PROGRAM OF WORK - Brazil-US Business Council

More documents

Recommendations

Info

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 PROGRAM OF WORK 11
Page 1: 2012 PROGRAM OF WORK
Page 4 and 5: Brazil-U.S. Business Council Leader
Page 6 and 7: CONTENTS Programs .................
Page 8 and 9: U.S.-Brazil Business Summit The U.S
Page 10 and 11: U.S. Government (USG) related issue
Page 14 and 15: 2010-2011 Achievements The main pol
Page 16 and 17: Key Events 2010 January 13: Private
Page 18 and 19: Partners Brazilian National Confede
Page 20: Brazil-U.S. Business Council 1615 H

PROGRAM OF WORK - Brazil-US Business Council

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?