitiveness in green 

technology sectors. 

Get Involved! For further information, visit www.brazilcouncil.org/ 

exportgreen. 

U.S. Assistant Secretary for Manufacturing and Services, U.S. Department of 

Commerce, Nicole Lamb-Hale (center), the Export Green “Green Building 

in Brazil” delegation, and BUSBC staff visit the Petrobras University in Rio de 

Janeiro. 

2012 



13

Key Events 

2010 

January 13: Private roundtable discussion with 

Thomas A. Shannon Jr., U.S. Ambassador to Brazil 

(Washington, D.C.) 

January 22: BUSBC annual advocacy mission to Brazil 

to meet with government officials, member companies, 

and local partners (Brasília, Brazil) 

February 24: Annual BUSBC Strategic Planning 

Meeting (Washington, D.C.) 

March 5: Roundtable discussion with then-Senator 

Ideli Salvatti, former Brazilian Senate leader and 

now Brazil’s Secretary of Institutional Relations 


March 11: Roundtable discussion with Minister Luís 

Inácio Lucena Adams, Brazilian Attorney General 


April 6: Brazil Forum event featuring Romeu 

Temporal, Chief Economic Adviser to Brazil’s 

Secretary of Planning; and Paulo Britto Guimarães, 

Superintendent in the Secretariat of Industry, 

Commerce, and Mining from the State of Bahia 


April 13: Event with Dr. Welber Barral, Brazil’s 

then-Secretary of Foreign Trade 

April 22: Brazil Forum event featuring Mauro 

Vieira, Ambassador of Brazil to the United States 


April 23: Brazil Forum event featuring Augusto 

Wagner Padilha Martins, Vice Minister of the Brazilian 

Presidential Special Office for Port Development 


April 30: BUSBC event with Under Secretary of 

Commerce for International Trade Francisco Sanchez 


June 7–10: Annual advocacy mission to Brazil 

(Brasília, Brazil) 

July 14: Brazil Forum Roundtable featuring Dr. Jorge 

Ávila, President of the Brazilian Patent and Trademark 

Office (INPI) (Washington, D.C.) 

July 15: Brazil Forum event in conjunction with the 

Woodrow Wilson Center’s Brazil Institute featuring 

14 

Luciano Galvão Coutinho, President of the Brazilian 

National Development Bank (BNDES) (Washington, 

D.C.) 

September 7: Brazil Forum Roundtable featuring 

Guilherme Ramalho, Growth Acceleration Program 

(PAC) Coordinator and Adviser in the Office of 

Monitoring and Intergovernmental Affairs of the 

Executive Office of the President—Casa Civil 


September 24: Brazil Forum Roundtable featuring 

João Alziro Herz da Jornada, President of the Brazilian 

National Institute for Metrology, Standardization, and 

Industrial Quality (INMETRO) (Washington, D.C.) 

September 29: Roundtable discussion on the FDA- 

ANVISA dialogue featuring José Gomes Temporão, 

Brazil’s then-Minister of Health; Dr. Dirceu 

Raposo, then-President of Brazil’s National Sanitary 

Surveillance Agency (ANVISA); and Mary Lou 

Valdez, Associate Commissioner for International 

Programs at FDA (Washington, D.C.) 

October 8: 2010 Economic Conference co-hosted by 

BUSBC featuring Guido Mantega, Brazil’s Minister 

of Finance; Henrique Meirelles, then-President of 

the Central Bank of Brazil; and Luciano Coutinho, 

President of the Brazilian National Development Bank 

(BNDES) (Washington, D.C.) 

November 14: Kickoff for the Export Green: Growing 

SME Exports to Brazil program at the America’s 

Competitiveness Forum (ACF) (Washington, D.C.) 

November 18: Roundtable on the Brazilian presidential 

elections featuring Brazil’s then-Secretary for Foreign 

Trade Welber Barral (Washington, D.C.) 

December 7: BUSBC Plenary meeting 

(São Paulo, Brazil) 

2011 

January 20: Roundtable discussion on Infrastructure 

and Energy Opportunities in Brazil featuring Robert 

D. Hormats, Under Secretary for Economic, Energy, 

and Agricultural Affairs (Washington, D.C.) 

February 11: BUSBC Infrastructure and Energy 

mission to Brazil with Ambassador Jose Fernandez, 

Assistant Secretary of State for Economic, Energy, and 

Business Affairs (Washington, D.C.)

February 24: Annual Strategic Planning Meeting (Washington, D.C.) 

March 18–21: U.S.-Brazil Business mission to Brazil featuring United 

States Trade Representative Ambassador Ron Kirk, Ex-Im President and 

Chairman Fred P. Hochberg, then-Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke, 

and Department of Energy Assistant Secretary for Policy and International 

Affairs David Sandelow (Brasília, Rio de Janeiro, and São Paulo Brazil) 

March 19: U.S.-Brazil Business Summit featuring President Barack Obama 

(Brasília, Brazil) 

March 31: Brazil Forum event on Business Opportunities in Rio de Janeiro 

featuring Sérgio Cabral, Governor of Rio de Janeiro; Eike Batista, President 

of EBX Group; and Eugenio Gouveia Vieira, President of Federation of 

Industries of the State of Rio de Janeiro (FIRJAN) (Washington, D.C.) 

May 6: Brazil Forum Roundtable featuring Marcelo Haddad, Executive 

Director of the Rio Investment Promotion Agency (Rio Negócios) 


July 19: Roundtable with Brian Brisson, New Senior Commercial Officer for 

Brazil of the U.S. Department of Commerce (Washington, D.C.) 

August 10: BUSBC energy roundtable featuring Deputy Secretary of Energy 

Daniel B. Poneman in preparation for the launch of the U.S.-Brazil Strategic 

Energy Dialogue (SED) (Washington, D.C.) 

Then-Brazilian Health Minister Jose 

Gomes Temporão addresses council 

members at a roundtable discussion on the 

FDA-ANVISA Dialogue. 

August 28–September 2: Export Green–Trade Mission: Green Building 

and Brazil 

September 23: 2011 Economic Conference co-hosted by BUSBC and the 

Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce featuring Brazil’s Central Bank 

Governor Alexandre Tombini and Brazil’s Finance Minister Guido Mantega 


October 12: Roundtable with Brazil’s Permanent Representative to the 

World Trade Organization (WTO) Roberto Azevedo (Washington, D.C.) 

October 13: Roundtable with Brazil’s Foreign Trade Secretary Tatiana 

Prazeres (Washington, D.C.) 

November 1: Export Green–Building Envelope Energy Efficiency 

Technology Cooperation Workshop (São Paulo, Brazil) 

November 14: Roundtable with Sergio Lazzarini, Associate Professor of 

Organization and Strategy, Brazilian Institute of Education and Research 

(INSPER) (Washington, D.C.) 

November 15: Export Green–Doing Business in Brazil (Atlanta, Georgia) 

December 2: Brazil Forum Luncheon with Senator Richard D. Lugar (R-IN) 

December 13–15: Export Green Buyers Mission: POWER-GEN 

(Las Vegas, Nevada) 

Business leaders and government 

officials wait to hear President Barack 

Obama’s keynote address at the 

U.S.-Brazil Business Summit. President 

Obama said “There is no question that 

the United States and Brazil benefit 

from the economic ties we’ve developed 

over the years. There’s no question that 

strengthening those ties would be a 

win-win for both our nations.” 

2012 



15

Partners 

Brazilian National Confederation of Industry (CNI) 

CNI is the home of the Brazil Section of the council and is the umbrella 

manufacturing sector organization in Brazil. Created in 1938, the 

confederation is made up of the 27 Federations of Industries from all Brazilian 

states and the Federal District, and more than 1,000 sectoral employers unions 

representing more than 195,000 companies. 

American Chambers of Commerce for Brazil (AmCham Brazil) 

The American Chambers of Commerce for Brazil represent the subsidiaries of 

virtually all American companies in Brazil as well as multinationals from more 

than 40 countries and a great number of Brazilian companies totaling more 

than 5,000 members. The AmChams are present in key Brazilian cities and are 

the largest among the American Chambers of Commerce in the world. 

Federation of Industries of the State of São Paulo (FIESP) 

FIESP is the leading regional manufacturing sector organization in Brazil and 

is the largest Brazilian state-level federation of industries. It is composed of 

131 sectoral employers’ unions representing more than 31% of the country’s 

industrial GDP and approximately 150,000 companies. 

Brazil Industries Coalition (BIC) 

BIC is a Washington-based trade association that represents Brazilian 

companies and other Brazilian trade organizations in the United States. 

Its membership is made up of trade associations from the agribusiness and 

manufacturing sectors, as well as leading Brazilian companies, most of which 

are invested in the United States. 

U.S.-Brazil CEO Forum 

The U.S.-Brazil CEO Forum was created in 2007 by the United States and 

Brazilian governments to strengthen economic and commercial ties between 

the two countries. The CEO Forum, made up of private and public sector 

representatives, convenes leaders from the United States and Brazil to form 

consensus on priorities in the bilateral trade and investment relationship and 

advance policy recommendations with both governments. 

In the United States, the CEO Forum is chaired by the U.S. secretary of 

commerce and by the deputy assistant to the president and deputy national 

security adviser for International Economic Affairs. In Brazil, the Forum is 

chaired by the presidential chief of staff (Casa Civil) and by the Brazilian 

minister of development, industry, and foreign trade. Ten companies from each 

country participate in the forum. 

The Brazil-U.S. Business Council supports the U.S. Section of the CEO 

Forum. Visit www.brazilcouncil.org/CEOForum for further information. 

16

Staff 

Diego Z. Bonomo 

Senior Director for Policy 

Phone: +1.202.463.5994 

dbonomo@uschamber.com 

Kathleen McInerney 

Director 

Phone: +1.202.463.5341 

kmcinerney@uschamber.com 

Tim Ridout 

Program Manager 

Phone: +1.202.463.5427 

tridout@uschamber.com 

Brazil Team 

Steven Bipes 

Chief Representative - Brazil 

Phone: +55.21.9855.1147 

sbipes@uschamber.com 

Rafael Lourenço 

Manager, Business Development 

Rio de Janeiro 

Phone: +55.21.3213.9215 

Cell: +55.21.9579.2670 

rlourenco@uschamber.com 

Luciana Rocha-Goldman 

Associate, Export Green 

Phone: +1.202.463.5496 

lrochagoldman@uschamber.com 

Renata Vasconcellos 

Director for Policy 

Phone: +1.202.463.5628 

rvasconcellos@uschamber.com 

Reeve Wolford 

Senior Advisor 

Phone: +1.202.525.9607 

rwolford@uschamber.com 

Mariana M. Yazbek 

Coordinator 

Phone: +1.202.463.3197 

myazbek@uschamber.com 

2012 



17

Brazil-U.S. Business Council 

1615 H Street, NW | Washington, DC 20062-2000 

www.brazilcouncil.org 

www.facebook.com/BrazilCouncil 

@BUSBC

PROGRAM OF WORK - Brazil-US Business Council

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