Official visit to Brazil of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), Ambassador Katherine Tai - Joint note by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade and Services of Brazil

The United States Trade Representative (USTR), Ambassador Katherine Tai, made an official visit to Brazil on March 7 and 8. She met with the Vice-President of the Republic and Minister of Development, Industry, Trade and Services, Geraldo Alckmin; with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mauro Vieira; and was received for luncheon at the Itamaraty Palace by the Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Laura da Rocha. At the meetings, Brazil and the United States dealt with bilateral and multilateral cooperation in trade matters.

In the bilateral sphere, the positive moment in the Brazil-U.S. relationship was highlighted, especially after President Lula's recent visit to Washington. The talks confirmed the mutual expectation that the current situation could be translated into greater opportunities to foster trade and investment, encouraging the construction of more resilient supply chains. In the area of green economy, the common interest in cooperation in renewable energies was identified, and Brazilian authorities highlighted areas such as green hydrogen that could potentially complement the productive structures of both countries. Brazil also indicated opportunities in strategic sectors such as semiconductors, robotics, health industry, steel industry, and equipment.

In the multilateral sphere, Brazil and the U.S. discussed some of the challenges presented by the current international economic context and pledged to work in an engaged manner for the reform and modernization of the WTO. Brazil stressed the importance of the WTO dispute settlement mechanism, whose Appellate Body is paralyzed, undermining the effectiveness of the multilateral trade system, and emphasized the Brazilian government's prioritary commitment to sustainable development, multilateralism and food security. 

The two sides also stressed the importance of promoting development and industrialization in an inclusive and sustainable way, reducing inequality and protecting the environment. 

Brazil and the U.S. also agreed that the revitalization and strenghthening of the Agreement on Trade and Economic Cooperation (ATEC) will contribute to the resumption of discussion of topics of common interest.

The parties pledged to maintain close contact as well as to work to strengthen the economic and commercial partnership in concrete terms.   

Brazil and the U.S. stressed that women's economic empowerment is essential to achieve the priority objectives of their respective governments. 

The U.S. is Brazil's second main trading partner and the main source of foreign investment stock in the country. In 2022, bilateral trade totaled USD 88.7 billion, a 26% increase compared to the previous year.