Senate approves benefit of R $ 600 to self-employed and informal

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The Senate approved on Monday (30) the payment of an emergency aid for three months in the amount of R $ 600, for the self-employed, informal and without fixed income workers, reports the “Agency Brazil.” Called “coronavoucher”, help comes to repair the losses of income for some slices of society during the period of isolation when job opportunities for these categories are scarce.

The approval was unanimous, with 79 votes in favor and support of the opposition senators and the government. The PSL leader in the Senate, Major Olimpio (SP), was one of several parliamentarians who have spoken. “We are in need of such initiatives in the vein inject money for citizens buy food and survive this calamity. The first time that money will come into the hand of the people will be in this project. It calamity, people are in need. ”

 

Via DATAGRO

 

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UPDATE 3-Brazil government considers emergency coronavirus loans for power sector

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SAO PAULO, March 30 (Reuters) – Brazil’s government is considering an emergency loan package for energy distributors struggling with lower energy use and facing lost revenues because of the coronavirus outbreak, an industry group told Reuters on Monday.

Marcos Madureira, president of Brazilian energy distributors association Abradee, said the package being negotiated by companies and the government could involve loans from state development bank BNDES or a pool of banks, but that the value of the loans and other details was not yet settled

 

By Luciano Costa via Reuters

 

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Brazil introduces surveillance tech to slow the spread of coronavirus

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Governments across Brazil are looking to roll out a system developed that uses geolocation tracking to support actions around the lockdowns intended to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Brazilian startup InLoco develops the geolocation technology, which is normally used by companies from sectors such as retail, to securely target and engage with users without the need to share personal information. Users are geotracked through a location map that doesn’t use GPS or beacons, which InLoco claims to be 30 times more accurate than GPS.

 

By Angelica Mari Via ZD Net

 

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Meet our Member Fundação Abrinq

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Acting in defense of rights is hard work, which requires full dedication and commitment. Fundação Abrinq knows that if you have focus and passion, it is possible to make a difference and bring opportunities for thousands of children.

Fundação Abrinq believes in a fairer world, and it was with that in mind the operations were conducted last year. With your feet on the ground, impacting one life at a time, transforming one history at a time; that is how Fundação Abrinq will continue working to ensure a more sensible society when it comes to helping those who most need support and protection: children and adolescents.

 

Meet Fundação Abrinq

‘People think it’s magic’: how one of Brazil’s poorest cities gets its best school results

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As you approach the city of Sobral in north-east Brazil, the road worsens. Huge pot holes slow traffic to a crawl. The heat is suffocating, even worse when there is no cloud cover.

Sobral is poor. Jobs are scarce, salaries meagre, gangs the only option for many. For children, it’s a tough start to life. Ana Farias, headteacher of an early-years school in a low-income neighbourhood controlled by a gang, knows this only too well. Some of her students wouldn’t eat if it were not for free school meals.

 

By Sarah Johnson via The Guardian

 

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Brazil opens funding for fintechs through state development bank

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SAO PAULO, March 26 (Reuters) – Brazil’s monetary council on Thursday said the country’s fintechs will be able to obtain funding from development bank BNDES, as their usual financing channels have dried up due to coronavirus-linked market tensions.

The authority also said that fintechs will be allowed to issue credit cards as an alternative source of revenue.

 

By Carolina Mandl via Nasdaq

 

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CNI calls for national strategy for foreign trade

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With the diagnosis that the encouragement of industry export capacity is essential for the recovery of the Brazilian economy, the National Industry Confederation (CNI) asked the government to draw up a national strategy for foreign trade, informs the “Agency Brazil.” It said foreign sales are one of the few engines for the resumption of growth will remain after the end of the pandemic caused by the new coronavirus covid-19.

The suggestion contained in the 5th edition of the International Agency of Industry, released on Wednesday (25) by CNI. The document lists 109 actions suggestions for the government and the entity itself, divided into four areas: trade policy, to support the internationalization services, actions in strategic markets and international cooperation.

 

Via DATAGRO

 

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Notice to Members – Chamber Congratulates New Board Members

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Dear Members:

 

The Board of Directors of the Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce hereby welcomes and congratulates, as new President & Chairperson of the Board, Simoni Morato, Chief Executive Officer & Senior Executive Vice President, Safra National Bank of New York (bio attached).  Ms. Morato was unanimously elected by the Board of Directors to serve in this role on March 24, 2020.  Her leadership and insight will be integral to developing strategies and policies that pave the way for the future of the Chamber and further its mission of promoting trade, investment, and cultural ties between Brazil and the United States.

 

The Chamber also welcomes, as new Vice President, Amadeu C. Ribeiro, Partner, Mattos Filho, Veiga Filho, Marrey Jr. e Quiroga Advogados LLP.

 

As newly-elected Directors, the Chamber congratulates:

 

Daniel Almeida Bogado Leite, Banco do Brasil

Elizabeth Madigan Jost, Morgan Stanley

Paula Kovarsky, Cosan Limited

William Landers, BTG Pactual

Renata Neeser, Littler Mendelson P.C.

Sandy Salgado, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc.

Helio Shinohara, Caixa Econômica Federal

Arnoldo Wald Filho, Wald, Antunes, Vita, Longo e Blattner Advogados

 

As re-elected Directors, the Chamber congratulates:

 

Marco Antonio Achon, Banco Santander S.A.

Marcio M. S. Baptista, TozziniFreire Advogados

Celso V.  Barison, Citrus Products, Inc.

Henry G. Burnett, King & Spalding LLP

Roberto De Paula, Royal Consulting, Inc.

Karyn K. Koiffman, Akerman LLP

G. Edward Montero, UBS

Francesca L. Odell, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP

Natalia Quesada, American Airlines

Gabrielle Trebat, McLarty Associates

 

Newly elected to the Executive Committee include, as Past Presidents, Alexandre Bettamio, Chief Executive Officer & President of Latin America Division, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, and Theodore M. Helms, former Executive Manager, Investor Relations, Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. – PETROBRAS and former Executive Director of the Chamber; as Vice President, Amadeu C. Ribeiro, Partner, Mattos Filho, Veiga Filho, Marrey Jr. e Quiroga Advogados LLP; and as Members, Francesca L. Odell, Partner, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, and Paulo Vieira da Cunha, Partner, VERBANK Consulting, LLC.

 

Alexandre Bettamio was also elected as Co-Chairperson of the Awards Committee.

 

The Chamber hereby extends a warm congratulations to all now serving on its Board of Directors!

 

Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce, Inc.

 

Please find Simoni Morato’s biography here

Coronavirus crisis threatens data protection regulations in Brazil

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The COVID-19 crisis will likely result in the postponement of the go-live date for Brazil’s general data protection regulations. According to industry observers, the pandemic is seen as a fair justification to delay the go-live date for the regulations, which are due to be enforced in August 2020.

A bill authored by congressman Carlos Bezerra presented in November 2019 had already proposed pushing the go-live date for the rules to August 15, 2022. In his proposal to delay the introduction of Brazil’s GDPR, Bezerra used the slowness in setting up the National Data Protection Authority (ANPD, in the Portuguese acronym), which will be responsible for editing the data protection and privacy regulations, as a key part of the argument.

 

By Angelica Mari via ZD Net

 

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Infrastructure ministry will work with states to avoid blocking highways

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The Ministry of Infrastructure announced on Monday (23) that the folder will work together with the governors of the states of South and Southeast to avoid local decisions which determine the blocking of roads as containment measure of the spread of the new coronavirus, informs the “Agency Brazil.” The subject was treated in videoconference between the Minister Tarcisio Gomes de Freitas and the governors of the Consortium of South and Southeast Integration (Cosud).

According to the ministry, there was consensus that state decrees shall ensure the free movement of cargo transportation and the operation of services of tire stores, auto repair shops, restaurants and eateries along the highways.

 

Via DATAGRO

 

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Debentures encouraged now total R $ 9 billion in investments in the biofuels sector

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The Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) published two more ordinances framework of priority projects in the biofuels sector, aiming at issuing debentures encouraged. The measure encourages the expansion of investment by raising funds for infrastructure projects aimed at implementation, expansion, maintenance, recovery, adaptation or modernization of enterprises with tax breaks for investors and encouraging the growth of employment and income in the industry .

 

Via DATAGRO

 

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Brazil’s TIM ties-up with Rio de Janeiro to track people’s mobility amid coronavirus crisis

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SAO PAULO, March 23 (Reuters) – Brazilian wireless carrier TIM Participacoes SA said on Monday it has partnered with Rio de Janeiro’s city hall for data analysis that will allow authorities to track displacement and concentration of people in areas affected by the coronavirus outbreak.

In a statement, the local subsidiary of Telecom Italia SpA added it will use its antennas spread across Rio de Janeiro to provide real-time data on people’s displacement throughout the city.

 

By Gabriela Mello via Reuters via Reuters

 

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South American countries define standards to ensure food traffic during pandemic

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Agriculture Ministers from various countries in South America participated in this Monday (23) at the invitation of Tereza Cristina Minister, in a video conference to discuss the harmonization of standards and ensuring a smooth transit of goods and food supplies in the region during coronavirus pandemic. “It is essential to our alignment at the highest level policy, which should also be reflected in agile and clear instructions for the operational plan, especially for the tip, border authorities,” he said the Brazilian minister.

They participated in the virtual meeting with Tereza Cristina ministers Luis Eugenio Basterra (Argentina), Antonio Walker homage (Chile), Rodolfo Max Friedmann Alfaro (Paraguay), Carlos Maria Uriarte (Uruguay), Jorge Luis Montenegro Chavesta (Peru) and Beatriz Eliane Capobiano Sandoval (Bolivia), as well as representatives of the Brazilian ministries of Infrastructure and Foreign Affairs.

 

Via DATAGRO

 

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Falling fuel prices, weak currency drive Brazil switch from ethanol to sugar

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NEW YORK, March 23 (Reuters) – Brazilian mills are expected to make a sharp switch from ethanol to sugar production in the new season kicking off in the world’s largest sugarcane producer, as falling gasoline prices and a weak currency reduce the biofuel’s appeal, analysts said.

Mills in Brazil have the flexibility to partially switch cane toward sugar or ethanol production, depending on market prices. For the last two years, they have allocated an all-time low amount of cane for sugar, around 34%, as ethanol gave them higher returns.

 

By Marcelo Teixeira via Nasdaq

 

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Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resources for Employers

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Coronavirus (COVID-19) poses particular concerns for employers for several reasons, beyond the obvious need to protect employees who may be at risk and the need to address employee concerns: coronavirus might be transmittable in the workplace, and is serious; the incubation period after exposure but before symptoms appear is believed to be a minimum of several days; and early symptoms can mimic less severe respiratory problems, such as the flu.

We hope this page provides a useful resource for employers to learn how COVID-19 is affecting various aspects of employment law, and how different jurisdictions are addressing the outbreak. Because the COVID-19 situation is dynamic, with new governmental measures each day, employers should consult with counsel for the latest developments and updated guidance on this topic. 

 

More Information

Tribute to Sheun Ming Ling

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On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce, Inc., we regretfully inform you of the passing, on March 19, 2020 at the age of 99, of Sheun Ming Ling, President Emeritus of the Board of Directors of Évora S.A. and Founder of Instituto Ling, a longtime and valued partner of the Chamber.

With no formal education and few resources, Mr. Ling migrated from China to Brazil in 1951.  Shortly thereafter, he set off on an entrepreneurial journey that jumpstarted Brazil’s soy industry, creating Évora S.A.  In 1995, Mr. Ling and his wife, Lydia Wong Ling, founded Instituto Ling, a philanthropic entity that has provided 772 students, many of whom are Person of the Year Fellows, with educational scholarships.

Mr. Ling is survived by Lydia, to whom he was married for 66 years, four children, and nine grandchildren.  More information on Sheun Ming Ling’s great life and career can be found here.

 

Ministry of Agriculture and MPF sign cooperation agreement to guarantee legal certainty to public policies

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The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (MAPA) and the Federal Public Ministry (MPF) will work jointly to provide greater legal certainty and speed the implementation of public policies folder.

The cooperation agreement was signed on Tuesday (17) between the Minister Tereza Cristina and Attorney General of the Republic, Augusto Aras. The partnership between the two bodies had already been signed in previous years, with the development of similar actions. However, with expansion of map structure, the current government, the agreement was renewed.

 

Via DATAGRO

 

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Ambev will donate 500,000 bottles of alcohol gel to public hospitals

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With the increase of cases of contamination by the new coronavirus in Brazil, Companhia de Bebidas das Americas (AmBev) announced on Tuesday (17) that is producing alcohol gel to distribute 500,000 bottles to municipal hospitals in the cities of São Paulo , Rio de Janeiro and Brasilia, where cities are concentrated the majority of cases of the disease so far, informs the “Agency Brazil.”

 

By DATAGRO

 

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Brazil launches national standard QR code

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The Central Bank of Brazil has launched its standard for QR Codes, to universalize cashless payments in the country. The new standard will become mandatory in September 2020.

“The new rules aim to increase transparency for end-users, both payers and recipients, by expanding and improving access to information and, thus, creating a pro-competitive environment in the Brazilian Payment System”, said the Central Bank, in a statement.

 

By Angelica Mari via ZD Net

 

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Golar Plans Brazil LNG Import Terminal

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Golar Power Limited has signed a “protocol of intentions” with the government of Brazil’s Pernambuco state to develop a liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal in the Port of Suape in northeastern Brazil, Golar LNG reported Monday.

Golar Power is a 50/50 joint venture (JV) between Golar LNG and the private equity firm Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners, according to Stonepeak’s website.

 

By Matthew V. Veazey via RigZone

 

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Lua Oliveira Launches Favela Library in Brazil

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RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – Lua has a hungry look on her face as she holds her new book on Nelson Mandela, one of thousands the precocious 12-year-old has amassed for her new library in a poor Brazilian favela.

“I don’t read books. I devour them,” she says in Rio de Janeiro’s Tabajaras neighborhood, a shantytown perched in the hills overlooking the chic districts of Copacabana and Botafogo.

 

By Agence France-Presse via Rappler.com

 

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Artificial Intelligence Makes its Mark in the Brazilian Judicial System

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Artificial intelligence (AI) programs are already making decisions in different judicial processes. In these cases, legal professionals check and then confirm the guidelines suggested by the software.

AI also already performs actions such as reading, interpreting, selecting, and drafting legal documents, changing the profile of activities in courts and law firms.

 

By Flávio Ferreira via Folha de S. Paulo

 

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Forecast gross crop of Brazil cafes for 2020 has increased by 25% from 2019

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The estimated gross revenue from all Brazilian crops, with reference to average prices received by producers in January, is estimated for 2020 at $ 438 billion, reports the “Embrapa”.

In calculating this amount, it is established a ranking of five products, it finds that the first figure soybean, R $ 158.6 billion, which corresponds to 36% of the said value; corn, second, with R $ 72.7 billion (15.5%); followed by sugarcane with R $ 59.16 billion (13.5%); upland cotton with R $ 41.4 billion (9.5%) in fourth place; and finally, billing the Cafés do Brazil, fifth place in the ranking, with R $ 25.06 billion, a figure equivalent to 5.7% of all crops. Thus, the estimated revenue from the coffee crop for this year represents an increase of approximately 25% compared to 2019 revenues, which reached R $ 19.94 billion.

 

Via DATAGRO

 

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Ethanol exports reached 1.77 billion liters by the end of February 2020

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The month of February recorded that ethanol sales by mills in the South-Central region totaled 2.40 billion liters, with 2.28 billion liters for the domestic market and 120.79 million liters for export.

The export volume represents an increase of 41.40% over February 2019 (85.42 million liters), with 99.49 million liters sold in the last half of the month.

 

Via DATAGRO

 

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Alibaba Files for a Blockchain Transaction System in Brazil

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Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba has registered a blockchain-based system patent in Brazil under the category of “insurance,” “financial business” and “monetary business,” according to the March 10th edition of the Industrial Property Magazine (NPI).

As reported by the NPI, the name of the mechanism is “Ant Unicorn.”

By Felipe Erazo via Cointelegraph

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Ethanol is in line with the global agenda for decarbonisation, says Unica

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The opportunity to expand the ethanol consumption in the world is primarily linked to its use as an additive in the mix of fossil fuels, for example, in gasoline. This was underlined by the president of Unica, Evandro Gussi in “Opening Safra Cana, Sugar and Ethanol 2020/21 Santander DATAGRO” on Wednesday (11) in Ribeirão Preto (SP).

According to him, who recently made a tour of Asian countries [India, Thailand and Afghanistan] in order to delve into the reality of these markets biofuels, ethanol is in absolute harmony with the global agenda for decarbonisation. “The world wants to decarbonisation, but does not yet know the ethanol potential for it. In this regard, the electric car, which does not deliver what it promises in environmental terms, has been gaining in the field of communication. ”

 

Via DATAGRO

 

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GDP agribusiness has high of 3.81% in 2019

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The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of agribusiness grew 3.81% in 2019 compared to 2018 and represented 21.4% of total GDP of the country last year, according to publication of the Confederation of Agriculture and Livestock of Brazil (CNA), Center of Advanced Studies in Applied Economics (Cepea) and Agrarian Studies Foundation Luiz de Queiroz (FEALQ).

Services (6.77%), raw materials (5.54%) and agricultural industry (4.99%) grew in 2019. The primary sector was down 3.03%, pushed down by agriculture. “From the perspective of the branches, it is noted that, in 2019, agribusiness was driven by the excellent performance of the livestock sector, while the agricultural industry receded,” says the publication.

 

Via DATAGRO

 

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USDA raises Brazil’s soy output estimate

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Brazil’s soybean output in the current 2019-20 season is expected to reach a 126mn t record, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) said today, in a 1mn t upward revision from last month’s forecast.

The estimate, if accurate, would represent a nearly 8pc increase from the prior year, according to USDA’s monthly World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (Wasde) report.

 

By José Roberto Gomes via Argus Media

 

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Heineken to pour $183 million into expansion in Brazil

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SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Heineken NV (HEIN.AS) will invest 865 million reais ($183.14 million) to expand its Ponta Grossa brewing plant in Brazil, the company said on Monday, as competition between the world’s two largest beer makers bubbles up.

The Dutch brewer will make the investment this year and next and focus on it Heineken and Amstel brands at the third-largest brewing facility in Parana state in Brazil, its most important market worldwide.

 

By Alberto Alerigi via Reuters

 

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Bolsonaro and Trump talk about bilateral trade package

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Interested to strengthen the economic partnership between Brazil and the United States, the Presidents Jair Bolsonaro and Donaldo Trump instructed their negotiators to intensify the discussions prior to the possible signing of a bilateral trade package. The information was confirmed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. According to the folder, the intention is that an agreement will be signed later this year.

Bolsonaro and Trump met on Saturday night (07), during a dinner at a resort belonging to the very head of the US Executive, located in Palm Beach, Florida, announces the “Agency Brazil.”

 

Via DATAGRO

 

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Twitter testing disappearing ‘fleets’ in Brazil

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(Reuters) – Twitter Inc (TWTR.N) said on Wednesday it was testing in Brazil a new type of tweet that disappears after 24 hours, similar to the stories feature popular on Snapchat (SNAP.N) and Facebook’s (FB.O) photo-sharing app Instagram.

Called ‘fleets’, the vanishing messages can be viewed by tapping on a user’s profile picture. They do not appear on the user’s timeline or receive retweets, likes or public replies, Kayvon Beykpour, the company’s product lead, said on Twitter.

 

By Ankit Ajmera and Katie Paul via Reuters

 

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Thyssenkrupp, Embraer to build four frigates for Brazil Navy

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FRANKFURT/DUESSELDORF/BRASILIA, March 5 (Reuters) – A consortium formed by Germany’s Thyssenkrupp AG TKAG.DE and Brazilian planemaker Embraer SA EMBR3.SA signed a deal on Thursday to deliver four frigates to Brazil’s navy between 2025 and 2028, the companies said in a statement.

The contract signed in Rio de Janeiro is part of Brazil’s drive to modernize its navy so it can patrol off-shore resources in the Atlantic, such as Brazil’s vast pre-salt oil reserves.

 

By Christoph Steitz and Tom Kaeckenhoff via Nasdaq

 

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Brazil meatpacker JBS plans U.S. listing as BNDES sells stake: sources

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SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Brazilian meatpacker JBS SA and state development bank BNDES are planning a simultaneous listing of JBS international operations in the United States and the sale of the bank’s stake in the company, five sources with knowledge of the matter said.

Sources close to the company say JBS is working on a transaction that is different from the one proposed in 2016.

 

By Tatiana Bautzer, Aluisio Alves and Carolina Mandl via WHBL

 

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(Adiado) Empreendedoras Conversando sobre Liderança

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Join WE NYC and the Consulate General of Brazil in New York for this WE Master Leadership Conference!

This event is designed for women entrepreneurs with a goal of starting or growing a business in the United States. We will help you gain the critical management skills needed to start, operate, and grow a successful business.

*Please note the panel will be in Portuguese and the talks in English. For the talks, consecutive interpretation to Portuguese will be provided by Patricia Vittorazzi from New York Step-by-Step on a first-come, first-served basis.

 

The day will feature:

  • A thought-provoking panel discussion (in Portuguese) with successful Brazilian women entrepreneurs who will talk about the lessons they have learned throughout their entrepreneurial journey in the United States. Panelists will include Leticia Moreinos Schwartz, Chef Letícia, Jordana Guimarães, Co-Founder, FashInnovation, Jakeline Castanheira Co-Owner and Manager, Dog Room Club, and Sara Taublib, Founder, ModusRio. The panel will be moderated by Angelica Vieira, Executive Producer, Manhattan Connection.
  • A talk covering the Effective Communication Tactics (in English, with consecutive interpretation to Portuguese).
  • A talk covering Negotiation Techniques (in English, with consecutive interpretation to Portuguese).
  • An opportunity to network with business leaders and other entrepreneurs in the community.

 

More Information

Economy will grow more than 2% if reforms are approved, says minister Guedes

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The Brazilian economy will grow more than 2% in 2020 if the government-proposed reforms are approved, he said on Wednesday (04) Economy Minister, Paulo Guedes, informs the “Agency Brazil.” He said the coronavirus will have little impact on the country because the Brazilian economy is closed in relation to the economies of the rest of the world.

“In the second year [of government], I think we grow above 2%, even with the coronavirus. The Brazil has had two confirmed cases [the number rose to three today]. It is an economy that was relatively closed all these years, “said Guedes, he left the Ministry of Economy for a ceremony at the Presidential Palace.

 

Via DATAGRO

 

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Complete Genome Sequence for Coronavirus in Brazil Published

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Only two days after Latin America’s first case of coronavirus was confirmed in São Paulo, the largest Brazilian city, researchers at Adolfo Lutz Institute (IAL), the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil and the University of Oxford in the UK have published the complete genome sequence for the virus, which they call severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

The report was published on February 28 on Virological.org, a forum for discussion and data sharing used by virologists, epidemiologists and public health specialists. This kind of information helps understand how the virus is spreading around the world, and is useful for the development of vaccines and diagnostic tests.

 

Via Technology Networks

 

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Online ad firm OLX Brazil in $642 million deal to buy competitor

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OSLO (Reuters) – Online marketplace OLX Brazil has agreed to buy competitor Grupo ZAP for 2.9 billion reais ($642 million), forming a leading Brazilian player in digital real estate advertising, OLX and its European owners said.

By combining their operations, rapidly growing OLX and ZAP can slash costs and boost earnings margins while providing a broader range of services to the online real estate market, they added late on Tuesday.

 

By Terje Solsvik via Reuters

 

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Brazil Posts $3.1 Billion Trade Surplus in Feb, No Coronavirus Impact Yet

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BRASILIA — Brazil posted a trade surplus of $3.1 billion in February, official data showed on Monday, far stronger than forecast and confounding any expectations that the coronavirus outbreak might have dampened exports.

February’s figure was double the median consensus forecast in a Reuters poll of economists of a $1.5 billion surplus, a result of exports totaling $16.4 billion and imports reaching $13.3 billion.

 

By Marcela Ayres and James McGeever via The New York Times

 

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Brazil banking: Benchimol lifts XP’s star

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It’s a hot summer’s day in São Paulo – sadly a relatively rare one this year – and Euromoney is with XP Inc’s head of media relations and the assistant to chief executive Guilherme Benchimol in an air-conditioned meeting room on the 28th floor of the newly IPO’d company. The air con and the chilled water are refreshing; while we wait, the assistant checks her phone.

“He’s nearly here,” she says. “He’s on his way in from his farm.”

By Rob Dwyer via Euromoney

 

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Brazil’s Ambar Wants To Automate Construction For End Consumers

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Brazilian construtech Ambar wants to take the hassle out of the millions of consumers across the country who are either building or renovating their homes with an all-in-one automation platform.

The startup founded in 2012 and backed by the likes of Texas Pacific Group, Endeavor Catalyst and e.bricks Ventures is known for its modular systems – dubbed “Lego for construction”, these are packages of items needed for building or renovation work, in areas such as hydraulics – aimed to facilitate and speed up the overall job.

 

By Angelica Mari via Forbes

 

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Trade balance registers US $ 520 million surplus in the third. week of February

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The Brazilian trade balance registered a surplus of US $ 520 million and total trade of US $ 7.412 billion in the third week of February 2020, as a result of exports worth US $ 3.966 billion and imports of US $ 3.446 billion. According to data released on Thursday (27) by the Secretary of Ministry of Economy of Foreign Trade (Secex / ME) in the month exports totaled US $ 12.364 billion and imports, US $ 11.259 billion, with a surplus of US $ 1,105 billion and total trade of US $ 23.624 billion.

 

By DATAGRO

 

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Santander Brazil Boss Rial Given More Say With Board Role

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MADRID — Santander Brazil head Sergio Rial will join Santander’s board as a group executive director, the Spanish bank said on Thursday, giving the 59-year-old more influence over its overall strategy.

The Brazilian is viewed as one of the leading candidates to become Santander CEO in the medium term, several senior bankers have told Reuters, after the bank failed to hire Italian banker Andrea Orcel for the role in January last year.

 

By Jesús Aguado, Carolina Mandl and Pamela Barbaglia via The New York Times

 

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New Member: The Chamber Welcomes FUNDAÇÃO ABRINQ

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Since its establishment in February 1990, FUNDAÇÃO ABRINQ PELOS DIREITOS DA CRIANÇA E DO ADOLESCENTE has been active in alignment with the terms established by the Federal Constitution of Brazil and by the International Convention on the Rights of the Child, by the United Nations Organization (UN).

FUNDAÇÃO ABRINQ fosters political participation, the implementation of projects and programs, and the development of special actions for communication and involvement which seek to uphold the rights of children and adolescents in Brazil.

Their mission is to promote the exercising of citizenship among children and adolescents and to defend their rights.

In 30 years of existence, FUNDAÇÃO ABRINQ has benefited more than 8 million boys and girls throughout Brazil.

Learn more here.

BlackRocks Startups Helps Black Entrepreneurs Blossom In Brazil

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São Paulo-based organization BlackRocks Startups (BRS) is currently readying a new and larger acceleration cycle to cater for the increase in tech-based products and services created by black entrepreneurs.

According to data from Brazilian research firm Instituto Locomotiva, consumption driven the black population currently injects about 1.7 trillion reais ($380 million) into the local economy. BRS wants to cater for that demand: the accelerator supported the development of five startups in 2019 and this year, 16 early-stage startups will take part in the program.

 

By Angelica Mari via Forbes

 

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Technological advancement should also be reflected in improved income for the producer

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The Confederation of Agriculture and Livestock of Brazil (CNA) participated on 20 and 21 February the 96th edition of the Agricultural Outlook Forum in Arlington in the US state of Virginia. The event was sponsored by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and brought together experts, technicians and representatives of the global agribusiness to discuss innovation and use of technology in the sector.

 

Via Datagro

 

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POLL-Brazil stocks to fly again once coronavirus worries subside

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BUENOS AIRES/SAO PAULO/MEXICO CITY, Feb 26 (Reuters) – Brazilian stocks are forecast to soar nearly 19% by the end of 2020, logging a fifth year of solid gains, according to a Reuters poll of market strategists who were looking beyond current jitters over the coronavirus outbreak.

The benchmark Bovespa stock index .BVSP is forecast to rise to 135,000 points by the end of 2020, a 18.8% increase over its last mark before Carnival holidays this week, according to the median estimate of 15 strategists surveyed Feb 13-25.

 

By Gabriel Burin, Paula Laier and Miguel Gutierrez via Nasdaq

 

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Centrica sends cargo to launch Brazil’s first private LNG terminal

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LONDON, Feb 25 (Reuters) – Britain’s Centrica CNA.L chartered a vessel to supply liquefied natural gas (LNG) this month to power firm Centrais Elétricas de Sergipe S.A. (CELSE) ELET6.SA, launching Brazil’s first private LNG terminal.

Brazil has been implementing reforms to end the monopoly of Petroleo Brasileiro SA PETR4.SA, known as Petrobras, in supplying natural gas to the domestic market. The new terminal was developed before the reforms were announced last year.

 

By Ekaterina Kravtsova via Reuters

 

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Aena wins Brazil concession

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Through its subsidiary Aena Desarrollo Internacional, Aena has been awarded the concession for the Northeast Brazil airport group of six airports.

The concession is for 30 years, with the possibility of a further five. The airports included are: Juazeiro do Norte – Orlando Bezerra de Menezes; Recife/Guararapes – Gilberto Freyre; Joao Pessoa – Presidente Castro Pinto; Campina Grande – Presidente Joao Suassuna; Aracaju – Santa Maria; and Maceió – Zumbi dos Palmares.

 

By Tara Craig via Passenger Terminal Today

 

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Brazil’s new ranks of shareholders reflect fundamental shift

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Mairton Garbelotti is taking a gamble.

Like many Brazilians, the 67-year-old pensioner from São Paulo has grown accustomed to high interest rates, which for decades fed through to double-digit returns in money-market investments backed by Treasury bills. But those high yields have evaporated with cut after cut to the country’s benchmark interest rate. In response, Mr Garbelotti has joined a new army of investors who are turning to riskier assets in search of higher returns.

 

By Jonathan Wheatley and Andres Schipani via Financial Times

 

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Brazil poised to make central bank independent of political control

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Brazil is poised to give its central bank independence from political control in a move spearheaded by the bank’s US-educated president Roberto Campos Neto to shore up its reputation with international investors. Legislation to implement the change was pushed through Congress’s committee stages last week and is expected to face a full parliamentary vote in the coming weeks.

 

By Bryan Harris via Financial Times

 

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WhatsApp chooses Brazil to launch its first major ad campaign

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WhatsApp has chosen Brazil to launch its first major brand advertising campaign.

The Facebook-owned messaging service has published a seven-minute film showing people communicating via WhatsApp as a fire breaks out ahead of Carnival celebrations. Users are seen sending messages to organize costume donations for a rival’s dance school whose warehouse burns down, and the ad ends with “Rivals in public. Friends in private,” with WhatsApp’s logo, and “From Facebook,” underneath.

 

By Lucy Handley via CNBC

 

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Solar energy expands quickly in Brazil, attracts Chinese firms

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PORTO FELIZ, Brazil (Reuters) – Beside the green pastures and sugarcane plantations surrounding the farming town of Porto Feliz is the strange sight of hundreds of blue, silicon panes turned towards the sun.

This solar farm, about 150 km (93.2 miles) from Sao Paulo, produces electricity for around 40 homes and small businesses like restaurants and gyms.

 

By Luciano Costa via Reuters

 

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Brazil’s Central Bank to Launch Near-Instant Payments as a Response to Cryptocurrencies

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Called PIX, the project from the country’s central bank will provide 24/7 payments in up to 10 seconds via mobile apps, internet banking and ATMs, according to reports from Reuters and local crypto news site Livecoins on Wednesday.

Slated for launch on Nov. 10, 2020, PIX is aimed to speed up and reduce the costs of fiat transfers between individuals and businesses.

 

By Daniel Palmer via CoinDesk

 

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UPDATE 1-Brazil oil production rises 20% in January to all-time high

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SAO PAULO, Feb 19 (Reuters) – Oil companies produced 3.17 million barrels per day (bpd) on average in Brazil in January, a volume 20.4% larger than seen in the same month a year earlier and an output record for the country, oil regulator ANP said on Wednesday.

Natural gas production increased 22% over January 2019 to 138.7 million cubic meters per day on average last month, also a record. The deepwater, pre-salt field known as Lula accounted for a third of all oil production in Brazil, reaching 1.05 million bpd of crude on average in January, ANP said.

 

By Marcelo Teixeira via Reuters

 

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Soybean Mogul Negotiating to Buy Tejar’s Brazil Unit

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(Bloomberg) — Amaggi, the Brazilian soybean group owned by entrepreneur-turned-politician Blairo Maggi, is in advanced talks to buy the local unit of Argentina’s El Tejar to capitalize on increasing crop demand from China, people with knowledge of the matter said.

The proposed acquisition of O Telhar encompasses all assets in Brazil, including about 70,000 hectares (173,000 acres) of farming land, cotton mills, warehouses and machinery, one of the people said, asking to not be identified as talks are private. Amaggi declined to comment, while El Tejar representatives in Brazil didn’t immediately respond.

By Fabiana Batista and Tatiana Freitas via Yahoo Finance

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Airline Startup Of The Week: Brazil’s Ita

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There will be a new airline in Brazil by 2021. The bus company Itapemirim Group received $500 million USD to set up, among other initiatives, a new airline in the country, said local newspaper Folha de Sao Paulo.

Sidnei Piva, Itapemirim president said that one of Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth funds provided with the $500 million USD to start up a new airline. The current name for this carrier is Ita, according to AirlineGeeks.

 

By Daniel Martínez Garbuno via Simple Flying

 

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New Member: The Chamber Welcomes InspIR Group!

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The InspIR Group is an investor relations and corporate communications firm that enhances the value of companies operating in dynamic environments. They are expert translators between private companies, investor and issuers and the markets. Their team members bridge companies and cultures to the global financial community, drawing on deep financial, operating, sell-side and journalism experience to advise some of the most prominent companies across geographies.

Their services are IPO Advisory, Investor Relations, Investor Access, Workshops & Coaching, Perception Research and Public Relations.

Learn more.

Brazilian telecoms regulator discusses 5G auction rules

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Brazilian telecoms regulator Anatel has launched a public consultation to discuss the rules of what could be the world’s largest single auction for fifth-generation (5G) spectrum later this year.

The consultation will last for 45 days and will set the specific details of the auction. A draft version of the rules had been approved by Anatel’s board earlier this month.

 

By Angelica Mari via ZD Net

 

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Sales of smart home devices accelerate in Brazil

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The smart home devices segment will be one of the highlights of the consumer technology market in Brazil this year, according to analyst firm IDC.

With new devices on offer as well as new features such as the ability to understand commands in Brazilian Portuguese, the analyst firm estimates an increase of 50% in units sold and a boost of over 40% in revenue.

 

By Angelica Mari via ZD Net

 

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Mattos Filho has the highest number of Band 1 practice areas and professionals in Brazil

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Chambers Global 2020 edition consolidates Mattos Filho’s outstanding position among elite firms in Brazil. Once again, the firm had the largest number of Band 1 professionals, in addition to maintaining the leadership in Band 1 practice areas and individual recognition of partners.

Among the novelties of this edition, there were seven new categories of recognition for professionals in the following categories: Capital Markets; Compliance; Dispute resolution: Arbitration; Corporate/M&A; Litigation; Oil & Gas and Projects.

Chambers Global is one of the most notable publications in the international legal market and annually brings together law firms and lawyers with excellence in more than 190 countries. In preparation for the ranking, the guide carries out interviews with clients, in house lawyers, and international offices, in addition to using information from other publications of the institution.

We thank the market for the trust as we continue to serve our clients with excellence. Click here and check more details about our performance in the ranking.

Agricultural Production Value has the potential to grow 6.7% in 2020

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The grain harvest survey results impacted favorably on Agricultural Production Value (VBP) this year, estimated at R $ 674.10 billion, and represents a real increase of 6.7% compared to 2019, says the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (MAPA). The expected growth rates are 6.4% for crops and 7.3% for livestock.

Yields of information released this week by Conab (National Supply Company) and the IBGE (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics) indicate favorable performance for the grain harvest. To date, there has been no weather problems in major producing regions and forecasts of a crop of 251 million tonnes according to the Conab, and 246.7 million tons, according IBGE survey. These figures are records for the Brazilian grain production.

 

Via DATAGRO

 

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Brazil Education Giant Back in M&A Game With $590 Million Raise

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Brazil’s largest for-profit education company raised about 2.56 billion reais ($590 million) in a sale of the firm’s shares, a move to cut debt and pave the way for new acquisitions.

Cogna, formerly known as Kroton, offered a total of 232.4 million shares, including an additional allotment, with stock priced at 11 reais each, the company said in a regulatory filing Wednesday, confirming an earlier report by Bloomberg.

 

By Vinicius Andrade and Rachel Gamarski via Bloomberg

 

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Retail sales in Brazil up 1.8 pct in 2019

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RIO DE JANEIRO, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) — Retail sales in Brazil were up 1.8 percent in 2019 compared with 2018, the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) announced on Wednesday.

According to the IBGE, only one out of the nine sectors analyzed by the agency registered decrease in sales volume — books, newspapers and stationary products, whose sales were down 20.7 percent in 2019.

 

Via Xinhua Net

 

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Look on the bright side of the Brazilian real

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Is it time to buy the dip in Brazil? Local assets have been tanking. The currency has dropped 7 per cent this year to a record low. São Paulo stocks have slumped by a similar degree.

Investors were spooked last week when December’s industrial production data disappointed. The nervous mood certainly has not been helped by the coronavirus outbreak. Brazil is far from the centre of that storm but its large commodities exports and relatively liquid markets make it an easy target when jitters hit.

 

By Jonathan Wheatley via Financial Times

 

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UPDATE 2-Brazil central bank assessing increased ‘power’ of recent rate cuts – minutes

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BRASILIA, Feb 11 (Reuters) – The economic and financial impact of Brazil’s recent interest rate cuts may be greater than in previous periods, minutes of the central bank’s last policy meeting showed on Tuesday, thereby justifying a pause in its unprecedented easing cycle.

On balance, the minutes showed policymakers believe there may be less slack in the economy than previously thought, and that more flexible credit and capital markets have magnified the power of monetary policy.

 

By Jamie McGeever via Reuters

 

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Brazil defines timescales for sale of state-owned tech firms

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The Brazilian government has defined timescales for the sale of its technology companies to private sector buyers.

According to the goals announced by the team in charge of the government’s privatization initiatives, Dataprev and Serpro, companies accountable for the development, maintenance, and operations of thousands of government systems, will be sold by June 2021.

 

By Angelica Mari via ZD Net

 

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Canadian Solar Secures 225.2 Million Brazilian Reais Financing for Lavras Project in Brazil

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GUELPH, Ontario, Feb. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Canadian Solar Inc. (the “Company”, or “Canadian Solar”) (NASDAQ: CSIQ), one of the world’s largest solar power companies, today announced it has secured 225.2 million Brazilian reais (US$ 55 million) non-recourse project financing from Banco do Nordeste do Brasil S.A. (BNB) for its Lavras solar power projects. Since the beginning of 2019, Canadian Solar has secured BRL 1,007 million (US$ 247 million) solar project financing with BNB.

The 152.4 MWp Lavras project will be funded over 21 years across the construction and operation phases of the projects. The inflation-linked debt tied to the National Consumer Price Index (IPCA) will provide improved capital and resource alignment with the Brazilian economy.

Via Yahoo Finance

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How Brazil Can Become An Economic Powerhouse

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In only one-year Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro has been able to revert 13 years of socialist policies which were implemented by the previous leftist presidents Lula and Dilma. His accomplishments include passing important free-market reforms such as the pension reform and different de-regulation laws, such as the reduction of the number of Ministries from 29 to 22, and the privatization of logistics networks from roads to airports. Thanks to the approval of the anti-crime package crime rates have dropped by 22%. Also, 2019 was the best year for employment since 2013, with almost one million jobs created.

 

By Lorenzo Montanari via Forbes

 

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CNA and the Ministry of Infrastructure discuss positive agenda for road transport

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The president of the Confederation of Agriculture and Livestock of Brazil (CNA), João Martins, discussed the construction of a positive agenda for the carriage of cargo with the National Secretary of the Ministry of Land Infrastructure Transport, Marcello da Costa Vieira.

The Confederation has presented proposals for the sector in order to facilitate the flow of agricultural production. “For us the dialogue with the government is important to work to find solutions for road transport is vital for agriculture,” Martins said. “It is the quality of the production flow that will make the country the largest exporter of food in the world.”

 

Via DATAGRO

 

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Brazil Pushes Its Great Downsizing and Rakes In $5.2 Billion

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(Bloomberg) — The Brazilian state development bank unloaded its voting stake in oil giant Petroleo Brasileiro SA, raking in 22 billion reais ($5.2 billion) as part of a wave of asset sales aimed at reversing years of growing government influence in Latin America’s biggest economy.

BNDES, as the bank is known, sold all 734 million shares, including over-allotments, for 30 reais apiece late Wednesday, the company said in a regulatory filing. That’s a discount of less than 2% to the closing price, an indication that demand held up well in the face of sinking crude prices. Shares rose more than 1% in early trading Thursday to top the offering price.

By Cristiane Lucchesi,  Vinicius Andrade and Sabrina Valle via Yahoo Finance

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Brazil Caps Record-Breaking Easing Cycle With Final Rate Cut

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Brazil’s central bank intends to hold interest rates going forward to consider the impact of the record-breaking monetary easing cycle it concluded on Wednesday with a quarter-point cut.

The bank’s board, led by its President Roberto Campos Neto, lowered the Selic rate to 4.25%, as forecast by 35 of 45 economists in a Bloomberg survey. The remaining analysts expected borrowing costs to stay at 4.5%.

By Mario Sergio Lima via Yahoo Finance

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A New Way Forward for Brazil’s Economy

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Part of a continuing series on how Latin America can overcome a decade of slow economic growth. 

Economic analysts, myself included, once thought that Brazil could reach a per capita income equal to Spain or Portugal by the early 2020s. Instead, the 2010s seem destined to go down as a lost decade for Brazil in many of the ways that matter most: productivity, living standards, health, education, and fairness.

 

By Thomas J. Trebat

 

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Hedge Fund Makes a Bold Bet on Brazil Rates

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A newcomer in Brazil’s booming hedge fund industry says the country’s interest rate cuts will have to run much deeper than most investors expect, defying calls that the easing cycle is close to an end.

Persevera Asset Management, a firm created by former executives at HSBC Holdings Plc in Brazil, expects Latin America’s largest economy to once again grow less than forecast. That will force the central bank to cut the key rate from the current 4.5% to as low as 3% this year.

 

By Vinicius Andrade and Felipe Marques via Bloomberg

 

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A vision in concrete: Oscar Niemeyer’s Brazil

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During a brief visit to Rio de Janeiro, taking in Sugar Loaf mountain, Copacabana and Ipanema beaches, and dutifully drinking cool caipirinhas, my heart was really elsewhere – 1,200km inland to Brasília in the central plateau to be precise. It wasn’t sand, samba and rainforests I was after, but clean modernist lines and reinforced concrete laid out on the Cerrado (the country’s vast tropical savannah).

 

By Chris Hall via The Guardian

 

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American Airlines announces partnership with Brazil’s GOL Airlines, beefs up Miami flights

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American Airlines is teaming up with Brazil’s largest airline, GOL Airlines, in a new agreement allowing American to market GOL flights to its passengers and vice versa.

The codeshare partnership will allow American to connect its passengers on GOL flights to places outside the reach of its direct flights from Miami to Brasilia, Sao Paulo, Manaus and Rio de Janeiro. To prepare for the deal, American is adding 12 more daily flights from Miami International Airport to six cities across the U.S. this summer and a second daily flight from MIA to Rio de Janeiro next winter.

 

By Taylor Dolven via Miami Herald

 

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Regulatory and Strategic Considerations for Doing Business Between Brazil, Japan and the United States

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Program Fee:
Free for Members | $15 for Nonmembers

Description:  
While geographically distant, Brazil, Japan and the United States are economically tight-knit countries with important, longstanding ties that bind them together. Nowhere are these connections more readily apparent than in the corporate and antitrust space.  The panel will provide an overview of how companies from the three jurisdictions deal with antitrust regulators in one of the other countries. The panelists will also discuss the role of New York law in corporate transactions involving the three countries. Finally, the panel will also discuss potential opportunities for investors in Brazil, Japan and the U.S. and how to navigate risks and other strategic considerations.

Intro Speaker:
John Welch, Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce

Moderator:
Jeff Amato, Winston & Strawn

Panelists: 
Yukio Kaiju, TMI Associates
Amadeu Ribeiro, Mattos Filho
Thales Saito, Machado Meyer
Masaru Umeda, Nishimura & Asahi NY LLP
Harumi Urata-Thompson, HUT Consulting LLC

Sponsoring Association Committee:
Asian Affairs Committee, Jian Wu, Chair
Inter-American Affairs Committee, Michael A. Fernandez, Chair

Co-Sponsoring Association Committee:
Project Finance Committee, Ricardo S. Martinez, Chair
Antitrust & Trade Regulation Committee, Fred Taylor Isquith, Chair

Co-Sponsoring Organizations:

Columbia Law School Brazilian Association
Inter-American Bar Association New York Chapter

 

Where
New York City Bar Association
42 West 44th St
New York, NY 1003
UNITED STATES

U.S. willing to help Brazil improve oil auctions, official says

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RIO DE JANEIRO, Feb 2 (Reuters) – The U.S. government is ready to help Brazil design more effective oil auctions, the U.S. secretary of energy said on Sunday, after the South American nation’s attempt to sell tens of billions of dollars of production rights to private firms last year largely flopped.

In November, Brazil, a staunch U.S. ally under far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, tried to sell the rights to four offshore oil producing zones in a process that could have fetched some 106.5 billion reais ($25.5 billion) for the government.

 

By Gram Slattery via Reuters

 

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U.S. travel to Brazil jumps 39% with visa waiver

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BRASILIA (Reuters) – The number of Americans booking flights to Brazil has jumped 39% since the government of President Jair Bolsonaro waived a visa requirement for U.S. citizens in June, according to its official tourism agency, which is devising plans to draw more.

BRASILIA (Reuters) – The number of Americans booking flights to Brazil has jumped 39% since the government of President Jair Bolsonaro waived a visa requirement for U.S. citizens in June, according to its official tourism agency, which is devising plans to draw more.

 

By Anthony Boadle via Reuters

 

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Brazil: A self-reporting take on digital finance

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First there is the tech itself. And while tech in finance is admittedly not a new addition to the beat, the pace of expansion has become to feel a little intense.

It’s not just that innovation is coming in faster waves or that it’s increasingly complex, it’s that technology is now actually changing business strategy. It is creating brand new ecosystems, rather than just giving a productivity jolt to existing financial segments.

By Rob Dwyer via Euromoney

 

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“Prêmios como o POY abrem as portas para as mulheres”, diz Luiza Helena

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Responsável pela inovação e liderança do Magazine Luiza, a empresária Luiza Helena Trajano, 68 anos, vem abrindo portas para as mulheres há muito tempo. Recentemente, foi a segunda brasileira escolhida para receber o prêmio “Person of the Year”, criado há 50 anos pela Câmara de Comércio Brasil-EUA.

Em entrevista à FORBES, Luiza comentou alguns fatores que, na sua opinião, foram importantes para que conseguisse chegar a tal posição e como a utiliza para ajudar outras mulheres que estão no mundo dos negócios.

 

By Daniel Veloso via Forbes Brasil

 

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Brazil names Guedes to run privatization drive after shakeup

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BRASILIA (Reuters) – Brazil put Economy Minister Paulo Guedes in charge of its drive to find investors to buy state assets, a presidential decree said on Friday, a day after the program’s deputy head was fired due to a controversy over improper use of an Air Force jet.

The move extends the broad authority Guedes already has over economic policy and he has said the government needs to speed up privatization of all state companies to help reduce its budget deficit and spur growth.

 

By Marcela Ayres via Reuters

 

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Brazil Taps a 36-Year-Old Mandarin Speaker to Boost China Trade

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A 36-year-old, Mandarin-speaking trade specialist is Brazil’s newest bet to boost food exports to China just as the Latin American country fights with the U.S. for a bigger share of the world’s largest commodities market.

Larissa Wachholz, who holds a masters degree from the Renmin University of China, was tapped in December by the Brazilian agriculture ministry to lead a trade unit dedicated to the Asian country, the first of its kind in Brazil. Her mission is to diversify Brazilian exports to its top trading partner beyond soybeans and beef, as part of a strategy to smooth out the ups and downs in trade flows between the countries.

By Samy Adghirni and Simone Iglesias via Yahoo Finance

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UPDATE 1-Equinor and partners award first Brazil oilfield contracts

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OSLO, Jan 30 (Reuters) – Norway’s Equinor and partners ExxonMobil and Petrogal Brasil have awarded engineering contracts for a planned Brazilian oilfield development, the Norwegian operator of the project said on Thursday.

A design contract for a floating oil production and storage vessel (FPSO) was awarded to Japan’s Modec Inc, while seabed systems (SURF) will be planned by the Subsea Integration Alliance, formed by Subsea 7 and OneSubsea.

 

By Terje Solsvik via Reuters

 

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Confidence in Brazil’s construction sector reaches 5-year high in Jan.

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RIO DE JANEIRO, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) — Confidence in the Brazilian construction sector rose in January to a five-year record, Brazilian think tank Getulio Vargas Foundation (FGV) announced on Tuesday.

According to the FGV, the confidence indicator of the construction sector rose from 89.9 points in December to 91.9 points in January, the highest since May 2014.

 

By Xinhua Net

 

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UPDATE 1-Canada’s Brookfield gets OK to build Brazil solar power plants

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SAO PAULO, Jan 28 (Reuters) – Canada’s Brookfield Asset Management Inc has received the go-ahead from Brazilian antitrust regulator Cade for certain solar energy projects in the country’s northeast, according to a decision published in the government’s official gazette on Tuesday.

The solar power plants, to be built in the state of Ceará, will have total capacity to produce 278 MW of electricity, according to a description of the projects in Cade’s decision.

 

By Ana Mano via Reuters

 

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Brazil levels playing field for foreign companies in government contract market

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BRASILIA (Reuters) – Brazil’s government is changing the rules to give foreign companies an equal shot at winning government contracts, the Economy Ministry said on Monday.

Economy Minister Paulo Guedes has pledged to fight corruption and open up one of the world’s most protected countries to foreign business and the overseas investment necessary to modernize Brazil’s crumbling infrastructure.

 

By Marcela Ayres via Reuters

 

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Voice and video 4G provision improves in Brazil

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The mobile network experience has seen “notable improvements” in Brazil, particularly in 4G metrics such as video and voice consumption, according to a new report.

The Mobile Network Experience Report by mobile analytics firm Opensignal has found that the introduction of 4G on the 700 MHz spectrum band in Brazil is having a big impact in the last six months, with users on networks that have implemented it spending more time on 4G and enjoying faster average download speeds.

 

By Angelica Mari via ZD Net

 

Read full article here

India, Brazil sign 15 accords to deepen ties across range of sectors

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(Reuters) – India and Brazil have signed 15 accords aimed at forging closer ties between the two emerging market giants across a range of sectors, especially defense, both countries’ leaders tweeted on Saturday.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro took to social media to hail the closer cooperation and agreements struck during Bolsonaro’s official visit to India.

 

By Ismail Shakil and Jamie McGeever via Reuters

 

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Brazil government sees $100 billion interest savings, wiping out primary deficit by 2022

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BRASILIA (Reuters) – The Brazilian government’s interest payment bill on the national debt could fall by 417 billion reais ($100 billion) over the course of its four-year term ending in 2022, by which time the primary budget deficit could also be completely eliminated, a senior Economy Ministry official said on Thursday.

The fall to a record low 4.5% in the central bank’s benchmark interest rate since the middle of last year accounts for the interest savings, and the public finances could be even stronger if economic reforms accelerate growth further, said Waldery Rodrigues, special secretary to the Economy Ministry.

 

By Marcela Ayres via KFGO

 

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Brazilian CVM to launch cryptocurrency regulatory sandbox

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The Brazilian Securities and Exchange Commission (CVM) has announced the launch of a new regulatory sandbox containing specific guidelines for cryptocurrency and digital token issuance.

The news comes after the country’s regulator stated at the end of last year that the implementation of blockchain technology is a top priority for 2020.

By Pedro Febrero via Yahoo Finance

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Brazil became 4 ° investment destination in the world in 2019

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With the help of federal enterprises privatization program, Brazil rose from sixth to fourth place among the leading foreign investment destinations in the world in 2019, informs the “Agency Brazil.” According to a report released on Monday (20) by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (Unctad), Brazil received US $ 75 billion in foreign investment last year, up from $ 60 billion in 2018.

The first three places in the ranking investment destination were with the United States, with US $ 251 billion last year; China, with US $ 140 billion and Singapore with US $ 110 billion. The $ 75 billion that arrived in Brazil amount to more than half of the $ 119 billion that South America received last year.

 

Via DATAGRO

 

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Enterprises in Brazil Move to Automate Workplaces and Empower Employees

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SÃO PAULO, Brazil, Jan. 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Enterprises in Brazil are moving toward fully automating their digital workplaces, and are looking for vendors to help them empower workers through self-support, according to a new report published today by Information Services Group (ISG) (Nasdaq: III), a leading global technology research and advisory firm.

The 2019-2020 ISG Provider Lens™ Digital Workplace of the Future Report for Brazil finds enterprises in Brazil focusing on improving worker experience with workplace tools. Enterprises are embracing automation, but they also want to improve user productivity by enabling better collaboration and discovering new ways of working.

Via Yahoo Finance

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GREENSPOON MARDER PROMOTES SIX ATTORNEYS TO PARTNER IN 2020

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MEDIA CONTACT
Natalie Villanueva, Marketing / PR Manager
954.333.4308   |   natalie.villanueva@gmlaw.com

 

GREENSPOON MARDER PROMOTES SIX ATTORNEYS TO PARTNER IN 2020

 

Fort Lauderdale, FL – January 13, 2019 – Greenspoon Marder is pleased to announce the promotion of six attorneys to partner from various offices firm wide. The individuals recognized for their professional accomplishments and outstanding client service include: Marcela Bermudez, Matthew Ginder, Adam D. Kemper, Ron Lebow, Phillip Silvestri and Lawren A. Zann.

 

“Each of these new partners have reached this stage of success due to their hard work, ongoing dedication to our firm and legal skills,” said co-managing director, Michael Marder. “We are proud to call them partners, and know that this group of attorneys exemplify the type of quality and high professional standards that we hold here at Greenspoon Marder,” said co-managing director, Gerald Greenspoon.

 

Ms. Bermudez is a member of the firm’s Immigration & Naturalization practice group. She focuses her practice on business immigration. Ms. Bermudez advises and represents a diverse group of clients, including banks, global financial service companies, technology companies, and business and corporations of all sizes in the hiring, transfer and retention of foreign nationals. She also represents individuals, including artists, researchers, professors and scientists. Ms. Bermudez has a broad client base servicing LATAM with its evolving economic and immigration concerns. Ms. Bermudez is a frequent speaker on immigration issues at national and local conferences. She has been published and quoted in a variety of publications including Cannabis Business Times, SHRM Magazine and Bloomberg Law Daily Labor Report. She serves on the Tri-State Diversity Council’s New York Advisory Board and Greenspoon Marder’s Diversity Council. She received her J.D. from Yeshiva University Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in 2000.

 

Mr. Ginder is a member of the firm’s Cannabis Law practice group. He represents various cannabis and hemp related businesses where he assists in many areas of the industry, including licensing, regulatory and compliance, and business transactions. Mr. Ginder is regularly quoted in a variety of publications including Marijuana Business Daily, SFBJ, Miami Herald and Sun Sentinel to name a few. Additionally, he is a frequent speaker on a variety of cannabis issues. Mr. Ginder is ranked among Chambers & Partners in the “Cannabis Law: Corporate/Transactional” category in 2019. In 2018, he was named one of the “30 Most Powerful Cannabis Attorneys” by mg Magazine. He received his J.D. from Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad Law Center in 2009.

 

Mr. Kemper is a member of the firm’s Labor & Employment practice group. Mr. Kemper has extensive experience advising companies on workplace compliance and also litigating employment-related disputes on behalf of both employees and companies. Mr. Kemper also does extensive writing, public speaking and training on relevant labor and employment topics. He has been published and quoted in a variety of publications including Law360, Daily Business Review, South Florida Business Journal, Miami New Times, HR Magazine, South Florida Business & Wealth, Cannabis News Florida, DecentraNet Market Report, among several others. He has also been recognized by South Florida Legal Guide as a “Top Up & Comer” in 2020 and by Super Lawyers magazine as a “Florida Rising Star” from 2017-2020. Mr. Kemper received his J.D. from the Florida International University College of Law in 2010.

 

Mr. Lebow is a member of the firm’s Health Law practice group. He focuses his practice on business, contract, corporate and regulatory matters. Mr. Lebow has extensive experience drafting and negotiating agreements and structuring operations and business arrangements for a variety of medical providers. He was recognized by the National Law Journal as a “Health Law Trailblazer” in 2019. Mr. Lebow received his J.D. from Brooklyn Law School in 2001.

 

Mr. Silvestri is a member of the firm’s Litigation and Cannabis practice groups. His practice focuses on defending highly regulated businesses in state and federal courts. Mr. Silvestri primarily represents businesses in the cannabis, timeshare, and banking/finance industries. In addition to litigation, Mr. Silvestri has extensive mediation experience both as an advocate and neutral. He has been recognized by Super Lawyers magazine as a “Rising Star” from 2012-2019. Mr. Silvestri received his J.D. from Wake Forest University in 2008.

 

Mr. Zann is a member of the firm’s Litigation practice group. He concentrates his practice in the areas of commercial litigation and complex class action litigation. Mr. Zann has extensive trial experience and has defended companies facing complex class actions in state and federal courts covering a broad range of industries throughout the country. He received his J.D. from the University of Miami School of Law in 2007.

 

About Greenspoon Marder

Greenspoon Marder is a national full-service business law firm with 240 attorneys and 26 locations across the United States. We are ranked amongst American Lawyer’s Am Law 200, as one of the top law firms in the U.S. since 2015. Since our inception in 1981, our firm has been committed to providing excellent client service through our cross-disciplinary, client-team approach. Our mission is to understand the challenges that our clients face, build collaborative relationships, and craft creative solutions designed and executed with long-term strategic goals in mind. We serve Fortune 500, middle-market public and private companies, start-ups, emerging businesses, individuals and entrepreneurs nationwide. For more information, visit www.gmlaw.com.

Brazil’s new US$100 million Antarctic base, built by China

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Brazil has inaugurated a new US$100 million Antarctic base, built by Chinese company CEIEC to replace a research station destroyed by fire almost seven years ago.

“Brazil is back in the Antarctic with great force,” Science and Technology Minister Marcos Pontes, Brazil’s only astronaut, wrote in a Twitter message from the Comandante Ferraz base on King George Island off the Antarctic peninsula.

Via South China Morning Post

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U.S. backs Brazil for OECD membership ahead of Argentina

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BRASILIA (Reuters) – The United States’ change of stance to support Brazil’s bid to join the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) ahead of Argentina was welcomed by the Brazilian government on Tuesday.

The U.S. government’s plans, after having previously said they wanted Argentina to be next in line to join the rich nations’ club, are a win for far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, a longtime admirer of U.S. President Donald Trump who has sought closer ties with Washington since taking office last year.

 

By Anthony Boadle via Reuters

 

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Agricultural production value of 2019 reached a record R $ 630.9 billion

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Gross Agricultural Production Value (VBP) ended 2019 with R $ 630.9 billion, 2.6% higher than the previous year. The amount is a record for the series, which began in 1989, surpassing the VBP 2017 (R $ 627.1 billion). Last year, the crops have generated a value of R $ 411.1 billion and livestock, R $ 219.8 billion, reports “Ministry of Agriculture”.

According to the technical note of the Department of Finance and Information, of the Agricultural Policy Department of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (MAPA), the year was marked by the “extraordinary growth in corn sales and also exceptional performance of livestock, with real increase of 9%. the crops were reduced by 0.5%. ”

 

Via DATAGRO

 

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Brazil climbs to sixth from eighth biggest world market

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The year 2019 was quite good for the Brazilian auto industry although it could have been better.

Last month, for example, daily average sales were the best in six years, topping 13,173 registrations. This resulted in industry and dealer stocks of 33 days in December 2019, down from 38 days in November, slightly below the 35 considered normal.

 

By Fernando Calmon via Just Auto

 

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Brazil is emerging as a world-class AI innovation hub

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Brazil’s government has big plans for AI, despite having come late to the party. In Oxford Insights’ AI Readiness Index 2019, Brazil was ranked 40 out of 192 countries, a sign that the South American powerhouse is moving up in the AI world. The report looks at how ready countries are to take advantage of the AI technologies PwC forecasts will add $15 trillion to the global economy by 2030.

The 2019 report also cautions that the “Global South could be left behind by the so-called fourth industrial revolution.” But even as some of the planet’s richest nations, including Canada, China, Germany, Japan, Singapore, and the U.S, have become recognized AI innovation hubs, according to studies by Deloitte and others, South America — led by Brazil — is rapidly emerging as a leader in AI-enabled businesses.

 

By Bruno Henriques via Venture Beat

 

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Movile: Brazil Will Start Producing Its Own Big Techs

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The emergence of big techs is likely in Brazil this year as investment floods into the Southern Hemisphere’s largest economy, prompting a major shake-up for leading businesses scrambling to reinvent themselves.

This is the prediction of Fabricio Bloisi, founder of São Paulo-based Movile, a conglomerate that includes delivery app iFood, which has UK food delivery firm JustEat as one of its investors. Movile is part of the select club of Brazilian unicorns, which has 11 companies to date – a number that, according to Bloisi, will substantially increase in the months to come.

 

By Angelica Mari via Forbes

 

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Americans Don’t Need A Visa To Visit Brazil Anymore. Here’s Where To Eat And Sleep When You Go.

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As of June 17, 2019, Americans no longer need a tourist visa to enter Brazil (nor do Canadians, Australians or Japanese), eliminating a longstanding hurdle that kept many casual travelers from visiting South America’s largest nation. It’s now easier than ever to visit Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, Brazil’s two largest cities, where you’ll find lush parks and gardens, mammoth murals, enviable beaches, futuristic museums and near-endless shopping, but whatever may be on your agenda for your Brazilian break, the best food and drinks are sure to be high on your list. You’ll certainly want to try Globos, the puffed cassava starch snack found in both salty and sweet varieties all over Rio, and pão de queijo, the cheesy bread puffs served as a snack or with meals everywhere, but you’ll stumble across these favorites without even trying. To guide you toward more refined culinary experiences with locally immersive hotel stays in this freshly accessibly country, check out what Marriott has to offer in both Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo.

 

By Brandon Schultz via Forbes

 

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Brazil posts strongest November job creation since 2010

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BRASILIA, Dec 19 (Reuters) – Brazil added 99,232 payroll jobs in November, the best expansion in employment for the month since 2010, the Economy Ministry said on Thursday, as a gradual economic recovery brings improvement in the labor market.

The result was well above expectations, and more than double the forecast 47,500 new jobs in a Reuters poll of economists.

 

Via Reuters

 

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Brazil’s debt under control, tax reform next: economy minister

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BRASILIA (Reuters) – Brazil’s Economy Minister Paulo Guedes said on Wednesday he had reached agreement with Congressional leaders on modernizing the country’s complex tax system next year and one option could be taxing on-line transactions.

Brazil has brought its snowballing public debt under control with reform of the costly pension system and spending cuts, he said, while interest rates are at record lows after the central bank cut its benchmark Selic rate to 4.50% on Dec. 11.

 

By Marcela Ayres and Anthony Boadle via Reuters

 

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Brazil, China finalizing soymeal export protocol: Abiove

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SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Brazilian and Chinese government authorities are finalizing a protocol setting health standards for domestic processors to export soymeal to the Asian country, André Nassar, president of oilseeds industry group Abiove, said on Monday.

The health guidelines will allow companies to export and eventually compete with soy processors based in China, something they cannot do now. The change is happening as local processors are required to increase crushing to produce more biodiesel to boost local blending. The added output of soymeal, a byproduct, would need new buyers.

 

By Ana Mano via Reuters

 

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Brazil congressional committee approves 2020 budget

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BRASILIA, Dec 17 (Reuters) – A Brazilian congressional committee on Tuesday approved the government’s budget for next year, with the bill based on projected 2.32% GDP growth in 2020 to be put to a vote in a joint session of Congress on Wednesday.

The budget proposal would raise the minimum wage earned by Brazilian workers to 1,031 reais ($246) a month from 998 reais ($238).

 

By Maria Carolina Marcello via Reuters

 

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Government wants to auction off 44 infrastructure assets in 2020, says minister

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The Minister of Infrastructure, Tarcisio Gomes de Freitas, said on Friday (13) that the government plans to hold auctions 40 to 44 infrastructure assets next year, reports the “Agency Brazil.” The expectation is that the granting of port projects, airports, roads and railways reach R $ 101 billion in investments during the period of the contracts.

Among the projects is the concession to the private initiative of 22 airports (divided into three blocks), seven roads, nine port terminals, two railways and the early renewal of four railway contracts loads. During conference on the afternoon of Friday, the Minister took stock of the folder shares in 2019. In total, they sold 27 assets, which should result in R $ 9.4 billion in investments and R $ 5.9 billion in grants .

 

Via DATAGRO

 

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Country risk dropped to the lowest level in nine years

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Indicator that measures the distrust of investors in a particular economy, country risk fell on Monday (16) to the lowest level in nine years, reports the “Agency Brazil.” The Credit Default Swap (CDS) of five years in Brazil was 100.2 points at around 17h, but came to hit 98.2 points around 14h, the lowest score since November 2010 (96.9 points ), when the country was still investment grade – good paying stamp.

The CDS functions as an informal barometer of the probability of a country defaulting on global financial markets next five years. The lower the index, the greater the confidence of international investors.

 

Via DATAGRO

 

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Amazon launches new distribution center in Brazilian state of Pernambuco to expedite delivery

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Contxto – As far as reach goes, Amazon is certainly spreading its wings throughout Latin America. Proving this, the e-commerce goliath recently launched a new distribution center in the northeastern state of Pernambuco.

To expedite delivery in northeastern Brazil, this new location in Cabo de Santo Agostinho will permit deliveries in under two days to nearby state capitals. These include Recife in Pernambuco, João Pessoa in Paraíba, Natal in Rio Grande do Norte, Maceió in Alagoas, and Fortaleza in Ceará.

 

By Jacob Atkins via Contxto

 

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Chinese companies to build Brazil’s second-longest bridge

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RIO DE JANEIRO, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) — A consortium of state-owned Chinese companies on Friday was awarded the contract to build and operate what will be the second-longest bridge in Brazil.

Under the project, a bridge will be built spanning the famed Bay of All Saints, which connects Salvador, capital of the northeastern Bahia state, with Itaparica Island. The project also involves the construction of related roads.

 

Via Xinhua Net

 

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Brazil services sector gets off to solid fourth-quarter start

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BRASILIA (Reuters) – Services sector activity in Brazil expanded in October far more than economists had expected, figures on Thursday showed, indicating that overall growth in Latin America’s largest economy continued to accelerate going into the year end.

The figures appear to back up the central bank’s statement on Wednesday accompanying its decision to cut interest rates to a new low of 4.50% that “economic activity since the second quarter indicates that the process of economic recovery picked up relative to the first quarter.”

 

By Jamie McGeever via KFGO

 

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Nokia signs contract with TIM Brazil to launch IoT offer

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Espoo, Finland – Nokia has signed a contract with telecommunications giant TIM to provide Internet of Things (IoT) services to its enterprise customers in Brazil. Using the fully virtualized Nokia Worldwide IoT Network Grid (WING) managed service offer, TIM and its enterprise customers across industries,such as automotive and agriculture, will be able to capture IoT opportunities faster and more securely.

The Brazilian market is the largest IoT market in Latin America, with widespread adoption of IoT technologies estimated to add USD 200 billion to the country’s economy by 2025. Nokia’s first WING deal in Latin America enables TIM to leverage new business models to tap this opportunity and generate additional revenue streams. Additionally, incremental services, such as device management and analytics, will help TIM extend SIM management capabilities to create value added opportunities.

Via Yahoo Finance

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S&P raises Brazil’s outlook to positive

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Dec 11 (Reuters) – S&P Global Ratings on Wednesday revised the outlook on Brazil to positive from stable, citing the government’s continued implementation of measures to reduce its fiscal deficit.

“The approval of social security reform and expected progress on fiscal and growth measures, along with moderate growth driven by stronger domestic demand, could improve Brazil’s fiscal position over the medium term,” the agency said in a statement here

 

By Shivani Singh via Reuters

 

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Brazil central bank cuts key rate to record low

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SÃO PAULO–Brazil’s central bank cut its benchmark interest rate by a half point Wednesday, as inflation has remained below target amid increasing signs the economy is improving.

The bank cut the benchmark Selic rate to 4.5%, a record low that follows a series of reductions that brought it down from 14.25% in 2016. In its post-meeting statement, the bank was less clear about its next step than in previous statements, but indicated it’s open to continue cutting rates next year.

 

By Paulo Trevisani via Market Watch

 

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Brazil XP’s Valued at $14.9 Billion as IPO Tops Target Range

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XP Inc., Brazil’s largest brokerage by equity-trading volume, raised $1.96 billion in its U.S. initial public offering, pricing its shares above the marketed range.

The company and its existing shareholders sold 72.5 million shares Tuesday for $27 each after offering them for $22 to $25, according to a statement. That gives XP a market value of about $14.9 billion based on the outstanding shares listed in its filings with U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

By Cristiane Lucchesi , Vinicius Andrade , Felipe Marques, and Crystal Tse via Bloomberg

 

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Project will bring innovation and sustainability to producers of the Legal Amazon

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The Minister Tereza Cristina (Agriculture, Livestock and Supply) released on Monday (09) Innovation project in the Agricultural Production Chains for Forest Conservation in the Legal Amazon. The goal is to bring innovation to the productive chain of the beef, soy and wood to increase the productivity and value of products aligned with the sustainable use of natural resources and conservation of the Amazon rainforest.

The project will be implemented from 2020 to 2024 in five states: Amazonas, Mato Grosso, Pará, Rondônia and Tocantins.

 

Via DATAGRO

 

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Exclusive: Brazil’s Rock Content Acquires ScribbleLive

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Brazilian content marketing startup Rock Content has announced the purchase of US sector player ScribbleLive, creating one of the largest companies in the segment in the Americas.

The buyout, announced exclusively to Forbes, is the continuation of the company’s international expansion, which began in 2017 with the launch of operations in Mexico. With the addition of ScribbleLive (SL), which has offices in Boca Ratón and Toronto, the enlarged Rock organization will boost its 400-strong workforce with about 100 employees. The two companies combined have a freelancer base of about 80,000 professionals.

 

By Angelica Maria via Forbes

 

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One of Latin America’s most valuable startups is changing the way Brazilians bank

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When David Vélez walked into a Brazilian bank branch to open an account six years ago, he was appalled by the experience.

First, he had to check his bag in a locker outside. Next, he waited to pass through a security line manned by three armed guards. He sat there for 45 minutes and finally spoke to someone, who acted like they were doing him a favor by deigning to talk about opening an account. Then, he was sent off to make a phone call to bank employees elsewhere and was later forced to return to the bank a half-dozen times over the next four months.
By Julianne Pepitone via CNN Business

Brazil’s Newest Unicorn: Wildlife Studios Raises $60M Series A Led By Benchmark

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Notably, the nine-year-old company said in a statement that the investment gives it a valuation of $1.3 billion. According to Brazil Journal, the round makes Wildlife Studio “Brazil’s most valuable tech company with the widest global reach.”

In addition to San Francisco-based Benchmark, participants in the round include Bessemer Venture Partners; Javier Olivan, VP of growth at Facebook; Ric Elias, co-founder and CEO of Red Ventures; Micky Malka, partner at Ribbit Capital; Divesh Makan, partner at ICONIQ Capital; and Hugo Barra, former VP of VR at Facebook.

 

By Mary Ann Azevedo via Crunch Base

 

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Brazil’s new fintech startup Cora raised $10 million on the strength of its founding team

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It didn’t take much for the founders of Cora, Brazil’s newest startup to tackle some aspect of the broken financial services industry in the country, to raise their first $10 million.

Igor Senra and Leo Mendes had worked together before — founding their first online payments company, MOIP, in 2005. That company sold to WireCard in 2016 and after three years the founders were able to strike out again.

 

By Jonathan Shieber via Tech Crunch

 

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Brazil’s booming credit markets fan hopes of ‘revolution’

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This weekend a group of executives from XP Investimentos, a Brazilian financial services firm, will fly to New York to oversee the company’s initial public offering on the Nasdaq stock exchange, due to be priced on Tuesday.

They hope to raise $1.7bn in a sale that would value XP, which was founded 18 years ago by a newly unemployed 24-year-old, at about $14bn.

 

By Jonathan Wheatley, Bryan Harris and Andres Schipani via Financial Times

 

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Brazilian FinTech Rebel Lands $10M For Affordable Loan Products

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Rebel, a Brazilian FinTech that offers unsecured credit to middle-class citizens in the country, has raised $10 million in new equity funding, according to a press release.

Last year, the company also raised $4 million from XP and other companies. Participants in this round include Monashees, 99, Loggi and FinTech Collective. The company said it has gotten more than $1 billion in loan requests since it started.

 

Via PYMNTS

 

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Brazil needs to invest 4.31% of GDP per year in infrastructure, says Abdib

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Investment in infrastructure in 2019 should reach R $ 131.7 billion, compared to R $ 122.8 billion in 2018, updated figures by the IPCA 2018 prices, point calculations of the Brazilian Association of Infrastructure and Basic Industries (Abdib). In 2017, investments totaled R $ 115.2 billion. In 2016, R $ 117.5 billion, the same criteria.

Already in 2020 the infrastructure sector, whose investments are at a level too low after significantly retreat in recent years, will contribute more positively to the recovery of the economy as a whole.

 

Via DATAGRO

 

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Special Brazil Webinar How to Fast-Track your Business in Brazil

Posted on | Updated on

Two world leading experts in helping international companies open businesses and operate successfully in Brazil will be teaming up to give a fast-paced webinar about using the smartest strategies for success in Brazil.

The webinar will be led by Francisco Mendez with Globalization Partners and Bruno Drummond with Drummond Advisors.

Topics include:

  • Fastest way to hire a full-time employee
  • Employer of Record process explained
  • Speeding up receipt of your Federal Tax ID Number (CNPJ)
  • Dos and Don’ts of setting up your company in Brazil
  • Avoiding delays in your M&A agreement
  • Understanding Brazil Labor laws
  • Preparing Visa Applications
  • Transfer Pricing Calculations

Participants are encouraged to ask questions at any time during the webinar.
We look forward to a very lively dialogue about business in Brazil and hope you will join us.

Register Here

BP and Bunge conclude formation of joint venture

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BP and Bunge announced on Monday (02) who completed the formation of BP Bunge Bioenergia, a joint venture combining their business bioenergy and ethanol sugarcane in Brazil.

The continued growth of biofuels will be a key enabler for the decarbonisation of the transport sector, say the companies. The Brazilian market is one of the largest and fastest growing low carbon biofuels to the world and, through this transaction, Bunge BP Bioenergy becomes the second largest operator in terms of effective grinding in the Brazilian ethanol market.

 

Via DATAGRO

 

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Integrated systems improve productivity of meat, says Embrapa

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How to spend 4-6 kilos of meat per hectare per year for livestock productivity 20 to 30 kilos per ha / year? For the researcher Luiz Adriano Maia Cordeiro, EMBRAPA Cerrado, the answer is sustainable intensification of production systems. He said the technologies such as Integration Crop-Livestock-Forest (IAFP) Crop-Livestock Integration (ILP) and recovery of pastures are ways to promote this intensification with higher efficiency, lower pressure by opening and clearing of forest areas, increased production to improve the environment (water, soil, biodiversity, etc.) and an increase in productivity.

During the V Symposium IAFP the State of São Paulo, coordinated by Sudeste (São Carlos) and the Luiz Study Group de Queiroz (GELQ – ESALQ / USP), Lamb presented Embrapa’s research results with integrated production systems. In the experiments, after integration with crop and livestock (ILP), the meat productivity has increased five times.

 

Via DATAGRO

 

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Brazilian stocks to rise in 2020 after 2019’s Latin American turmoil

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SAO PAULO — Brazilian equities are expected to shine amid a fog of political and economic uncertainty in Latin America next year, outperforming regional peers due to record-low interest rates and a pending lineup of market-friendly economic reforms.

The latest Reuters quarterly poll shows Brazil’s benchmark Bovespa stock index extending this year’s rally to end 2020 at 130,000 points, according to the median of 18 forecasts from traders, brokers and economists.

 

Via Gabriela Mello via Financial Post

 

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Brazil Executives Testing The USA’s Global Entry System

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November 26th, 2019 – About 20 Brazilian executives will soon test the U.S. Global Entry system according to a statement from Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro chief of staff.

This announcement on November 25, 2019, enables visitors from Brazil to stop at kiosks in certain airports in the USA to have their fingerprints scanned, fill out a customs declaration form, and easily enter the country, reported Reuters.

 

By Dani Reiter via Vax Before Travel

 

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Equinor to drill 30-40 exploration wells and target Brazil in 2020

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OSLO (Reuters) – Norway’s Equinor plans to drill 30-40 oil and gas exploration wells globally in 2020, similar this year, with Brazil being a “hotspot” of its international efforts, the company’s exploration head said on Tuesday.

The company will drill about 20-30 exploration wells on the Norwegian continental shelf, focusing on the North Sea, plus wells at the Johan Castberg and Wisting discoveries in the Barents Sea, Equinor’s Tim Dodson told Reuters.

 

By  Nerijus Adomaitis via Reuters

 

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Brazil sugarcane growth can meet biofuel need and not drive deforestation: study

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Sugarcane production in Brazil could expand by more than 5 million hectares (19,305 square miles) by 2030 to meet demand for ethanol biofuels, according to a study published in the journal Energy Policy — with potential impacts on the nation’s carbon emissions and deforestation.

Biofuels are liquid fuels produced from crops, such as biodiesel produced from soybeans and ethanol made from fermented corn or sugarcane. They’ve been presented by advocates as a silver bullet for reducing global greenhouse gas emissions, but critics argue that the clearing of native vegetation to make way for biofuel plantations, and the carbon emissions associated with that land-use change, can exceed the emissions savings gained by avoiding fossil fuels.

 

By Claire Asher via Mongabay

 

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From UBS to JPMorgan, Brazil Stock Bulls Are Running Wild

Posted on | Updated on

From JP Morgan Chase & Co. to UBS Group, big Wall Street banks reinforced their bullish bets for Brazilian stocks this week, suggesting a year-long rally has further to go.

They are recommending clients to be overweight in stocks from Latin America’s biggest economy, saying a pickup in growth next year and record-low interest rates set a Goldilocks scenario for equities. The rally that took the Ibovespa benchmark index to an all-time high this month is just the start, they say.

 

By Aline Oyamada and Vinicius Andrade via Bloomberg

 

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Brazil’s net metering policy leads to growth in solar distributed generation

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November 22 (Renewables Now) – Brazil’s growth in distributed generation from renewable resources—especially solar—has increased since it implemented net metering policies in 2012, the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) says in an overview. As of mid-November 2019, owners have installed more than 135,000 renewable distributed generation systems in Brazil, totalling about 1.72 GW of capacity, according to the Brazilian Electricity Regulatory Agency (ANEEL).

 

By EIA via Renewables Now

 

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UPDATE 1-Brazil inflation in mid-November slips to second lowest in over 20 years

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BRASILIA, Nov 22 (Reuters) – Brazilian inflation fell to the second lowest level in more than two decades, according to a mid-month measure of consumer prices released on Friday, a figure likely to give the central bank extra cover to reduce interest rates again next month.

The annual rate of Brazil’s IPCA-15 consumer price inflation in the month to mid-November fell to 2.67% from 2.72% the month before, marking the lowest rate since September last year and the second lowest since March 1999.

 

By Jamie McGeever via Reuters

 

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Brazil Is the Big Beef Winner From China’s Hunt for Protein

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China’s effort to fill a protein gap created by the spread of African swine fever is rippling through Brazil’s massive beef industry, pushing up prices and profits for both cattle ranchers and meatpackers.

While China has been increasing local poultry production and raising pork imports from several suppliers, Brazil is the only big beef exporter able to meet the Asian nation’s demand. Chinese importers are snapping up all types of cuts, inflating prices along the Brazilian chain from calves to animals ready for slaughter.

 

By Tatiana Freitas via Bloomberg

 

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Gross Value of Agricultural Production is expected to grow 1.7% in 2019

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The Gross Value of Agricultural Production (VBP) 2019 is estimated at R $ 609.5 billion, based on data for October. The value is 1.7% more than in 2018, which was R $ 599.4 billion. In estimating the crops reach R $ 399.9 billion and livestock, R $ 209.5 billion. The value of cattle was raised to 6.6%, while the crops were reduced by 0.7%.

Most of the products analyzed has shown good performance, according to the survey of the Agricultural Policy Department of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply. Among these, the main highlights are: herbaceous cotton (value of production increased by 17.5% compared to last year), peanuts (12.4%), bananas (18.7%), potatoes (101.4%) bean (56.4%), orange (4.5%), castor (37%), maize (23.8%) and tomato (10%). In some products, such as beans, potatoes and tomatoes English, prices were more important than the amount set for the result.

 

Via DATAGRO

 

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Why SoftBank Is Investing in Brazil, and Why Nobody There Seems to Care About WeWork

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SoftBank has made plenty of headlines lately, but for all the wrong reasons (like the downfall of WeWork, its once-darling investment in the United States). In other regions, though, the Japanese investment firm is managing to quietly dole out its mega-bucks—minus the intense level of scrutiny that follows its fund or other investments.

The growing middle class and fast adoption of new technologies has made Latin America—and in particular countries like Brazil and Mexico—a prime target for SoftBank. The firm has already made bets on 10 different startups in the region, according to André Maciel, managing partner of the SoftBank Innovation Fund. The exec spoke at this week’s Fortune Global Forum in Paris, where he talked about the various reasons why this region is so attractive to SoftBank. (In total, SoftBank is committing $5 billion in investments in Latin America.)

 

By Michal Lev-Ram via Fortune

 

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Brazil continues efforts to attract launch business

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HOUSTON — The government of Brazil is ready to move into the next phase of efforts to attract commercial launch business to the country with the ratification of an agreement with the United States.

Brazil’s Senate formally approved Nov. 12 a technology safeguards agreement that the country’s president, Jair Bolsonaro, signed in March during a visit to the United States that included a meeting with President Donald Trump. That agreement allows American spacecraft and launch vehicles to be exported to Brazil for launches there, ensuring compliance with export control and nonproliferation policies.

 

By Jeff Foust via Space News

 

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What Brazil’s Tariff Changes Mean for U.S. Manufacturers

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After decades shielded by closed economic policies, Brazil is changing its course on trade. President Jair Bolsonaro’s administration is slashing import tariffs on more than 2,300 products — reducing some to zero from as much as 20%.

For local businesses accustomed to protectionism, the policy change means being forced to adapt to the challenges of free trade. For American manufacturers, however, the world’s eighth-largest economy just became a new opportunity.

By Shelagh Dolan via ThomasNet

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Northeast resort project of Gremi Group aims to raise $100m this year

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The construction of a luxury tourism complex aimed at attracting foreign millionaires, where a bungalow will
cost between R$7.5 million and R$17.5 million, is expected to begin next year along 6.5 kilometers of beach in
Rio Grande do Norte state, in Brazil’s Northeast region.

The Eco Estrela venture, designed by Polish group Gremi in Baía Formosa, 100 km from state capital Natal, is
designed to compete with world-famous and environmentally sustainable destinations such as Porto Cervo, in
Sardinia (Italy), Sotogrande (Spain) and Mayakoba (Mexico). Hotels, resort facilities and luxury residential
units are planned.

Gremi group’s Polish businessman Grzegorz Hajdarowicz will do a roadshow in New York, London, Zurich,
Luxembourg, São Paulo and Lisbon between November 18 and December 15 to raise $100 million (R$417
million) with investors.

By Moreira Assis via Valor Internacional

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Demand for connected devices grows in Brazil

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Brazilian consumers are increasingly looking to buy connected devices for personal use and for the home, according to research carried out by software firm Avast.

According to the study, 31% of consumers in Brazil are looking to get a smartwatch. More women want a smartwatch (33% versus 31% of the males surveyed). The wishlist of Brazilian consumers also includes Alexa or Google Home smart speakers (30%), smart lamps (29%) and smart thermostats (10%). The survey polled 609 people from March to May 2019.

 

By Angelica Mari via ZD Net

 

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Protecting native vegetation on rural properties yields Brazil USD 1.5 trillion per year

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The 270 million hectares of native vegetation preserved by rural landowners (Legal Reserves and unprotected areas) yield Brazil the equivalent of some U.S. $1.5 trillion per year in ecosystem services, such as crop pollination, pest control, water security, rain production and soil quality maintenance.

The calculation is part of a paper published in the journal Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation and endorsed by 407 scientist signatories, including 371 researchers affiliated with 79 Brazilian institutions.

 

By Maria Fernanda Ziegler via phys.org

 

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Brazil economic activity picks up in September

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SAO PAULO — Economic activity in Brazil accelerated in September, closing the third quarter on the upswing and offering hope that the country’s long-struggling economy may be turning the corner.

The central bank’s IBC-Br economic activity index, a leading indicator of gross domestic product (GDP), rose 0.44% in September from August, well above 0.07% growth the month before.

 

By Jose de Castro via Financial Post

 

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Brazil and China close agreements in innovation and agricultural technology

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Brazil and China signed today (13) agreements and memorandums of understanding in the areas of politics, economy, trade, agriculture, health inspection, transportation, health and culture. Chinese President Xi Jinping, is in Brasilia to attend the 11th meeting of BRICS Summit and met early on Wednesday with President Jair Bolsonaro, at the Itamaraty Palace, informs the “Agency Brazil.”

Speaking to press, Bolsonaro said the government and Brazilian businessmen want to expand and diversify trade with China. For the president, the acts signed give impetus to these relations. “This bilateral relationship in various areas, including the Chinese government’s nod on adding value what we produce, all this is very welcome,” he said.

 

Via DATAGRO

 

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You are invited: The Post Lava Jato World

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Our NEW Member Murphy & McGonigle invites you to their event The Post Lava Jato World to Feature Leading Authorities Involved in the Enforcement Effort in Lava Jato. How corporates must adapt to the changing regulatory and compliance environment in LATAM

Tuesday,  November 19, 2019 – 9:00 am – 12:00 pm

1185 Avenue of the Americas, 3rd Floor

RSVP: mcurran@mmlawus.com / (212) 880-3989

Learn more: http://shorturl.at/lmXZ2

 

Brazil government unveils package to create up to 4 million jobs by end-2022

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BRASILIA (Reuters) – Brazil’s government on Monday announced measures and legislative proposals to create up to 4 million jobs by 2022 and inject tens of billions of reais into the economy through loans and projected savings for private and state-run firms.

The proposals are aimed at generating jobs and growth in Latin America’s largest economy, which is on track to expand at a sluggish pace of around 1% for the third year in a row and boasts a stubbornly high unemployment rate of just under 12%.

 

By Marcela Ayres via Reuters

 

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Ministry of Agriculture launches project to boost innovation in the productive chain of soy

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The Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply Cristina (PR) signed on Tuesday (12), Agrobit held in Londrina (PR), the project’s term sheet Coalition Soy 4.0, along with the Innovation director and technology Embrapa, Cleber Soares, the general head of Embrapa Soja José Renato Bouças Farias, the innovation Secretary MPLS, Fernando Camargo, the president of the Rural Parana Society, Antonio Sampaio and AgroValley manager – Londrina innovation cluster George Hiraiwa.

According to Farias, the project Coalition Soy 4.0, under the leadership of Embrapa Soja, aims to strengthen the innovation assets for the soybean crop. Embrapa Soja engaged in the development of technological solutions for the soybean crop in Brazil, bringing technical guidelines for production systems and seeking innovative solutions to the field.

 

Via DATAGRO

 

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Brazilian Digital Onboarding Startup idwall Lands $10M Series B With Qualcomm As Lead

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Online fraud and identity theft is a global problem. In Brazil, in particular, it’s estimated that those types of crimes cost the country about $15 billion a year. In fact, Brazil is ranked second in the world in terms of the number of online fraud and identity theft infractions. And, the country is home to one fraud attempt every 16 seconds.

Besides being a problem for its citizens, the issue also can negatively impact the country’s economic relationships with other countries, that may hesitate to do business there.

 

Via Mary Ann Azevedo via Crunchbase

 

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Brazil’s prison island turned paradise

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Few can claim to have visited the white-sand beaches and lush mountain jungles of Brazil’s Fernando de Noronha archipelago, but that’s not for a lack of trying. Around 75% of these 21 scenic islands set 350km off Brazil’s north-east coast were declared a protected national marine park and sanctuary in 1988, and in order to promote sustainable development, only 420 visitors a day are allowed to enter.

But while a trip to these volcanic clusters is highly sought-after by tourists now, it wasn’t always so. Between the 18th and 20th Centuries, the main island was used as a prison for some of Brazil’s most dangerous criminals.

 

By Ana Terra Athayde via BBC Travel

 

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Silicon Valley’s changing role as Brazil’s iFood shows how to innovate anywhere

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Brazil’s iFood is a great example of a highly innovative company that is very much a product of Silicon Valley — even though it is founded and funded largely by Brazilians (and South Africans). It has raised nearly $600 million and has swiftly built a giant business. It is one of Brazil’s nine unicorns today.

I came across iFood earlier this year at the well-attended BayBrazil conference in Silicon Valley, where Fabricio Bloisi, founder and CEO of Movile, a Brazilian mobile apps and investment firm, was the keynote speaker. Bloisi is a colorful personality, and he’s funny and humble considering all the success he’s had in business.

 

By Tom Foremski via ZDNet

 

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Exclusive: Brazilian Mobility Startup Kovi Raises $30M Series A From Global Investors

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Kovi, a fast-growing 17-month-old Brazilian mobility startup, has raised a $30 million Series A led by Global Founders Capital.

New investor Quona Capital and existing investors Monashees, Maya Capital, Accel partner Kevin Efrusy, Y Combinator, Broadhaven Ventures, Tinder founder Justin Mateen and ONEVC also participated in the financing, which brings Kovi’s total raised since its inception to $40.6 million.

 

By Mary Ann Azevedo via Crunchbase News

 

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Brazil unveils reform package to tackle huge fiscal deficit

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BRASILIA (Reuters) – Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro’s government unveiled a bundle of wide-ranging reforms on Tuesday, aimed at cutting spending and reducing the size of the state to drive down its chronic fiscal deficit.

Pushing ahead with an ambitious privatization plan, he sent Congress a bill to sell Brazil’s largest utility, state-run Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras SA (ELET6.SA), known as Eletrobras.

 

By Marcela Ayres and Lisandra Paraguassu via Reuters

 

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How Brazil’s SoftBank-backed Banco Inter aims to supercharge loan growth

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SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Brazil’s Banco Inter SA , a SoftBank-backed online lender that has seen rapid growth thanks to its free checking accounts, is preparing to launch a smartphone app offering food delivery and ride hailing, its chief executive told Reuters.

The bank has seen deposits skyrocket in recent years but remains a relative bit player in Latin America’s largest economy.

 

By Carolina Mandl via KFGO

 

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Podcast market booms in Brazil

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Now the second largest market for podcasts in the world, Brazil is attracting increased investment from players active in the segment.

Brazil is only behind the United States when it comes to consumption of the audio format, according to Podcast Stats Soundbites. Large companies placing their bets in the format, like Google, expect non-English markets like Brazil and India to grow exponentially.

 

By Angelica Mari via ZD Net

 

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Bulls Bank On Brazil Again

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Brazil, Latin America’s largest economy, is lowering interest rates and the Senate there recently passed much-needed pension reform. With those factors, among others, in mind, perhaps it’s not surprising some professional investors are again warming to Brazilian equities.

The iShares MSCI Brazil Capped ETF EWZ, +1.70% is up 18.53% year to date, a gain that’s well ahead of the 9.88% returned by the MSCI Emerging Markets Index. EWZ has a three-year standard deviation of 28.48%, also well above that of the MSCI Emerging Markets Index, but this year, Brazilian stocks are justifying the added risk.

 

Via Market Watch

 

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Enterprise Rent-A-Car Launches Operations in Brazil

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The world’s largest car rental provider, Enterprise Holdings, Inc. – which owns and operates the Enterprise Rent-A-Car, National Car Rental and Alamo Rent A Car brands through its integrated global network of independent regional subsidiaries – today announced its further expansion in South America with the launch of the Enterprise Rent-A-Car brand in Brazil, joining the National Car Rental and Alamo Rent A Car brands in the country.

 

Via Travel Pulse

 

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Brazil cuts rates to new low 5.00%, signals pace of future easing may slow

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BRASILIA (Reuters) – Brazil’s central bank cut its benchmark interest rate to a new all-time low of 5.00% on Wednesday as expected, but signaled that further easing may be less aggressive than it has been in recent months, despite inflation running well below target.

In a change from recent statements, the bank’s policymakers warned that the historically low level of rates could raise uncertainty and lift inflation within the time horizon for which the bank sets policy.

 

By Jamie McGeever via KFGO

 

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Sorry, Bezos, Brazil already has an Amazon. It’s MercadoLibre

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(Bloomberg)—When Amazon.com Inc., No. 1 in the Internet Retailer 2019 Top 500, announced it was rolling out its popular Prime delivery subscription service in Brazil last month, shares of  local e-commerce competitors tanked. Investors also got jittery in 2017, when the world’s largest online retailer launched a marketplace to sell electronics. In both cases, the shares recovered quickly once investors reminded themselves of a durable truth about Brazilian ecommerce: Local firms have a firm igrip on the market and are in little danger of succumbing to the American interloper.

So it goes for Amazon in Latin America’s largest economy. Seven years after entering Brazil, the Seattle-based company is battling to gain traction against a handful of local competitors with extensive delivery networks, strong brands and a deep understanding of Brazilian shoppers.

 

Via Digital Commerce 360

 

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Controlling inflation Brazil central bank’s priority, says rate-setter nominee

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BRASILIA (Reuters) – The main aim of the Brazilian central bank’s monetary policy is to ensure low and stable inflation, Fabio Kanczuk, the monetary authority’s incoming director for economic policy, said at his Senate confirmation hearing on Tuesday.

In brief opening remarks, in which he made no further comment on his outlook for official interest rates, Kanczuk said “it is with monetary stability that we will get interest rates to the most appropriate levels, always firm in our objective of promoting an environment of sustainable economic growth.”

 

By Marcela Ayres via KFGO

 

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Brazil rates to hit record low 5.00%, seen falling further: Reuters poll

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BRASILIA (Reuters) – Brazil’s benchmark interest rate will be cut to a record low of 5.00% on Wednesday, according to the unanimous view in a Reuters poll of economists, as the central bank battles to spur economic growth and prevent inflation from falling further below target.

All 31 economists surveyed say the bank’s rate-setting committee known as ‘Copom’ will reduce the Selic rate by half a percentage point for the third successive meeting. A dovish outlook for the next year from 25 economists was also unanimous.

By Jamie McGeever via Yahoo Finance

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Mercosur agreement with Canada may open market of $ 300 billion, says diplomat

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Negotiations between Mercosur and Canada aimed at closing a free trade agreement are “intense”, with the possibility of being finalized by 2020. This was the information brought to the Committee on Foreign Relations and National Defense (CRE) of the Senate by the diplomat Pedro Henrique Lopes Borio on Thursday (24), when appeared before and had its name approved to head the Brazilian embassy in Canada.

“Interestingly, the coordinator of the negotiations on the Canadian side, David Usher, must occupy a prominent place in the new cabinet of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who has just been re-elected. This shows the importance that Canada gives the Mercosur because they want to reduce the dependence of the US economy have. They want to diversify its trade. But this agreement is also of paramount importance to Brazil. Will open the Canadian government procurement market for us, that comes to $ 300 billion [about US $ 1.2 trillion] per year, “Borio said.

 

Via DATAGRO

 

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Brazil’s BR Distribuidora to create energy, natural gas and ethanol trading cos

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SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Brazilian fuel distributor Petrobras Distribuidora SA is considering creating energy trading units as it seeks to reposition itself after its privatization last July, Brazilian newspaper Valor Economico reported on Thursday.

The company is considering creating ethanol, electricity and natural gas trading businesses, Rafael Grisolia, BR Distribuidora’s chief executive, told the Thursday edition of Valor Econômico.

 

By Ana Mano via Reuters

 

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Can Brazil’s pension reform kick-start the economy?

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After decades of delay and political deadlock, Brazil has finally passed its long awaited pension reform. It is a big victory for the country’s far-right president Jair Bolsonaro and his economic tsar, the University of Chicago-educated Paulo Guedes, who spearheaded its passage.  The costs of failure would have been high. Brazil’s ballooning pensions spending risked sparking “a social collapse” in Latin America’s largest economy, according to Rodrigo Maia, the Speaker of the lower house who shepherded the constitutional amendment required to reform the pensions system through a fractious Congress.

 

By Andres Schipani and Bryan Harris via Financial Times

 

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Brazil and Israel close partnership for the development of agricultural technology

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The Brazilian Research and Industrial Innovation (EMBRAPII) and Israel’s Innovation Authority (IIA, acronym in English) will support the development of four Innovation projects carried out in cooperation, Brazilian and Israeli companies. They will invest US $ 7.5 million. The resources include business investments in both countries, the agencies encouragements to innovation and research centers. The EMBRAPII finances non-reimbursable funds 1/3 of the Brazilian company in each project.

The projects, which cover several areas, are the first results of the cooperation agreement signed between EMBRAPII and the IIA, which aimed to expand mutual cooperation in science and technology of the two countries and facilitate the identification of business opportunities that can generate innovative products and systems to market. “The partnership with IIA showed that this initiative can lead the industries of Brazil and Israel to be more attentive to the wide range of opportunities to be explored between the two countries,” said Jorge Guimaraes, CEO of EMBRAPII.

 

Via DATAGRO

 

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CATL To Supply Batteries For Volkswagen e-Delivery In Brazil

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Chinese battery manufacturer Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. (CATL) just scored another important order – this time from Volkswagen Caminhões e Ônibus (part of Volkswagen Group) for commercial vehicles in Latin America.

The newly signed long-term strategic cooperation agreement between CATL and VWCO will initially focus on all-electric Volkswagen e-Delivery trucks (11 and 14-ton version), that from 2020 will be produced in Brazil.

 

By Mark Kane via InsideEVs

 

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UPDATE 1-Brazil mid-month October inflation lowest in 21 years

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BRASILIA, Oct 22 (Reuters) – A measure of Brazilian inflation this month fell to its lowest in over 20 years, figures on Tuesday showed, cementing the view that the central bank will cut interest rates to a fresh all-time low next week and probably again before the year is out.

Consumer prices rose 0.09% from mid-September to mid-October, marking the weakest rate of this particular measure of monthly inflation for any month of October since 1998, according to government statistics agency IBGE.

 

By Jamie McGeever via Reuters

 

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UPDATE 1-Brazil awards contracts for 2.98 gigawatts of new power projects

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SAO PAULO, Oct 18 (Reuters) – The Brazilian government awarded on Friday contracts for companies to build new power generation installations with combined capacity of 2.98 gigawatts, that will cost about 11.16 billion reais ($2.71 billion) to be built.

According to the power trading chamber CCEE, the new plants, which will need to be operational in six years, will sell energy for an average price of 176 reais per megawatt, a 33% discount over the initial price at the auction.

By Luciano Costa via Yahoo Finance

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Brazil Banking Giant’s Share Sale Raises $1.4 Billion

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(Bloomberg) — Banco do Brasil SA, Latin America’s biggest lender by assets, and a government-managed fund raised 5.8 billion reais ($1.4 billion) by selling shares of the state-owned bank, another step in Brazil’s effort to shrink the size of the state.

Shares of the company rose to a three-week high after the deal, which priced 132.5 million shares at 44.05 reais apiece, according to a regulatory filing. A little over half of the shares were sold by a Brazilian workers’ investment fund known as FI-FGTS, managed by another state-controlled bank, Caixa Economica Federal. The rest was sold by Banco do Brasil itself, which held some of its own shares through its treasury desk.

By Vinícius Andrade, Felipe Marques, Rachel Gamarski and Cristiane Lucchesi via Yahoo Finance

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China’s State Grid mulls participating in Eletrobras’ privatization in Brazil: CEO

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RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) – Chinese power company State Grid is considering participating in the privatization of Brazilian state-run energy firm Eletrobras SA (ELET6.SA), Brazil Chief Executive Chang Zhongjiao said on Thursday.

“About Eletrobras there is no detailed information, if it is in accordance to our expansion plan, why not?” he told journalists in Rio de Janeiro.

 

By Rodrigo Via Gaier via Reuters

 

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After trade talks in U.S., China ramps up Brazilian soy purchases

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CHICAGO/BEIJING (Reuters) – Chinese importers have been busy booking fresh purchases of soybeans from Brazil this week, despite the White House announcement that China had agreed to buy up to $50 billion of U.S. farm products annually during trade talks last week.

Two traders said China has booked at least eight boatloads, or 480,000 tonnes worth $173 million, of Brazilian soybeans since Monday.

 

By Karl Plume and Hallie Gu via Reuters

 

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Explainer: Translating TOR – How Brazil’s $26 billion oil rights auction works

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RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) – Brazil’s Senate passed the main text of a bill late on Tuesday defining the distribution of proceeds from a blockbuster auction of oil prospecting rights, a key milestone for the enormous offshore region known as TOR – the ‘transfer-of-rights’ area.

The bidders who win exploration and production rights in the massive Nov. 6 auction will be obliged to pay the government a combined signing bonus of some 106.5 billion reais ($25.8 billion), making it the largest oil bidding round in history, according to Brazilian authorities.

By Gram Slattery and Marta Nogueira via Yahoo Finance

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Brazilian unicorn Ebanx will hit $2 billion in payments processed by the end of the year

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Ebanx, the newly minted Brazilian financial services unicorn, expects to process $2 billion in payments by the end of the year and is looking to expand its offerings into domestic payments as it grows.

Since its launch in 2012, Ebanx has primarily focused on helping international merchants sell locally in Brazil. The Brazilian business accounts for nearly 90% of the company’s revenue, but as it expands into other markets the company is also broadening its suite of services.

 

By Jonathan Shieber via Tech Crunch

 

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Uber To Team With Brazil’s Banco Inter For Financial Services

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A source has revealed that Brazilian lender Banco Inter SA is currently in discussions with Uber about partnering in financial services.

The move is another move by Japan’s SoftBank Group — which is a shareholder in Uber — to integrate its business in Latin America. While the source wouldn’t comment on the terms of a possible deal, it would target the rideshare giant’s drivers and Banco’s more than 3 million clients. Brazil is now Uber’s largest market outside the United States, with São Paulo boasting more Uber rides than any other city in the world.

 

By Pymnts

 

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Brazil’s truckmakers are optimistic again even as country struggles to grow

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SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Brazil’s largest truckmakers are expressing optimism again about the growth prospects for Latin America’s largest economy, even as the country continues to struggle to rebound from a deep recession that began in 2015.

“We are breathing optimism,” said Martin Lundstedt, Volvo Group’s President and CEO (VOLVb.ST), who traveled to Sao Paulo to take part in the biennial Fenatran expo, the largest truck and machinery trade show in the country.

 

By Marcelo Rochabrun via Reuters

 

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Entendendo a Constituição Federal da República Federativa do Brasil

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No dia 4 de novembro acontecerá em São Paulo, o lançamento do livro “Entendendo a Constituição da República Federativa do Brasil” de Cooordenação e Coautoria de Felipe Neves.

Felipe é Fellow do nosso POY Fellowship Program e Presidente e Fundador do Projeto Constituição na Escola. O objetivo do Projeto, através das aulas sobre a Constituição Federal Brasileira, é expandir a noção cívica dos estudantes, ensinando-lhes sobre seus direitos e deveres constitucionais, para que tenham uma base educacional sólida para compreender a importância de ser um cidadão consciente.

Saiba mais aqui

Brazil Raises Over $2 Billion From Ten Oil Majors In Exploration Rights Auction

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In an encouraging development for Brazil’s offshore oil exploration and production (E&P) sector, a bevy of big industry names queued up for the latest rights on offer agreeing to fork up $2.2 billion.

On Thursday (October 10), the country’s government confirmed that ten companies had agreed to pay the amount for drilling rights in 12 offshore oil blocks, with the country’s pre-salt deposits, i.e. exploration prospects in which billions of barrels of oil are trapped beneath a layer of salt underneath the ocean bed, attracted the most attention.

 

By Gaurav Sharma via Forbes

 

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Brazilian agribusiness should take your AE power vocation, says minister

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The Minister Tereza Cristina (Agriculture, Livestock and Supply) said on Thursday (10) that Brazil is already recognized as an agricultural powerhouse, but has room to continue growing in a sustainable manner. By participating in the Brazil Panel: Sustainable Agricultural Power, during the Investment Forum Brazil 2019 in Sao Paulo, the minister said Brazil wants to move beyond the current 7% share in world trade.

“We are one of the few countries in the world with the capacity to significantly expand the provision of sustainable food. To follow increasing domestic production and minimizing impacts on the environment, the Brazilian government and the private sector need to continue working together, “said the minister, noting that Brazil should effectively assume their global agri-environment power vocation.

 

Via DATAGRO

 

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Ample flowering seen in Brazil’s top coffee state, rains on the way

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SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Coffee trees all over Brazil’s top producing state Minas Gerais have bloomed this week, marking the first major flowering for the new Brazilian coffee crop that could indicate the size of next year’s production.

Farmers and analysts shared pictures and videos of their crops, with trees full of flowers or flower buds. Agronomists say a good flowering, ample and uniform, followed by adequate moisture and mild temperatures, could lead to good production.

 

By Marcelo Teixeira via Reuters

 

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Brazil audit court gives green light for pre-salt oil mega auction

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BRASILIA, Oct 9 (Reuters) – Brazil’s Federal Audit Court known as the TCU unanimously approved on Wednesday the ground rules for a major auction of pre-salt oil concessions in a “transfer of rights” (TOR) area off the country’s southeastern coast.

The government expects to raise 106 billion reais ($25.8 billion) from the auction scheduled for Nov. 6, which is expected to attract a range of major global oil companies to tap one of the world’s most promising conventional oil plays.

 

By Gabriel Ponte via Reuters

 

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UPDATE 1-Brazil inflation falls to 2.89%, lowest since May last year

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BRASILIA, Oct 9 (Reuters) – Brazilian consumer price inflation fell to its lowest in more than a year in September, official figures on Wednesday showed, a reading below the central bank’s target that is likely to strengthen expectations of another cut in interest rates.

The benchmark IPCA index of inflation rose 2.89% in the 12 months through September, down from an increase of 3.43% in the previous month, government statistics agency IBGE said on Wednesday.

 

By Jamie McGeever via Reuters

 

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Brazil’s Strategic Expansion in the Indo-Pacific

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As part of its grander geostrategic ambitions, Brazil aims to expand its strategic reach in the Indo-Pacific region. Moving from a regional power in South America to a global player will entail Brasilia extending its influence across the Pacific to the west coast of Africa and eventually around to the wider Indo-Pacific region.

This grand strategic vision has accelerated under the current Brazilian leadership.

 

By Balaji Chandramohan via The Diplomat

 

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Brazil’s central bank drafts bill to modernize foreign exchange market

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BRASILIA, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) — Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Monday submitted to Congress a bill drafted by the Central Bank of Brazil to modernize the foreign exchange market.

“The objective of the bill is to establish a new, more modern, more concise and legally secure framework for the foreign exchange and capital markets in Brazil and Brazilians abroad,” said the bank in a press release.

 

Via Xinhua

 

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Brazil’s Bolsonaro signs telecoms law to boost sector

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BRASILIA, Oct 4 (Reuters) – President Jair Bolsonaro signed a law modernizing Brazil’s telecommunications regulations on Friday in a move long expected by the industry to allow new investment opportunities and help salvage bankrupt carrier Oi SA .

The law, which took five years to clear Congress, will boost telecom companies by lifting restrictions on sales of their formerly state-owned assets. It will also allow for a secondary market for trading cellphone frequencies.

 

Via Reuters

 

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Exclusive: Brazil-based ONEVC Closes On $38M Cross-Border Fund

Posted on | Updated on

Congratulations to Bruno Yoshimura and the ONEVC team for this important achievement. Bruno is a fellow of our POY Fellowship Program and a member of our Young Professionals Committee. 

**

In recent years, Brazil’s startup scene has exploded as investor interest in Latin America as a whole has increased. And ONEVC, a cross-border fund dedicated to investing in U.S. and Latin American startups, is ideally poised to capitalize on that.

The firm, with offices in São Paulo and San Francisco, has closed its first fund, ONEVC FUND I LP, Crunchbase News has learned exclusively.

The firm has $30 million under management, along with $8 million to invest in “special opportunities” (more about those later). Since it was formed in November 2017, ONEVC has already seen two portfolio companies become unicorns and another (San Francisco-based HeyDoctor) exit.

By Mary Ann Azevedo via Crunchbase News

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Brazil services PMI hits six-month high, employment strongest since 2015: IHS Markit

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BRASILIA (Reuters) – Brazil’s services sector activity expanded in September at the fastest pace in six months, a closely watched purchasing managers index survey showed on Thursday, with employment growth in the sector hitting its highest in over five years.

The latest IHS Markit PMI figures suggest Brazil is bucking a global trend consistent with sharply slowing activity and even recession across the United States, Europe and Asia.

 

By Jamie McGeever via KFGO

 

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Amazon.com brings Alexa to Brazil, kicks off pre-orders for devices

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SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Amazon.com Inc will launch its virtual assistant Alexa in Brazil starting this month, with plans for three different devices with the software installed, as it rapidly expands operations in Latin America’s largest economy.

The move comes only three weeks after the U.S. e-commerce giant introduced its Prime subscription service to Brazilian consumers, toughening the competition with local retailers by offering unlimited nationwide free shipping and a maximum 48-hour delivery time in over 90 municipalities.

 

By Gabriella Mello via Reuters

 

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UPDATE 1-Brazil’s industrial output posts biggest rise in over a year

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BRASILIA, Oct 1 (Reuters) – Industrial production in Brazil rose in August at its fastest pace in more than a year, official figures on Tuesday showed, a sign that Latin America’s largest economy may slowly be turning a corner after flirting with recession earlier in the year.

The recovery may be on an uneven footing, however, as intermediate goods production was the only one of four broad economic categories to grow, and only 10 of the 26 narrower sectors surveyed managed to expand in the month.

 

By Jamie McGeever via Reuters

 

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Brazil’s fintech segment sees growth

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The fintech segment continues to grow in Brazil with most startups focused on B2B offerings, according to a new study.

There are 504 fintechs operating in Brazil across 10 segments currently – this compares to 377 fintechs active in Brazil in 2018, according to the data compiled by Finnovation, a local website that has been monitoring the segment since 2011.

 

By Angelica Mari via ZD Net

 

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BRIC countries reaffirm commitment to innovation and sustainability in agriculture

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At the end of the 9th Meeting of Ministers of Agriculture of BRICS held in Bonito (MS), on Thursday (26), representatives of the five countries signed the Nice Charter, with 27 items that reaffirm commitment to cooperation in the area agricultural. The ministers said the potential to enhance collaboration in the food production areas, food security and environmental security.

“This can be achieved through good agricultural practices, developing digital agriculture and value chains for better agricultural marketing and improvement of income for farmers,” says the letter, which deals with issues such as innovation, industry communication, startups, trade facilitation, scientific principles, regionalization and sustainability.

 

Via DATAGRO

 

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Latin America roundup: SoftBank bets on Brazilian unicorns and Konfio raises $250M for lending plans

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SoftBank  did not let up the flow of capital to Brazil this month, staying busy despite the WeWork debacle. With two more $100 million-plus rounds in QuintoAndar and MadeiraMadeira, the Japanese investor has funded at least one more unicorn in the Brazilian ecosystem. Their investments in Brazil from the past two months alone far outstrip Latin America’s venture capital funding in all of 2016.

In early September, SoftBank backed QuintoAndar  for a $250 million Series D round alongside Dragoneer, General Atlantic and Kaszek Ventures, which recently made headlines for raising $600 million to invest in Latin America. QuintoAndar is a real estate rental startup that simplifies the process of locating and renting an apartment in Brazil. Although the startup only has 2% of the rentals market share in Brazil, QuintoAndar’s  tech solution enabled them to scale rapidly, beating out traditional incumbents in the region’s bureaucratic rental structure.

 

By Sophia Wood via Tech Crunch

 

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Embrapa increasingly seeking resources in the private sector

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In an exclusive interview to the entry portal Uagro / DATAGRO, this Monday (23), at the International Congress of Wheat Industry in Campinas (SP), the president of Embrapa, Celso Moretti said the search body reduce dependence the budget of the National Treasury, looking increasingly tailor agreements with the private sector, resulting in new resources for agricultural research.

In this sense, Moretti said he saw very much welcome the approval of the Economic Affairs Committee (CAE) of the Senate’s bill, which includes between the resources of Embrapa those from the licensing for commercial exploitation of technologies, products, services and brand use rights.

 

Via DATAGRO

 

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Tech-Education Unicorn Turns Brazil Family Into Billionaires

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(Bloomberg) — Ari de Sa Cavalcante Neto was spending so much time away from home selling his firm’s shares to U.S. investors that he felt he owed his seven-year-old daughter an explanation.

“I told her I had entered a very long competition and, if I won, I’d bring home a unicorn,” Cavalcante, chief executive officer of Brazil’s Arco Platform Ltd., told a group of entrepreneurs earlier this year.

By Felipe Marques, Cristiane Lucchesi and Vinicius Andrade via Yahoo Finance

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Brazil’s central bank takes ‘hands off’ approach to FX, focuses on growth

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BRASILIA (Reuters) – Seven months into the presidency of Roberto Campos Neto, Brazil’s central bank has implemented a quiet revolution in its monetary policy, with the former trader showing a willingness to tolerate a weaker currency.

In selling international reserves for the first time in 10 years to meet demand for dollars, while slashing interest rates to new lows to revive growth, the blue water between monetary and exchange rate policy is becoming ever clearer, analysts say.

 

By Jamie McGeever via Reuters

 

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COFCO to invest more in Brazil, but will be selective, says exec

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SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Chinese state-owned commodities trader COFCO INTL [CNCOF.UL] plans to continue to invest in Brazil in the near future after having quickly achieved a significant position in the local commodities market, but will be very selective in choosing next targets.

COFCO sources and trades grains, oilseeds, sugar, coffee and cotton in Brazil, where it hosts most of its 36 Latin American warehouses, eight food processing plants and 10 port terminals.

 

By Marcelo Teixeira and Roberto Samora via Reuters

 

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Specialty coffees: Brazilian exporters closed $ 2.1 million in business in Japan

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The Brazilian Specialty Coffee Association (BSCA) and the Brazilian Agency for Export and Investment Promotion (Apex-Brazil) organized the participation of Brazilian companies in the main fair of specialty coffee Asia, SCAJ World Specialty Coffee Conference and Exhibition 2019 held between 11 and 13 September in Japan.

In the three-day event, 21 members of the Association conducted 395 business contacts with potential buyers from Japan, China, Taiwan, UK, Netherlands, South Korea, Malaysia, England and the United States have closed $ 2.1 million in business. For the next 12 months, they predict also the realization of over US $ 9.47 million.

 

Via DATAGRO

 

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The Latin American expansion for the Canadian storytelling startup, led by CEO Allen Lau, follows partnerships in Europe and Asia.

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Canadian storytelling app Wattpad is headed to Brazil, South America’s biggest media market, after signing a development and production deal with indie studio Wise Entertainment.

The agreement hands Wise Entertainment, which has offices in Los Angeles and New York City, the exclusive first-look rights to develop Wattpad stories into Portuguese-language film and TV projects for global distribution.

 

By Allen Lau via The Hollywood Reporter

 

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JPMorgan Seeks a Piece of Brazil’s Flourishing Local Bond Sales

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(Bloomberg) — JPMorgan Chase & Co. is expanding its Brazil fixed-income business to include local bonds as issuance hits a record amid record-low interest rates and optimism about President Jair Bolsonaro’s economic reforms.

The bank started working with corporate clients earlier this year to manage their sales of bonds denominated in reais, according to Lucianna Lorenzo, the head of international and local debt capital markets at JPMorgan in Brazil.

 

By Pablo Gonzalez via Yahoo News

 

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Japan’s SoftBank Contemplates Investment In Brazil

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“We have around 40 companies that fit in Brazil,” the group’s head in Brazil, André Maciel, told the news outlet during an event at Cubo, a technological hub funded by Itaú Unibanco, the largest private bank in Latin America.

 

Via PYMNTS

 

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Biogas Makes Pig Farming More Sustainable in Southern Brazil

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ENTRE RIOS DO OESTE, Brasil, Sep 20 2019 (IPS) – Biogas has the potential to provide 36 percent of the electricity consumed in Brazil or replace 70 percent of diesel if purified as biomethane, according to the Brazilian Association of Biogas and Biomethane (Abiogas).

This new source of energy is only recently gaining a foothold in this country, especially in the agricultural south. Its future is promising in an agro-diverse Brazil, which is the world’s largest producer or exporter of sugar, coffee, meat and soybeans.

 

By Mario Osava via IPS News

 

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Brazil’s Oi in talks to sell mobile unit to Telecom Italia, Telefonica -sources

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SAO PAULO, Sept 19 (Reuters) – Brazilian telecommunications firm Oi SA is in talks with Spain’s Telefonica SA and Italy’s Telecom Italia SpA to sell its mobile network to avoid insolvency, five people with knowledge of the matter said.

Oi has been struggling to turn around its business since filing for bankruptcy protection in June 2016 to restructure approximately 65 billion reais of debt.

 

By Carolina Mandl and Gabriela Mello

 

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How Brazil Could Tame Taxes Without Cutting Them

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Brazil is known for its complex business environment, and its byzantine tax system is a big reason why. According to the World Bank’s Doing Business rankings, Brazil is the world’s seventh-worst place to have to pay taxes, roughly on par with the Republic of Congo and Bolivia. President Jair Bolsonaro’s government, continuing to tackle some of the most vexing issues facing Latin America’s largest economy, hopes to simplify taxes for both business and ordinary citizens, a goal that eluded prior heads of state.

 

By Rachel Gamarski via Bloomberg

 

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Brazil wants more visibility into cryptocurrency trades

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Over the past few months, there has been some movement in the Brazilian political sphere which seems to be targeting increased transparency and auditability for cryptocurrency transactions.

New regulation has been approved that requires users to disclose more information about their cryptocurrency trades, and businesses are now required to register their holdings as well. Taxes have also been clarified and new measures are being discussed which could add additional taxes to any crypto-to-fiat trading.

By Pedro Febrero via Yahoo Finance

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Toyota to expand plant in Brazil’s Sao Paulo state, joining Volkswagen, GM

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SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Toyota Motor Corp <7203.T> on Thursday announced a 1 billion reais ($243.29 million) expansion at a plant in the Brazilian state of Sao Paulo, joining Volkswagen and General Motors in new investments in the region.

Toyota said the funding would allow the Sorocaba plant, which builds the Etios and Yaris sedan models, to produce a new vehicle model. It did not provide details on the new model.

By Marcelo Rochabrun via Yahoo Finance

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Oil price spike set to improve ethanol outlook in Brazil

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SAO PAULO, Sept 17 (Reuters) – A spike in oil prices following recent attacks on facilities in Saudi Arabia is expected to boost an already positive outlook for ethanol in Brazil, according to analysts and industry representatives, further relegating sugar to the background for mills that largely process ethanol.

If higher oil prices lead to increased gasoline prices in Brazil, ethanol would keep its price advantage over the fossil fuel at the pumps, potentially leading to strong demand and good profit margins for cane mills, market participants said.

 

By Marcelo Teixeira via Nasdaq

 

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Minister of Agriculture is negotiating an increase in exports to Saudi Arabia

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The Minister Tereza Cristina (Agriculture, Livestock and Supply) began on Monday (16) the datebook in Saudi Arabia, the second destination of the mission to the Middle East. The first engagement was a meeting with the Deputy Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture, Mansour bin Hilal Al Mushaiti. The two discussed bilateral technical cooperation in agriculture.

The minister also spoke of exports to the Arab country. Major importers of chicken and beef, Saudi Arabia expressed interest in the marketing of fodder for animal feed produced in Brazil.

 

Via DATAGRO

 

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Safe water from solar power in Brazil

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Twenty-one-year-old Brazilian Anna Luisa Baserra always wanted to be a scientist. From washing liquid to shampoo, no household item escaped the potential for becoming the next scientific experiment.

“I used to play with my cousins, trying to make chemical compounds from any liquids we could find, mixing them up and pretending to be professional scientists,” she recalls.

 

By Lis Mullin Bernhardt via UN Environment

 

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Ex-Tesla Executive Decamps to Brazil and Bets Big on Batteries

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Marco Krapels left Tesla Inc. and started a battery company in a place that’s a hemisphere away from California’s rarefied clean-energy scene: Brazil.

Krapels, Tesla’s former vice president for international expansion of solar and storage, now runs Sao Paulo-based MicroPower-Comerc. The company, backed by Siemens AG, is pushing to use big mobile batteries to wean Latin America’s largest economy off oil-fired generators during blackouts.

 

By Laura Millan Lombrana via Bloomberg

 

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Virgin Atlantic opens up Brazil with GOL codeshare

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Virgin Atlantic and GOL are opening up Brazil with a codeshare agreement that will allow passengers on the UK airline’s forthcoming London-Sao Paolo service to connect to 37 destinations.

GOL is Brazil’s biggest domestic carrier and connections will include leisure favorites such as surf hotspot Florianopolis, Amazon jungle launchpad Manaus and the pristine coastline of Recife.

 

By Steve Creedy via AirlineRatings

 

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Brazil development bank BNDES mulls strategy for Petrobras, Vale asset sales -sources

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RIO DE JANEIRO, Sept 12 (Reuters) – Brazil’s development bank BNDES is mulling strategies to sell its stakes in listed companies such as state-controlled oil company Petrobras SA , two sources with knowledge of the matter said on Thursday.

As discussions are still ongoing, BNDES may start divestments only next year, the sources added.

By Rodrigo Viga Gaier via Yahoo Finance

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Amazon Announces the Launch of Amazon Music for Brazil, Bringing Customers Access to Millions of Songs, On-Demand and Ad-Free

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(AMZN) — Amazon today announces the launch of Amazon Music for Brazil, bringing customers millions of songs and thousands of playlists and stations ad-free, with two music streaming tiers. Beginning today, customers can access Amazon Music Unlimited, the premium music streaming tier with unlimited access to more than 50 million songs, including chart-topping releases from Brazilian and International artists including Pabllo Vittar, Post Malone, Ivete Sangalo, Billie Eilish, Gustavo Mioto and many more, along with locally curated playlists and stations, developed specifically for today’s music fan in Brazil. This follows Tuesday’s launch of Amazon Prime in Brazil, offering members a selection of more than two million songs at no additional cost to their Prime membership. Customers can learn more about Amazon Music, and begin a three-month free trial for the Unlimited tier today at amazon.com.br/music.

 

Via Yahoo Finance

 

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UPDATE 1-Brazil services activity in July rises at fastest pace this year

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BRASILIA, Sept 12 (Reuters) – Brazil’s services sector grew in July at its fastest pace this year, official figures showed on Thursday, another indication that Latin American’s largest economy started the third quarter on a solid footing.

A day after figures showed retail sales posting their biggest rise of the year in July, government statistics agency IBGE said service sector activity climbed 0.8% in the month and 1.8% on the year, both smashing forecasts.

 

By Jamie McGeever via Reuters

 

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UPDATE 3-Brazil Senate passes telecoms modernization bill

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BRASILIA, Sept 12 (Reuters) – The Brazilian Senate late on Wednesday approved a bill that will modernize Brazil’s telecommunications law and boost companies in the sector by lifting restrictions on asset sales, according to the upper house’s news service, Agencia Senado.

The bill, known as PLC 79, had already passed the lower house of Congress and will now go to President Jair Bolsonaro to be signed into law.

By Anthony Boadle via Yahoo Finance

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Brazil’s Newest Unicorn: QuintoAndar Raises $250M Series D Led By SoftBank

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Sao Paulo-based real estate startup QuintoAndar has raised a $250 million Series D in a round that is considered massive by U.S. standards but is positively gargantuan in Brazil. The round takes the company “to unicorn status,” according to CEO Gabriel Braga, although he would not disclose its exact valuation.

SoftBank Group International led the round, which also included participation from another new investor Dragoneer as well as existing backers General Atlantic and Kaszek Ventures. The financing brings the six-year-old company’s total raised to over $335 million, according to its Crunchbase profile, and comes just nine months after its $70 million Series C.

 

By Mary Ann Azevedo via CrunchBase News

 

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New digital technologies help field production

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Use a sensor to predict whether it will rain on a property and thus identify the best time to apply a crop protection product. Have equipment on a tractor that monitors whether it stops or breaks to allow for quick maintenance. Insert small appliances into the soil to have indicators for planting, such as moisture level. These are some of the applications of the so-called Internet of Things (IoT) that are beginning to be implemented in projects in the field, according to “Agência Brasil”.

Internet of Things (IoT) is a name given to a set of technologies that enable more efficient real-time, multi-area monitoring through multi-purpose machine-to-machine communication dynamics. , such as increasing the ability to monitor and control a given activity, as in the examples above.

 

Via DATAGRO

 

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UPDATE 2-Brazil, Mexico begin trade talks amid Bolsonaro push for export deals

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SAO PAULO, Sept 9 (Reuters) – Brazil and Mexico have begun talks on a free trade deal, a Brazilian official said on Monday, seeking to deepen commercial ties between the two largest economies in Latin America as trade tensions threaten to undermine global growth.

Marcos Troyjo, Brazil’s deputy economy minister for foreign trade, said Brazil had formally started free trade talks with Mexico, which recently ratified a new trade pact with the United States and Canada to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

 

By Ana Mano via Successful Farming

 

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Amazon.com brings Prime service to Brazil; local retail shares drop

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SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Amazon.com Inc said on Tuesday it will launch its Prime subscription service in Brazil, where it has struggled against tough local competition in Latin America’s largest economy.

Shares in Brazilian retailers tumbled after Amazon announced it is offering Prime subscribers unlimited nationwide free shipping and a maximum 48-hour delivery time in over 90 municipalities for goods ranging from clothes to electronics.

By Aluisio Alves via Yahoo Finance

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Brazil Aug inflation limited, reinforcing rate cut bets

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BRASILIA, Sept 6 (Reuters) – Consumer price inflation in Brazil was well contained in August, as forecast, reinforcing expectations of deeper interest rate cuts by the central bank as it tries to fire up economic growth.

Prices measured by the benchmark IPCA index , rose 0.11% in August, government statistics agency IBGE said on Friday, in line with forecasts in a Reuters poll.

 

Via Nasdaq

 

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Norway’s Statkraft looks to expand in Brazil’s renewables: executive

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SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Norway’s power generator Statkraft AS [STATKF.UL] plans to sharply increase its capacity to produce renewable energy in Brazil in the next four to five years, the head of the Brazilian unit, Fernando de Lapuerta, told Reuters.

The company is looking to acquire some Brazilian projects and also plans to take part in coming rounds where the government awards licenses for construction of new power plants, the executive said in an interview on Tuesday.

 

By Luciano Costa via Reuters

 

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Mobile devices prevail in banking transactions in Brazil

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Mobile devices were the main channel used by Brazilians to transact with their banking institutions in 2018, according to data from the Brazilian Central Bank (BC).

Some 29 billion transactions were completed through smartphones and tablets last year, up 18.4 percent on 2017. This builds on a trend that emerged in Brazil last year, when mobile devices surpassed other remote channels such as Internet banking.

 

By Angelica Mari via ZD Net

 

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Awakening The Sleeping Giant: Why Brazil’s Tech Scene Is One To Watch

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“Brazil is the country of the future” was a familiar phrase for many years – or as we say in Portuguese – “Brasil, país do futuro”. For tech startups, that future is now. The country is showing signs that the sleeping giant is finally waking up and moving towards its tipping point.

In 2010, I founded an organization called Brazil Innovators, a network that gave innovators and ecosystem builders direct access to Silicon Valley. When I launched, the venture capital community was very small, but it was clear that Brazil was producing great minds and future talent.

 

By Bedy Yang via Forbes

 

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Brazil is the world’s largest sustainable certified soy producer

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Data from 2018 from the International Responsible Soy Association (RTRS) show that 4.5 million tons of oilseed were certified and made available to the market last year on over 1.2 million hectares. Compared to 2017, there was an increase of 500 thousand tons.

Increasing demand for responsible soy is one of the main incentives for producers to further extend certification of their properties.

 

Via DATAGRO

 

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IBM plans Brazil cloud expansion

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IBM plans to spread its cloud computing load across multiple data centers in Brazil, by building a “multizone” region there.

With just one data center in São Paulo, Brazil, it has promised it will extend that next year to a multizone region, where customers who put servers in one of its data centers have them replicated automatically across numerous other data centers in the same region.

 

By Peter Judge and Mark Ballard via Data Center Dynamics

 

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Trade balance surplus reaches $ 3,284 billion in August

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The Brazilian trade balance registered a surplus of US $ 3.284 billion in August, up 23.7% from the same month last year, which was US $ 2.775 billion. The data were released by the Special Secretariat of Foreign Trade and International Affairs of the Ministry of Economy (Secint / ME) on Monday (02).

“It is the largest surplus for August since 2017,” said Undersecretary of Intelligence and Foreign Trade Statistics, Herlon Brandão, at a press conference held at the Ministry of Economy, in Brasilia (DF), to comment on the numbers. From January to August, the surplus reaches US $ 31.759 billion.

 

Via DATAGRO

 

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Volkswagen to invest $577 million in Brazil plant

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SAO PAULO — Volkswagen will invest 2.4 billion reais ($577 million) in one of its Brazil factories, Sao Paulo state governor Joao Doria said on Thursday during a visit to the automaker’s headquarters in Germany.

Sao Paulo state is the heart of Brazil’s auto industry, although its relevance has been in decline in recent years as other states have offered more generous tax incentives.

 

Via Automotive News Europe

 

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Brazil sets sights on China’s ethanol market, but high volumes unlikely

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SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Brazil’s ethanol industry is looking to grab a chunk of China’s ethanol market as the Asian nation targets a 10% blend in gasoline to improve air quality, but a short-term jump in exports is unlikely, according to people following the matter.

China wants to add 10% of ethanol to all gasoline used in the country by 2020, a policy that could sharply boost the country’s ethanol market and potentially increase imports, since local production capacity is too small to meet the target.

 

By Marcelo Teixeira via WSAU

 

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Brazil beats expectations with 0.4 per cent expansion

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Brazil avoided falling into recession on Thursday with the release of new economic data showing South America’s largest economy grew by 0.4 per cent quarter-on-quarter in the three months to June, a better than expected performance. The figures showed that Brazil’s economy moved back into expansion after shrinking by 0.2 per cent in the first quarter, and its performance was better than analysts had expected; economists polled by Reuters had forecast 0.2 per cent growth.

The figures showed that Brazil’s economy moved back into expansion after shrinking by 0.2 per cent in the first quarter, and its performance was better than analysts had expected; economists polled by Reuters had forecast 0.2 per cent growth.

 

By Bryan Harris and Andres Schipani via Financial Times

 

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Exclusive: Brazil’s Petrobras refineries sale lures trading companies, PetroChina, Saudi Aramco – sources

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SAO PAULO/RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) – Brazil’s planned privatization of eight Petroleo Brasileiro SA (PETR4.SA) refineries has lured several of the world’s largest trading and oil companies as prospective bidders, two sources with knowledge of the matter said.

Around 20 companies have signed non-disclosure agreements granting them access to the refineries’ data and signaling that they are considering a bid, the sources added, speaking on condition of anonymity to disclose private details of the sale.

 

By Tatiana Bautzer and Rodrigo Viga Gaier via Reuters

 

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Ministry of Agriculture signs agreement with Banco do Nordeste to finance innovation projects

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The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (MPLSa) has signed an agreement with Banco do Nordeste (BNB) to subsidize public and private innovation policies aimed at the sustainable development of agriculture in the Caatinga biome. The partnership will allow the structuring of the Strategic Intelligence, Management and Territorial Monitoring System (SITE), which will gather scientific data from the region.

The agreement was signed on Friday (23) by Minister Tereza Cristina, the president of BNB, Romildo Rolim, the president of the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa), Celso Moretti, and the Foundation for Support for Research and Development ( Faped).

 

Via DATAGRO

 

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Brazil utilities lean on bonds to finance growth, reducing state role

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SAO PAULO, Aug 26 (Reuters) – Brazilian power companies are raising a record amount of debt in local markets this year to finance construction of generation assets and transmission lines.

Tax-exempt local infrastructure bonds have been the main instrument to finance power investment in the country. Power companies have issued 12 billion reais ($2.9 billion) of the local bonds in the first seven months of the year, 83% of the total amount issued across all industries.

 

By Luciano Costa via Reuters

 

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Brazil to Speed Up Privatizations With Billions on the Line

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Brazil is readying a plan to accelerate the sale of state-controlled assets as well as partnerships with private companies, as part of President Jair Bolsonaro’s push to shrink the public sector and spark investments.

The federal government will put state development bank BNDES in charge of organizing and paying for feasibility studies, which are mandatory for asset sales and auctions and are crucial for their success. BNDES will also be able to hire outside consulting companies based on technical capacity and not just price.

 

By Simone Preissler Iglesias via Bloomberg

 

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Brazil and Norway study technical cooperation in the aquaculture sector

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The Secretary of Aquaculture and Fisheries of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply, Jorge Seif Júnior, is in Norway to attend the Aqua Nor 2019 fair, which takes place in Trondheim. According to Seif, Brazil and Norway are studying the possibility of establishing a technical cooperation that facilitates and promotes the development of Brazilian fishery, aquaculture and fishery health.

“It is one of the largest fish producers in the world, with different technology in both fisheries and aquaculture. It has an excellent health defense system, including some of the best laboratories in the world,” says Seif.

 

Via DATAGRO

 

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New Member: The Chamber welcomes Imagination!

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Imagination The Americas Inc.

Imagination Ltd. is a global independent experience agency founded in 1968. With 13 offices worldwide, Imagination has specialized in designing experiences that change how people think, feel, and act. Whether it be increasing brand reputation and preference, driving sales or shaping product design, ultimately, Imagination believes in the power of experience to transform behavior. We measure the impact of everything we do, ensuring our experiences are insight driven, optimized and aligned to our clients’ objectives.

Additionally, Imagination’s dedicated Investor Communications team has over 40 years of unrivaled roadshow experience, spanning over 700 roadshows that have included some of the world’s most high-profile transactions. Our integrated creative agency team provides end-to-end IPO marketing and investor communications support, delivering on all facets of the IPO, from: design and development of the management roadshow slide deck and prospectus covert art; to production of the roadshow management presentation video (and accompanying opening video, modules, sizzle and walk-in video for a clear and compelling investment case); to group meeting brand experiences, production and events surrounding listings.

The Investor Communications team can continue to add value after listing for the investor relations, finance, and marketing teams, maintaining a dialogue with the investment community through IR presentations, annual and corporate responsibility reports, investor and analyst events, and annual general meetings. Imagination is proud to have partnered with a wide variety of public companies providing end-to-end investor and corporate communications support.

Learn more here

Brazil eagerly awaits surge in Asian demand to pig meat

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Brazil’s pig industry is eagerly awaiting the foreseen surge in demand to pig meat from China. Currently, Brazil is not really feeling the effects of the African Swine Fever crisis in Eastern Asia yet. Although prices grew over the first 6 months of 2019 by 70%, in July the prices dropped again by 15.6%.

The main reason for this phenomenon is that prices are still on ‘speculation’ levels and that the demand has not really started increasing. As a result, the generalised expectations of a non-stop increasing margins for Brazilian pig meat and quotes have started to drop.

 

By Daniel Azevedo via Pig Progress

 

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“Silent Revolution” to Fuel Brazil M&A Business for Years

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A “silent revolution” in Brazil will drive the mergers-and-acquisitions business for the next three years as the government privatizes state-owned assets at a pace far exceeding early estimates, according to one of the nation’s top M&A advisers.

“What we’ve seen so far is nothing compared to what’s yet to come,” Ricardo Lacerda, chief executive officer of investment-banking boutique BR Partners, said in an interview in Sao Paulo. “Even assets that are considered crown jewels will end up being sold.”

By Cristiane Luccchesi and Pablo Rosendo Gonzalez via Bloomberg

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Brazil gets moving on gas competition

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Brazil is finally getting serious about loosening the hegemonic grip of Petrobras, the state-owned oil and gas company, on the country’s gas industry, almost ten years since regulatory reforms failed to kickstart greater market competition.

Allowing Petrobras to sell off assets and get out of non-core sectors is central to the government’s natural gas strategy. In July, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro inaugurated the New Gas Market programme, aimed at cutting the domestic price of gas 40pc within two years, guaranteeing participation of new entrants and attracting greater investment to the natural gas sector.

 

By Charles Waine via Petroleum Economist

 

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China Ramps Up Brazil Soybean Imports, Rebuffing U.S. Crops

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China this week put in a large order of Brazilian soybeans as it increasingly turns to the South American nation to fill a supply gap after halting purchases from the U.S., according to people familiar with the situation.

Chinese companies have already bought between 25 to 30 cargoes of soy from Brazil so far this week, which is equivalent to about 1.5 million to 2 million tons, the people said, asking not to be identified as the deals are private. Buyers are looking for more Brazilian supply and still haven’t bought enough to cover their needs through October, the people said.

 

Via Bloomberg

 

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Brazil’s Resultados Digitais Reaffirms Investor Confidence With New Round

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Brazil-based software-as-a-service firm Resultados Digitais (RD) has raised a new investment round led by Riverwood Capital following a “significant shift” in international interest in the country’s tech ecosystem.

The investment of 200 million reais ($50 million) is the company’s fifth funding round and brings it closer to the coveted valuation of $1 billion. The transaction includes the firm’s existing backers TPG Growth, DGF Investimentos, Redpoint eventures, Astella Investimentos and Endeavor Catalyst.

 

By Angelica Mari via Forbes

 

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Chinese demand heats up Brazil’s ethanol industry

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There are 332 million cars on the road in China, more than anywhere in the world. Most run on pure petrol, but from next year Chinese fuel companies will add 10% ethanol, a move that could have far reaching implications for the consumption of fossil fuels.

Brazil’s biofuel industry is the world’s second largest behind the US. In recent years it has suffered from fuel price shocks resulting from shifts in government policy, but it has been buoyed by the enormous potential of the Chinese market.

 

By Sarita Reed and Vinicius Fontana via China Dialogue

 

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Becoming part of a global community

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Sid Efromovich, member of our Young Professionals Committee, has just launched his online course on how to learn any foreign language.

A few years ago, he delivered a TEDx talk on how to learn foreign languages. It became the most viewed TED talk by a Brazilian in history, and the 19th most viewed talk on the TEDx channel with other 10 million views. He has now taken everything he knows about language learning and created the 6 Techniques course. It’s a quick 6 hour course that can teach anyone how to learn any language faster and better.

“Languages let us build a bridge to other cultures, and allow us to open up so much more of people’s hearts and minds.”

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UPDATE 1-Brazil’s Banco BTG Pactual reports sharply higher profit on trading gains

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SAO PAULO, Aug 13 (Reuters) – Latin America’s largest independent investment bank, Banco BTG Pactual SA, reported a 50.2% jump in second-quarter recurring profit on Tuesday, as trading and proprietary investment gains increased as well as management fees.

Recurring net income, which excludes one-time items, rose to 1.029 billion reais ($258 million) from 685 million reais a year earlier.

 

By Carolina Mandl via Reuters

 

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First Time to Brazil? Consider a Visit to Salvador.

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Thanks to the Brazilian government waiving the visa requirement for U.S. citizens – and those from Canada, Australia and Japan, too – in June 2019, planning a trip to Brazil has gotten easier. While Rio de Janeiro can first come to mind, perhaps followed by San Paulo, as a destination, there is another city within Brazil that offers much culture and cuisine, and sand and surf. It’s Salvador.

Within Brazil’s northern state of Bahia, Salvador is a coastal destination that is ushering in new developments while maintaining its past. A convention center to be named Antonio Carlos Magalhães is anticipated to open at the end of 2019. This spring, LATAM began offering a new direct flight from Miami to Salvador, departing on Sunday afternoons and returning to Miami early Monday mornings.

 

By Michelle Herrmann via Forbes

 

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How Brazil can prepare for a US trade deal

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When U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross toured Latin America, President Trump hinted to reporters of his main mission: “We’re going to work on a free trade agreement with Brazil.”

Trade agreements that reduce barriers for the exchange of goods, services, and terabytes have the ability to raise incomes and boost opportunities for all countries involved, if they play by the rules.

 

By Philip Thompson via Washington Examiner

 

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SOYBEAN, CORN AND BRAN SHIPMENTS BOOST EXPORTS FROM PARANÁ PORTS IN JULY

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The Ports of Paraná handled in July this year about 5.36 million tons of cargo. The volume represents an increase of 19% compared to the same month of 2018, when the movement reached almost 4.5 million tons. The segment with the highest increase in the period is the solid bulk, both import and export, with a high of 23%.

In 31 days, almost 3.75 million tons of this type of cargo were handled – the volume reached just over 3 million tons in July of the previous year.

Considering only the main solid export bulk together – bran, corn and soybeans together – the increase in handling, compared to July 2018 and 2019, was 33%. Exports of the three products totaled almost 2.4 million tons exported.

Grain sugar also stands out. In July this year almost 334,600 tons left the Port of Paranaguá to other countries, 20% more than the 279,600 tons handled in the same month last year.

Sugar in bustling sack in the Port of Antonina is also high. There were just over 17.7 thousand tons in July 2019 and almost 15.7 thousand tons in July of the previous year.

Via DATAGRO

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Venture capital fuels Latam ‘unicorns’ expansion beyond borders

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Surging venture capital investment in Latin American startups has financed international expansion across the region and beyond, as business models that do not require large amounts of capital have helped many firms avoid silos common in the region.

New venture capital funding in the region quadrupled over two years to a record $2 billion in 2018, according to the Association for Private Capital Investment in Latin America. And that total has already been matched in the first seven months of 2019.

Analysts say fundraising rounds this year could double 2018’s total, thanks to Japan’s SoftBank Group Corp (9984.T), which launched its $5 billion Latin America fund in March, the region’s biggest-ever venture capital deployment.

SoftBank’s investments this year have helped to mint a new wave of Latin “unicorns,” or tech startups valued at more than $1 billion, with high expectations hinging on their potential beyond their headquarter countries.

Reporting by Tatiana Bautzer; Additional reporting by Carolina Mandl; Editing by Nate Raymond and Grant McCool via Reuters

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Banco do Brasil prepares $2 billion share offering: sources

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Brazilian state lender Banco do Brasil SA (BBAS3.SA) is readying a secondary share offering that may raise up to 7.9 billion reais ($2 billion), three people familiar with the matter said.

One of the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the transaction has not been announced, said the banks are planning to price the offering by the end of September.

The investment banking units of Itau Unibanco Holding SA (ITUB4.SA), XP Investmentos SA, Caixa Economica Federal, Credit Suisse Group AG (CSGN.S), JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N) and Banco do Brasil have been hired to manage the deal, sources said.

State bank Caixa Economica Federal has said it is looking to sell a 2.4% stake in Banco do Brasil held by a workers severance fund, according to a Tuesday securities filing. The transaction could raise nearly 3.1 billion reais for the FI-FGTS fund, which Caixa manages, based on Monday’s closing share price.

Reporting by Carolina Mandl and Tatiana Bautzer; editing by Jonathan Oatis via Reuters

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Brazil auto production jumps 14.2% in July from June

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Automobile production in Brazil jumped 14.2% and sales grew 9.1% in July from June, the best performance for the month since 2014, the national automakers’ association Anfavea said on Tuesday.

Brazil’s auto industry is recovering from a crushing depression that cost the country its place as one of the world’s five biggest auto markets, even as automakers are still struggling with low margins.

Auto exports to depressed Argentina, Brazil’s largest foreign destination for its cars, are down 38.4% so far in 2019 compared to a year ago, Anfavea said.

Trade rules in Brazil are changing under a right-wing government that has promised to open up one of the world’s largest but most closed economies. Automakers are figuring out what to do following an initial trade deal with the European Union, as well as changes in trade rules with Mexico, both of which could usher a flood of foreign vehicles into the country.

Reporting by Marcelo Rochabrun; Editing by Bernadette Baum and Nick Zieminski via Reuters

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MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE WILL BRING TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO PRODUCERS ASSISTED BY IRRIGATION PROJECT IN BAHIA

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The Minister Tereza Cristina (Agriculture, Livestock and Supply) reported on Friday (02) that the ministry will bring technical assistance and projects for farmers served by the Public Project Irrigation Ceraíma, Bahia. Alongside the Minister of Regional Development, Gustavo Canuto, the minister participated in the launch of the restructuring and modernization works of the project in Guanambi (BA).

Tereza Cristina stressed that the ministry today is one and works to support small, medium and large farmers in the country, with emphasis on those who need more help.

“We need to give the door to those who can produce, those who can earn from their sweat. And with the help of public policies so that you have the dignity and freedom to produce, sell and dream more and more for you, your children and your grandchildren, ”he said.

According to the Ministry of Regional Development, about 3,000 people are expected to benefit from the project in the cities of Guanambi, Urandi, Pindaí and Caetité. In the region, there is cultivation of mango, banana, guava, pumpkin, cassava and vegetables. The irrigation project has been in operation since the 1970s. Investments for the new works amount to R$ 15.9 million, from the Parnaíba and São Francisco Valleys Development Company (Codevasf).

Via DATAGRO

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Brazil’s Larger-Than-Expected Rate Cut Is a Sign of More to Come

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Brazil’s central bank on Wednesday delivered its strongest message yet that it’s poised to pump more stimulus into an ailing economy after lowering its key rate by a half percentage point.

The bank’s board, led by its President Roberto Campos Neto, cut the benchmark Selic to a record low of 6%, as forecast by 18 of 45 economists surveyed by Bloomberg. The others expected a smaller reduction or even no cut at all. While stating that their next move will depend on activity and inflation data, policy makers signaled that forecasts for below-target consumer prices in 2020 leave the door open to more easing.

By Mario Sergio Lima via Bloomberg

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Trump says he will seek U.S. trade accord with Brazil

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WASHINGTON/BRASILIA/SAO PAULO (Reuters) – President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he will pursue a U.S. trade agreement with Brazil, suggesting a friendly relationship with President Jair Bolsonaro could help lower trade barriers between the two biggest economies in the Americas.

“We’re going to work on a free trade agreement with Brazil,” Trump told reporters at the White House, without giving details.

 

By Alexandra Alper, Marcela Ayres and Marcelo Rochabrun

 

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UPDATE 2-Brazil brewer Ambev beats Q2 profit forecasts; shares up 9%

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SAO PAULO, July 25 (Reuters) – Brazilian beverages firm Ambev SA on Thursday posted a better-than-expected 8.5% rise in second-quarter net profit, triggering strong gains in its shares.

The Latin American unit of Anheuser Busch InBev said net income reached 2.616 billion reais ($693.42 million), beating a consensus estimate of 2.286 billion reais ($606.58 million) compiled by Refinitiv.

By Gabriela Mello via Yahoo Finance

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Brazil’s fifth-largest city to accept bitcoin payments for public transportation

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Fortaleza, the fifth-largest city in Brazil with a population of about 2.7 million, is set to accept bitcoin (BTC) payments for public transportation by the end of this year.

Local news outlet O Povo reported the news late last week, saying that the Ceara State Co-operative Autonomous Passenger Co-operative (Cootraps) will provide Fortaleza citizens the options to buy bus tickets using bitcoin, credit and debit cards, in addition to the current cash system.

By Yogita Khatri via Yahoo Finance

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Amigos da Poli finalista do Prêmio de Responsabilidade Social oferecido durante o Person of the Year Awards Gala Dinner 2019

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O Amigos da Poli ficou entre os finalistas do Prêmio de Responsabilidade Social oferecido durante o Person of the Year Awards Gala Dinner, premiação que ocorreu no dia 14 de Maio, na cidade de New York.

O evento organizado pela Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce, elegeu o fundo como finalista na categoria Responsabilidade Social, juntamente com a Renovatio/VerBem, Instituto Brasil Solidário e Aliança Empreendedora.

Gostaríamos de parabenizar o Instituto Brasil Solidário e dizer que termos sido nomeados é um orgulho e nos motiva a continuar trabalhando em prol da melhoria do ensino no Brasil.


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CNA presents proposals to BC to stimulate private financing in agribusiness

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The president of the Confederation of Agriculture and Livestock of Brazil (CNA), João Martins, met on Wednesday (24), in Brasilia, with the President of the Central Bank, Roberto Campos Neto, to present the proposals of the entity to stimulate private financing in agro and improving the business environment in the sector. “We need to be at the forefront, always looking to the future,” said Martins during the meeting at Confederation headquarters.

The funding-related agenda focuses on the following fronts: seeking external resources; promoting the development of new products in private banks for the sector; intensification of cooperative action in new markets and financial support to its members; and stimulating the investments of complementary social security funds in agriculture.

 

Via DATAGRO

 

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Six Charts on Boosting Growth in Brazil

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Brazil’s economic recovery after the 2015−2016 recession remains sluggish. Real per capita growth has fallen by 8 percent since the beginning of the recession in 2014, and poverty and inequality are on the rise. While the unemployment rate did fall this year, it is still high compared to pre-crisis levels.

To boost growth and create more jobs, Brazil needs to vigorously pursue pension and tax reforms, trade openness, investment in infrastructure, and key financial reforms, the IMF stated in its latest annual economic assessment.

 

Via International Monetary Fund

 

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GREENSPOON MARDER EXPANDS CORPORATE & BUSINESS CAPABILITIES WITH ADDITION OF NEW PARTNER MICHAEL SMITH IN NEW YORK

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The firm continues to expand corporate & business capabilities nationwide with the addition of

Nicole Ostrowski and Angela Ramey as senior counsel and Skylar Marshall as associate.

 

New York, NY – July 25, 2019 – Greenspoon Marder is pleased to announce the expansion of the firm’s Corporate & Business practice group with the addition of partner, Michael Smith in New York.

 

“Our firm is committed to providing seamless client service across our national platform. Michael will enhance our corporate team in New York and throughout the U.S., as we continue to strategically grow nationally,” comments Michael Marder, co-managing director at Greenspoon Marder. “Michael’s extensive transactional experience adds a greater range of corporate services to our client offerings,” comments Gerry Greenspoon, co-managing director of Greenspoon Marder.

 

Mr. Smith is an international lawyer with more than 25 years’ experience who advises on international capital markets, cross-border M&A, global fund formation and Shari’ah finance. Mr. Smith has significant experience advising on transactions into and out of the U.S., Canada, Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and China, and regularly counsels boards, senior management and private equity firms on corporate governance, deal structuring and strategy.

 

The firm has continued to expand our corporate & business capabilities nationwide with the addition of senior counsels, Nicole Ostrowski in Los Angeles and Angela Ramey in Miami, and associate, Skylar Marshall in Denver.

 

Ms. Ostrowski is senior counsel in the Corporate & Business Practice Group at Greenspoon Marder LLP. Ms. Ostrowski’s practice focuses on complex corporate transactions, including private equity transactions, strategic organizational structuring, debt financings, securities offerings, mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, venture capital investments, asset purchases, and joint venture arrangements.

 

Ms. Ramey is senior counsel in the Corporate & Business Practice Group at Greenspoon Marder LLP. She focuses her practice on all aspects of secured financing transactions including single lender, syndicated and mezzanine facilities involving cash flow, secured, asset-based, and acquisition facilities.

 

Mr. Marshall is an associate in the Corporate & Business Practice Group at Greenspoon Marder LLP. Mr. Marshall focuses his practice on corporate and commercial transactions. He has experience representing companies ranging from start-ups to multi-national corporations.

 

About Greenspoon Marder

 

Greenspoon Marder is a national full-service business law firm with 240 attorneys and 26 locations across the United States. We are ranked amongst American Lawyer’s Am Law 200, as one of the top law firms in the U.S. since 2015. Since our inception in 1981, our firm has been committed to providing excellent client service through our cross-disciplinary, client-team approach. Our mission is to understand the challenges that our clients face, build collaborative relationships, and craft creative solutions designed and executed with long-term strategic goals in mind. We serve Fortune 500, middle-market public and private companies, start-ups, emerging businesses, individuals and entrepreneurs nationwide.

Click Here to Visit the Website

Brazil GDP to get 0.35 percentage point boost from worker fund stimulus

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BRASILIA (Reuters) – New measures unveiled by the Brazilian government on Wednesday allowing employees to access cash from worker guarantee funds will be worth 0.35 percentage points to gross domestic product over the next 12 months, the Economy Ministry said on Wednesday.

Freeing up 42 billion reais ($10.6 billion) from the “FGTS” severance fund and more cash from the social contribution fund known as “PIS/Pasep” will also create 3 million jobs and increase GDP per capita by 2.5 percentage points over 10 years, the Ministry added.

 

By Marcela Ayres and Lisandra Paraguassu via Reuters

 

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Brazil Privatizes Fuel Distributor in $2.3 Billion Offering

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Brazilian oil giant Petroleo Brasileiro SA sold down a majority stake in its fuel distribution unit, effectively ending government control over the biggest player in the industry as part of a drive to privatize state-run assets and stoke competition.

The Rio de Janeiro-based energy producer raised 8.6 billion reais ($2.27 billion) selling shares in Petrobras Distribuidora SA, reducing its position to 41% from 71%, according to a regulatory filing. It’s Latin America’s biggest equity offering this year, topping the $1.98 billion sale of shares in reinsurer IRB Brasil Resseguros SA earlier this month.

 

By Sabrina Valle, Vinicius Andrade and Felipe Marques via Bloomberg

 

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Trade balance has surplus of US $ 409 million in the 3rd. july week

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The Brazilian trade balance registered a surplus of US $ 409 million in the third week of July, according to a survey released on Monday (22) by the Ministry of Economy. The positive balance is the result of US $ 4.829 billion in exports and US $ 4.420 billion in imports, according to data from the Foreign Trade Secretariat.

In the month, exports total US $ 13.550 billion and imports reach US $ 11.367 billion, with a positive balance of US $ 2.182 billion. Year-to-date exports totaled $ 123.392 billion, with imports of $ 95.134 billion and a positive balance of $ 28.258 billion.

 

Via DATAGRO

 

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Governador destaca potencial do Estado no Paraná Day em Nova York

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O governador Carlos Massa Ratinho Junior apresentou nesta quarta-feira (17) oportunidades que o Estado oferece a um grupo de executivos de corporações internacionais que mantêm investimentos globais. A apresentação foi na Câmara de Comércio Brasil-EUA, em Nova York, que recebeu a terceira edição do Paraná Day.

Durante a abertura do evento, na principal palestra do Paraná Day, Ratinho Junior falou de concessões na área de infraestrutura, principalmente de rodovias, ferrovias e aeroportos, e também de Parcerias Público-Privadas (PPPs) em setores como turismo, segurança e saúde. Além disso, ressaltou o ambiente propício para negócios que tornam o Paraná um Estado atrativo.

 

Via Agência de Notícias do Paraná

 

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Entrepreneurs deliver mail in Brazil`s biggest favela

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Delivering mail in Rio de Janeiro’s slums – or ‘favelas’ as they are known in Brazil – is harder than one can imagine. They are informal neighborhoods that the government has never mapped. But a group of entrepreneurs found an ingenious solution to provide this key basic service.

Located in Rio de Janeiro’s south zone, Rocinha is considered Brazil’s biggest favela, with a population of around 70,000 people, but it could be much higher, depending on who did the counting.

 

By Lucrecia Franco via CGTN America

 

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Ministry of Mines and Energy of Brazil authorizes the transfer of 10% stake in Saturno block to Ecopetrol

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BOGOTÁ, Colombia , July 18, 2019 /CNW/ — Ecopetrol S.A. (BVC: ECOPETROL; NYSE: EC) reports that the Ministry of Mines and Energy of Brazil has authorized the transfer of a 10% stake in the Saturno block, located in the Santos basin, to its subsidiary, Ecopetrol Óleo e Gas Brasil. Previously, this percentage was equally held by Shell Brasil Petróleo Ltda and Chevron Brasil Óleo e Gas Ltda.

Renewable capacity in Brazil to exceed 60GW in 2030 in Brazil, says GlobalData

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Renewables (excluding hydropower) are expected to reach 60.8GW capacity in 2030 registering a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.4%, according to analysts GlobalData.

The company’s latest report ‘Brazil Power Market Outlook to 2030, Update 2019 – Market Trends, Regulations, and Competitive Landscape’ reveals that, installed renewable capacity in Brazil increased from 2.9 Gigawatt (GW) in 2000 to 31.1GW in 2018, at a CAGR of 14%.

 

By Global Data Energy via Power Technology

 

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Canadian Solar Won a 51 MWp Solar Power Project in Brazil

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GUELPH, Ontario, July 17, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Canadian Solar Inc. (the “Company”, or “Canadian Solar”) (CSIQ), one of the world’s largest solar power companies, today announced it has been awarded a 51.1 MWp solar photovoltaic (PV) project in the Sixth Brazilian Federal Energy Auction (A-4) held on June 28, 2019.

Canadian Solar will develop and build the project located in the State of Minas Gerais. Construction of the solar project will start in early 2021 and it is expected to reach commercial operation before January 2023.

Via Yahoo Finance

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Ethanol to be central issue in India-Brazil meeting – industry group

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SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Brazil and India are expected to sign a memorandum of understanding on production and trade of ethanol when leaders of the two countries meet in Brasilia later this year, an industry group said on Tuesday.

According to UDOP, a Brazilian association of sugar and ethanol producers, the suggestion to discuss a partnership on ethanol came from the Indian government, which has a target to gradually increase blending of ethanol to gasoline to up to 20%.

By Marcelo Teixeira via Yahoo Finance

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Brazil plan to open gas sector seen luring Naturgy, Engie, others

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SAO PAULO, July 15 (Reuters) – Recently announced plans to foster competition in the Brazilian natural gas market may trigger a wave of privatizations among state-controlled distribution companies, luring international and domestic bidders, experts on the sector say.

Brazil’s Cosan SA and Spain’s Naturgy Energy Group SA, are among the companies potentially interested in the segment, which also include Portugal’s Galp , France’s Engie and Spain’s Repsol , consultants, lawyers and other experts said.

By Luciano Costa via Yahoo Finance

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Brazil’s Soybean Lead Over the U.S. Gets Boost From Amazon Ports

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Brazil, the biggest soybean exporter, is strengthening its lead against the U.S. after trading giants spent billions of dollars on building new terminals and developing routes to ports in the north through the Amazon region.

“Brazil’s northern ports are allowing the country to export big volumes of grain without the historical loading delays or vessel queues,” said Sergio Mendes, general director at the grain-export group Anec. “Traders are shipping through the north the same soybean volumes they usually export from Santos, Latin America’s largest port,” in the south, he said. “This is a huge conquest.”

 

By Tatiana Freitas via Bloomberg

 

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Brazil’s High-Flying Stocks May Gain Altitude as Rates Decline

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Brazilian stocks have extended their year-to-date gain to about 20% on renewed optimism that Latin America’s largest economy will finally overhaul its heavily indebted social security system. But the rally that has pushed the market to record highs still may have some juice left.

The benchmark Ibovespa index may climb 11% from current levels to about 115,000 by the end of 2019, according to the average forecast of 10 strategists surveyed by Bloomberg. Their targets range from 105,000 to 123,000, implying an increase of as much as 18%. That would mark the fourth year of double-digit gains for Brazilian stocks.

 

By Vinicius Andrade via Bloomberg

 

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Brazilian State Launches Blockchain Platform for Government Contract Bids

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In Brazil, the state of Bahia has launched a blockchain application to track the process of public bidding on government contracts, according to a report by Cointelegraph Brazil on July 12.

The blockchain-based solution, called Online Bid Solution (SOL), was reportedly developed by Cayenne Technology and Design. Bids will reportedly be completely transparent and secure due with the application of blockchain tech.

 

By Max Boddy via Cointelegraph

 

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UPDATE 2-Brazil power firm Light confirms price offering at 18.75 reais per share

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SAO PAULO, July 11 (Reuters) – Brazilian power company Light SA priced its shares at 18.75 reais ($4.99) per share in a primary and secondary offering that raised 2.5 billion reais ($665.57 million), the company said in a securities filing on Friday.

The offering will increase Light’s capital stock to 4.1 billion reais ($1.1 billion), and the company will use proceeds from the sale to reduce debt, it said.

By Carolina Mandl via Yahoo Finance

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MercadoLibre Optimistic on Brazil Economy After 2018 Hurdles

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Latin America’s largest e-commerce retailer is optimistic that economic growth is set to pick up in Brazil, its biggest market.

MercadoLibre Inc. expects a turnaround in the country, Chief Executive Officer Marcos Galperin said in an interview with Bloomberg Television, rejecting the views of economists who have slashed their forecasts for the region’s biggest economy. The retailer’s profitability was hurt last year after postal service Correios hiked freight fees, adding to woes caused by a trucker strike that paralyzed the country for 10 days.

 

By Carolina Millan and Paul T. Sweeney

 

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Crypto Coffee Coin Is Coming to Brazil’s Countryside Farmers

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Coffee farmers in Brazil’s countryside could be soon be using cryptocurrency for their day-to-day needs.

A major arabica-bean cooperative, Minasul, is planning to this month launch a blockchain-based digital coin that will be backed by coffee supplies. Farmer members will be able to use the “coffeecoin” to buy fertilizer, machinery and other non-farm products, including cars and food, Jose Marcos Magalhaes, Minasul’s president, said in an interview during the Global Coffee Forum in Campinas, Sao Paulo state.

 

By Fabiana Batista via Bloomberg

 

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For Wall Street, Brazil Is Back, Baby!

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Brazil is on a tear lately. Its Bovespa Index is the beating all of the emerging markets. It’s besting China. It’s besting Trump’s super-duper stock market here at home. It’s all thanks to a once unpopular pension reform bill, which saw tens of thousands rally late last month in support of the new president’s push to overhaul Brazil’s teetering public pension system.

Over the last month, the iShares MSCI Brazil (EWZ) has gained 7.5% versus just 2.24% for the benchmark MSCI Emerging Markets Index. If you had put $10,000 in that Brazil ETF last Fourth of July weekend you’d have $3,700 extra for summer play money as your 12-month gain.

 

By Kenneth Rapoza via Forbes

 

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Latin America and the Caribbean will account for more than 25% of global agricultural exports by 2028, says FAO

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By 2028, Latin America and the Caribbean will account for more than 25% of global exports of agricultural and fishery products, according to a new report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The publication highlights the expansion of regional protagonism in the midst of the slowdown in world production and trade.

According to the Agricultural Outlook 2019-2028 survey, over the next ten years, global demand for agricultural goods is expected to increase by 15%. On average, trade in agricultural and fishery commodities is expected to rise 1.3% per year in the period under review. Despite the growth estimate, the index is lower than the 3.3% annual average for the 2009-2018 decade.

 

Via DATAGRO

 

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Brazil to add digital data protection to fundamental rights

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The Brazilian Senate has approved a proposal to add protection of data in digital platforms to the list of fundamental rights and individual citizen guarantees set out in the country’s constitution.

According to senator Simone Tebet, rapporteur of the proposal – which will now be voted by the lower house of the National Congress – the federal government should be responsible for legislation. She noted that adding the topic to the constitution demonstrates central government recognizes the importance of the topic.

 

By Angelica Mari via ZDNet

 

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Brazil Requires New Diplomats to Know About Blockchain and Crypto

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The Brazilian diplomatic academy, the Rio Branco Institute, will now require that candidates have knowledge of cryptocurrencies and blockchain, Cointelegraph Brazil reported on July 8.

The Rio Branco Institute — established in 1945 and offering two advancement courses for diplomats — has published the 2019 edict for the selection of new diplomats in Brazil where it included the requirement that candidates know about blockchain and digital currencies.

 

By Ana Alexandre via Cointelegraph

 

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Mercosur-EU agreement to modernize Brazilian agriculture, says Tereza Cristina

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The agreement between Mercosur and the European Union will modernize and increase the competitiveness of Brazilian agriculture. The evaluation was made by the Minister of Agriculture, Tereza Cristina, during a press interview. At the time, she said the agreement will allow the country’s products to become more attractive and reach a market of approximately 700 million people.

“It will bring to Brazil a quest for more quality and competitiveness to access this market, which is a market accessed by countries such as Canada, Korea. Brazil will be on an equal footing,” said the minister.

 

Via DATAGRO

 

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Brazil should close four more trade agreements this year, says foreign minister

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The announcement of the closure of the Mercosur-European Union agreement will provoke the emergence of a “negotiating appetite” from other nations in favor of investments in Brazil or in association with the South American bloc, the Brazilian chancellor Ernesto Araújo, informs the “Agência Brasil”.

“We are very close to an agreement with the EFTA (Free Trade Association composed of Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein) and with Canada, perhaps in the second half of 2019,” said Araújo. According to him, the closure of a Mercosur agreement with Singapore and South Korea is also close.

 

Via DATAGRO

 

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New Member: The Chamber welcomes Küdos!

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Küdos is a NYC-based fintech startup, led by entrepreneurs with ties to Brazil that offers employer-sponsored benefits for making childcare affordable to working parents. With Küdos, more kids have access to education earlier on in their lives; more parents continue working and preserve their income in the long term. Companies invest in their future by supporting the career progression of their future leaders and avoid the turnover costs. To learn more about Küdos, please visit their website.

Brazil posts new world record low price for solar power

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A new world record low price for solar power generation has been achieved in Brazil, where the government’s latest renewables auction saw contracts for six solar PV projects awarded at an average of just 1.65 cents per kilowatt hour.

Brazil’s regulator Agencia Nacional de Energía Eléctrica (ANEEL) announced the latest auction results on Friday, confirming a total of 401.6MW of electricity capacity has been contracted across 15 projects with supply slated to start in January 2023. The successful bids include five hydroelectric plants, one biomass thermal facility, and three wind farms.

 

By Michael Holder via BusinessGreen

 

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Brazil Once Again Becomes the World’s Largest Beef Exporter

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In 2018, Brazil was the world’s largest exporter of beef, providing close to 20 percent of total global beef exports, outpacing India, the second-largest exporter, by 527,000 metric tons carcass weight equivalent (CWE). Moreover, USDA projects that Brazil will continue its export growth trajectory for the next decade, reaching 2.9 million metric tons, or 23 percent of the world’s total beef exports, by 2028.

Brazil has the world’s second-largest cattle herd—232 million head—and its production is largely based on grass. Increased beef demand worldwide has stimulated increased production and productivity gains. In 2018, Brazil reached its highest level of beef production at 9.9 million metric tons. According to a September 2018 report by USDA’s Foreign Agriculture Service (FAS), programs that subsidize and improve pastures and crossbreeding are primary drivers of the overall increase of cattle production in 2019 (another significant factor is improved pasture conditions in major production regions). Between 1990 and 2018, the Brazilian cattle herd expanded by 56 percent (based on estimates from the FAS Production, Supply and Distribution database). Brazil’s beef production last peaked in 2014, when it reached 9.7 million metric tons CWE. During Brazil’s 2014-16 recession, coupled with devaluation of Brazil’s national currency, the Brazilian real, beef output continued to grow, though at a slower pace, while higher local-currency denominated prices compensated for higher production expenses.

 

Via USDA

 

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Newsmaker: Caixa CFO brings dealmaking buzz to once-sleepy Brazil state bank

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SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Andre Laloni, a veteran of investment banks from Goldman Sachs & Co to UBS Group AG, seemed like an unlikely pick to become chief financial officer of Brazilian state bank Caixa Economica Federal, long a sleepy mortgage underwriter.

Yet in just a few months the 46-year-old banker has made Caixa the talk of Faria Lima Avenue, the epicenter of Sao Paulo’s dealmaking scene.

By Tatiana Bautzer and Carolina Mandl via Yahoo Finance

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Mercosur and European Union close free trade agreement

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After 20 years of long negotiations, Mercosur and the European Union sealed a free trade agreement between the blocs. According to information from the Ministry of Agriculture, the two sides came to an understanding on Friday (28) during a meeting held in Brussels, Belgium. In a statement, the ministry stressed that this is a historic moment.

According to MAPA, negotiations between the parties have intensified in recent days, and on the Brazilian side were led by the Minister of Agriculture, Tereza Cristina; the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ernesto Araújo; and the special secretary of Foreign Trade and International Affairs of the Ministry of Economy, Marcos Troyjo.

 

Via DATAGRO

 

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Brazil Bets Storing Oil Near Teapots Will Boost China Sales

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(Bloomberg) — Brazil is making it easier for China’s teapots to buy Lula crude as it seeks to win more market share in the world’s biggest oil importer.

State-controlled Petroleo Brasileiro SA has rented offshore tanks in Qingdao in the eastern province of Shandong and delivered the first oil to them on Wednesday, Qingdao Port International said in a statement. Having local storage allows Petrobras to sell smaller volumes to the independent refineries, known as teapots, many of which are clustered in Shandong.

Via Yahoo News

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U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao and Brazilian Minister of Infrastructure Announce Partnership to Promote Transportation Cooperation

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WASHINGTON- U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao and Brazilian Minister of Infrastructure Tarcísio Gomes de Freitas today signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (Memorandum) that will strengthen collaboration on transportation infrastructure investment strategies and on key transportation priorities in technology and innovation between the U.S. and Brazil.

“The Department is committed to strengthening our longstanding cooperative relationship with Brazil by sharing data and best practices to build safer and smarter transportation systems,” said Secretary Elaine L. Chao.

 

Via Transportation.gov

 

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Argentina, Brazil and Canada outpacing U.S. in gene editing

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U.S. pork producers will fall behind global competitors if the U.S. Food and Drug Administration continues to move forward with plans to regulate livestock gene editing as a drug. That was the message the National Pork Producers Council delivered during a media teleconference Tuesday on the current regulatory oversight of gene-edited livestock on America’s farms.

Gene editing accelerates genetic improvements that could be realized over long periods of time through breeding. It allows for simple changes in a pig’s native genetic structure without introducing genes from another species. Emerging applications include raising pigs resistant to porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome, a highly contagious swine disease that causes significant animal suffering and costs pork producers worldwide billions of dollars.

 

By Ann Hess via National Hog Farmer

 

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Countries pledge to boost green economy in the Americas

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The promotion of the green economy – which reconciles development, environment and poverty reduction – involves the articulation between governments, civil society and companies. This was the conclusion of the participants of the 1st Regional Ministerial Conference of the Americas on Green Economy, which closed on Wednesday (26) in Fortaleza, after two days of discussions and talks, reports Agência Brasil.

Following the closure of the discussions, the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean adopted a joint document with commitments to promote sustainable development on the continent. The final text will only be published next week, but the draft has 22 suggestions.

 

Via DATAGRO

 

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Brazil med school network Afya aims to raise $250 mln in U.S. IPO

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SAO PAULO, June 25 (Reuters) – Brazilian medical education group Afya SA hopes to raise at least $250 million in an initial public offering, three sources with knowledge of the matter said on Tuesday, the latest in a series of South American companies to seek U.S. listings.

The company’s shares will trade on the Nasdaq in July, the sources added, requesting anonymity because discussions of the offering’s size are still private.

 

By Carolina Mandl via Nasdaq

 

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JPMorgan Raises Its Brazil Stocks Target, While Cutting Regional Peers

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Brazil was the standout in JPMorgan’s re-rating of Latin American equity markets as the firm raised its year-end price target for the Ibovespa index while lowering forecasts for the rest of the region.

Strategist Emy Shayo increased the 2019 target for the Brazilian benchmark to 108,000 from 105,900, implying about a 6% increase from current levels. The more optimistic projection is based on expectations that approval of social security reform will lead to more growth and lower risk. It comes as Brazil’s weaker-than-expected economic recovery has been leading to downward revisions to earnings estimates.
By Vinicius Andrade via Bloomberg

Brazil’s antitrust regulator wants competition in Sao Paulo airport

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SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Brazil’s antitrust regulator wants new rules for allocating airplane landing and departure rights, known as slots, in Sao Paulo’s crowded domestic airport, saying they are too concentrated among two main airlines.

The recommendation comes as the country’s civil aviation regulator ANAC has announced it will take back the slots held by grounded airline Avianca Brasil in the airport, known as Congonhas, as part of a plan to redistribute them later.

 

By Marcelo Rochabrun and Alberto Alerigi Jr. via Reuters

 

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Mobile Banking Use Rises Exponentially In Brazil

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Mobile banking is becoming increasingly popular in Brazil, with more consumers making use of mobile banking services for the execution of daily financial transactions.

The number of transactions performed by Brazilian citizens on their mobile phones increased significantly in 2018. Compared to 2017, mobile banking use increased by 24 percent in 2018. While mobile banking is mostly used to check banking statements and balances by many people, the number of other transactions such as money transfers went up by a factor of almost 80% in Brazil. This reveals that Brazilian citizens have become more dependent on their mobile phones for the execution of their financial transactions.

 

By Ali Raza via LearnBonds

 

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SDGs in Brazil – 16 July 2019

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The Global Compact Network Brazil is pleased to invite you to the second edition of the SDGs in Brazil – The Role of the Private Sector.

The event aims to introduce investors, business leaders, government authorities and representatives of the UN system to how Brazilian companies are contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The SDGs in Brazil – The Role of the Private Sector will take place alongside the High-Level Forum 2019, a United Nations central platform for follow-up and review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals.

For further information, please contact us at sdgsinbrazil@nineoclock.com.br

For registrations, please access: https://bit.ly/2Rqbnla

 

Meat-loving Brazil joins the search for plant-based alternatives

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SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Beef-crazy Brazil, with its all-you-can-eat steak houses, world-leading meatpackers and more cattle than people, is not the first place you might look for plant-based alternatives to meat.

But companies from JBS SA, the largest beef producer in the world, to BRF SA, the No.1 chicken exporter, are looking to tap a wave of interest from environmentally conscious eaters seeking vegetable substitutes.

 

By Alberto Alerigi via Reuters

 

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Brazil’s Central Bank Keeps Key Rate at Its Record Low

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Brazil held its benchmark interest rate at a record low and signaled it can cut borrowing costs to help a frail economy once a key austerity measure advances further in Congress.

The bank’s board, led by its President Roberto Campos Neto, on Wednesday
kept the Selic unchanged at 6.50% in a decision expected by all but one of the 39 economists in a Bloomberg survey. Officials have held borrowing costs steady for over a year.

 

By Mario Sergio Lima via Bloomberg

 

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Brazil Stocks Close at a Record High

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(Bloomberg) — Brazil’s equity benchmark Ibovespa index closed above the 100,000 mark for the first time on record as dovish signals from the Federal Reserve added support to global asset prices, and potentially signaling increased odds for rate cuts in Brazil.

The index rose 0.9% to 100,303 on Wednesday, pushing gains this year to 14%.

By Vinicius Andrade via Yahoo Finance

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U.S. corn problems boost Brazil ethanol outlook, might affect sugar

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SAO PAULO, June 18 (Reuters) – Brazilian sugar mills are closely watching the 2019 U.S. corn crop for reduced harvests that could boost prices for the cereal, raising ethanol production costs there and opening room for Brazilian ethanol to gain domestic market share.

In that scenario, ethanol demand in Brazil would likely rise further, experts say, leading mills to maintain current production mix that heavily favors ethanol at the expense of sugar.

 

By Marcelo Teixeira via Reuters

 

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Brazil leader signs law allowing foreign carriers to operate domestic flights

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BRASILIA (Reuters) – Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Monday signed a bill into law allowing foreign airlines to operate domestic flights in Latin America’s largest air market, a move that could usher in new competition or lead foreign carriers to buy up the local players.

The bill had started as an executive order issued by former President Michel Temer in the last days of his tenure in late 2018. Brazil’s Congress made the measure permanent last month, but included some changes that required a presidential signature.

By Ricardo Brito via Yahoo News

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Brazil: R3 Develops Blockchain Platform With Major Banks and Stock Exchange

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Blockchain software consortium R3 revealed that it is developing a blockchain platform in Brazilwith banks Bradesco, Itau and B3, Cointelegraph Brazil reported on June 12.

The R3 Consortium — which is composed of large banks and technology companies — announced during the CIAB Febraban event in São Paulo that it is currently collaborating with Brazilian banks.

 

By Adrian Zmudzinski via Cointelegraph

Drones deployed to monitor Brazil forest growth

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[SÃO PAULO] Measuring the height of Brazil’s towering rainforests can be a tall order. But an international team of researchers say they are working together to turn unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), or drones, into efficient, low-cost data collectors that can monitor the progress of forest restoration.

The team developed a drone equipped with three-dimensional laser scanning and hyperspectral imaging systems capable of producing high-resolution maps and collecting hundreds of images at different wavelengths for a given area.

 

By Rodrigo de Oliveira Andrade via SciDev.Net

 

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UPDATE 1-Brazil services activity grows 0.3% in April, first rise this year

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BRASILIA, June 13 (Reuters) – Services activity in Brazil rebounded in April from a sharp fall in the previous month, government statistics agency IBGE said on Thursday, marking the first rise this year, although growth was slower than economists had expected.

Activity also shrank more than forecast on an annual basis, suggesting the economy started the second quarter on a weak note, having contracted in the first quarter for the first time in more than two years.

 

By Jamie McGeever via Reuters

 

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Climate risk zoning made Brazil save R $ 16.8 billion in 2018

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The impacts associated with the Agricultural Zero Risk of Climate (Zarc), created by Embrapa, brought about an economy of about R $ 16.8 billion for Brazilian agribusiness last year. The estimate was calculated for Embrapa’s Social Balance Sheet 2018 and is equivalent, mainly, to losses that the Country no longer suffer from crop losses and the consequent securitizations that would provoke them. According to the Balance Sheet methodology, the work of Embrapa is responsible for 40% of these results, which is equivalent to approximately R $ 6.7 billion.

This is because, based on historical climatic data, the Zarc indicates the dates of planting in which there is less risk of crop frustration caused by adverse environmental conditions, that is, it guides the producer and the financing agent about the times and regions most suitable for planting, generating greater safety.

 

By DATAGRO

 

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Second phase of Brazil’s Mero deep offshore project launched: Total

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PARIS (Reuters) – French energy group Total said it had launched the second phase of development for the Mero project off the coast of Brazil, along with its partners, as the deep offshore oil project moves closer to getting off the ground.

“The decision to launch Mero 2 comes as a new milestone in this large-scale project that will develop the giant oil resources of the Mero field, estimated at 3 to 4 billion barrels,” said Arnaud Breuillac, Total’s head of exploration and production.

 

By Sudip Kar-Gupta and Bate Felix via Reuters

 

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Agricultural storage capacity grows in Brazil, says IBGE

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The capacity of agricultural inventories in Brazil registered growth of 0.3% in the second half of 2018, reaching 169.5 million tons, according to data released on Tuesday (11), by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE).

According to a survey conducted by IBGE, Mato Grosso has the largest storage capacity, with 39.8 million tons. The stock of agricultural products totaled 24.2 million tons, a reduction of 5.0 million tons compared to the 29.2 million tons stored in the second half of 2017.

 

Via DATAGRO

 

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Three more foreign airlines could operate domestic flights in Brazil: minister

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BRASILIA (Reuters) – Three more foreign airlines are in talks with the Brazilian government to start domestic flight operations in the country, Brazil’s infrastructure minister Tarcisio Gomes de Freitas told reporters on Monday.

He declined to name the companies involved. “These companies are publicly traded, there are competition issues, we cannot announce them yet”, he said.

 

By Lisandra Paraguassu via Reuters

 

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Ripple Kicks Off South America Expansion With Brazil Launch

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Blockchain payments company Ripple has launched in Brazil as the first stage of its planned expansion across South America.

For the effort, Ripple has hired veteran fintech entrepreneur and executive Luiz Antonio Sacco as managing director to drive strategy and help develop Ripple’s business in the region, according to a press release issued Tuesday. Sacco’s LinkedIn profile indicates he has been at Ripple since March 2019.

 

By Daniel Palmer via Coindesk

 

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As Coffee Gets Cheaper, Brazil Finds Ways to Grow More for Less

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Rodrigo de Freitas Silva’s coffee farm in the heart of Brazil is flourishing, even during one of the worst price routs in decades.

Over the past dozen years, the 41-year-old has expanded his growing area to 220 hectares (544 acres) from 12.5 hectares, with yields doubling. His whole farm is mechanized, and 90% is irrigated. Most important, even as coffee prices globally trade near the lowest in 13 years, Silva is profitable and expects to increase production with potentially higher yields on more land.

 

By Fabiana Batista via Bloomberg

 

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Petrobras, Brazil government dodge bullet as Supreme Court approves asset sales

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BRASILIA (Reuters) – Brazil’s Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that state-run firms do not need congressional approval to sell their subsidiaries, a major victory for the government of President Jair Bolsonaro and state-run oil firm Petrobras.

Also on Thursday, Supreme Court Justice Edson Fachin, who ruled in May to suspend the $8.6 billion sale of Petrobras’ TAG pipeline unit to France’s Engie SA, reversed his decision in light of the full court’s ruling, allowing Petroleo Brasileiro SA, as the firm is formally known, to go ahead with the divestment.

 

By Ricardo Brito via Reuters

 

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Brazil: EU and Mercosur ‘on the verge of signing’ trade deal

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The EU and the South American trade bloc Mercosur are very close to finalizing their bilateral trade agreement, the presidents of Brazil and Argentina said Thursday.

“We’re on the verge of signing an agreement between Mercosur and the European Union,” Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said during a press conference with his Argentine counterpart Mauricio Macri in Buenos Aires. “We are all going to win with this: Argentina, Brazil and the other countries of this bloc, [Paraguay and Uruguay],” he added.

 

By Hans von der Burchard via Politico

 

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Brazil, China and Japan close partnerships to boost technology in the field

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Brazil will form a working group with China to address issues related to science, technology and innovation in the field. The matter was discussed during a meeting of the Sino-Brazilian High Level Cooperation Commission (Cosban).

The Secretary of Innovation, Rural Development and Irrigation of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply, Fernando Camargo, represented Brazil in the sector subcommittee on agriculture during Cosban. According to him, Brazil and China have complementary characteristics, and have much to cooperate.

 

Via DATAGRO

 

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MEXICO BUYS BRAZIL CORN CARGO AMID TRADE SPAT WITH U.S., SAYS BROKER

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SAO PAULO, June 5 (Reuters) – Mexican importers, who usually buy their corn from the United States, have booked a 35,000-tonne corn cargo from Brazil, amid a trade spat between Washington and Mexico City.

Brazilian broker and consultancy INTL FCStone said on Wednesday the cargo would be loaded at the northern port of Santarém and scheduled to depart on June 22, according to port line-up data.

 

By Roberto Samora via Successful Farming

 

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Brazil retailer Via Varejo launches digital bank targeting low-income clients

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SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Brazilian electronics and appliance retailer Via Varejo launched a digital bank targeting low-income clients in partnership with Boston-based startup Airfox, according to a filing on Wednesday.

The move will take Via Varejo beyond its current role in Brazil as a brick-and-mortar and online seller of goods, challenging its competitors in Latin America’s largest economy, where App-based wallets are an increasing trend among fintechs and traditional banks.

 

By Gabriela Mello via WSAU

 

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Brazil telecom Oi adds mobile customers as it expands 4.5G coverage

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SAO PAULO: Brazilian telecom Oi SA added more post-paid mobile clients in May than in April, commercial director Bernardo Winik said on Tuesday, as the company expanded its 4.5G coverage in Latin America’s largest economy.

“April was better than the first quarter and May was better than April,” he said at a press conference in Sao Paulo, adding that investments in 4.5G coverage prepare the network for the future generation 5G.

By Gabriela Mello via CNA

 

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Brazil to let mills sell ethanol directly to gas stations

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BRASILIA/SAO PAULO (Reuters) – The Brazilian government on Tuesday paved the way for ethanol makers to sell the fuel directly to gas stations, by passing a resolution to boost fuel industry competition, although additional legislation is required to bypass fuel distributors.

The resolution by CNPE, the energy policy council, includes the option for direct sales by mills. Brazil’s Economy Ministry would have to issue tax-related regulation within 180 days for the change to take effect.

 

By Marcela Ayres and Marcelo Teixeira

 

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Here’s Alibaba’s Mission as it Enters Brazil Cloud Market

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Alibaba (BABA) is launching its cloud computing service in Brazil, according to a report from Xinhua news agency. In Brazil, Alibaba is targeting Chinese companies operating in the country. Alibaba has identified a local partner known as UOL Diveo that will resell its cloud services in Brazil.

According to a report released by IDC in February this year, Brazil is the fastest-growing cloud market in South America. With that in mind, Alibaba is entering a market with huge growth potential for its cloud business.

 

By Naomi Gray via Market Realist

 

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Brazil’s Top Trade Is to Bet on Lower Rates, Rio Hedge Fund Says

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Betting on Brazil’s central bank to further slash the benchmark interest rate is the best way to make money in the nation’s assets right now, according to hedge fund Truxt Investimentos.

“With inflation under control and slow growth, our preferred trade right now is to receive rates in Brazil,” said Mariana Guarino, a portfolio manager at Truxt, which has 10.6 billion reais ($2.7 billion) in assets under management. “Once pension reform is approved, the tail risk of a quick fiscal deterioration will be removed, so Brazil’s central bank will have room to cut rates.”

 

By Vinicius Andrade via Bloomberg

 

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Santander to hire 400 technology staff in Brazil

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Financial services giant Santander has announced plans to hire 400 technology staff into its Brazilian business.

The plan is part of a $2 billion investment plan to drive digital transformation across the Spanish bank’s operations globally. Brazil represents 30 percent of that budget, according to the company.

 

By Angelica Mari via ZD Net

 

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Brazil Establishes Committee for Cryptocurrency Regulation

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The President of the Chamber of Deputies of Brazil has ordered to establish a commission to consider cryptocurrency regulation in the country, Cointelegraph Brasil reported on May 31.

The Chamber of Deputies of Brazil is a federal legislative body and the lower house of the National Congress of Brazil, and consists of representatives of the states elected every four years. The Chamber discusses and approves proposals for economic and social areas such as education, health, transport, and housing.

 

By Ana Alexandre via Cointelegraph

 

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Brazil Minerals, Inc. Announces Its First Iron Project and Technology Partnership Development

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PASADENA, Calif., May 31, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — via OTC PR WIRE — Brazil Minerals, Inc. (BMIX) (the “Company” or “Brazil Minerals”) announced today that it has obtained the rights to an iron project area with 4,120 acres in the “Quadrilátero Ferrífero” (Iron Quadrangle), one of the premier iron regions in the world with multiple operating mines. Iron ore is in high demand with strong sales of Brazilian iron ore for export (mainly to China) or for use by local steelmakers. Recently, the price of iron delivered at a foreign port spiked to US$109 per ton, the highest since 2013.

 

By GlobeNewswire via Yahoo Finance

 

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Brazil State Signs MOU For Smart Tailings Dam Monitoring

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The Brazilian state of Minas Gerais – the site of two recent disastrous tailings dams disasters – has inked a Memorandum of Understanding with technology firm Inmarsat providing to provide smart monitoring for the dams.

Inmarsat and the Brazilian state will explore several options to “achieve improved awareness and transparency of the tailings dams in the region,” which may lead to Inmarsat providing Internet of Things technology to the local government for dam monitoring.

 

By Jax Jacobsen via Forbes

 

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Government wants to increase Brazil’s share of world agricultural trade from 7% to 10% in two years

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Brazilian Foreign Minister Ernesto Araújo said on Wednesday (29), in an audience in the House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture, that the government’s objective is to increase Brazilian agricultural participation in world trade from 7% to 10% in two years, informs the “Chamber Agency”.

In the assessment of the chancellor, the trade war between China and the United States can bring opportunities for Brazilian agribusiness. In his presentation, the minister pointed out that there is an effort by Itamaraty to counter what he called “misinformation” published by the international press about the environmental sustainability of Brazilian agribusiness.

 

By DATAGRO

 

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Ripple-Powered Cross-Border Remittance Platform Launches in Brazil

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Brazil-based exchange broker Frente Corretora de Câmbio (The Front Exchange) has launched its fintech collaboration with San Francisco-based startup Ripple. The new blockchain platform, Simple, is designed to allow people in Brazil to send money abroad without the high fees and the slow transaction times that are common among traditional payment rails.

The team behind Simple aims to deliver a robust cross-border remittance solution for everyday Brazilians, such as families  with students abroad who are studying and need to receive money to cover basic living expenses.

 

By The Daily Hodl

 

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Northern Brazil power line to avoid impact on tribe: document

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SAO PAULO (Reuters) – The builders of a new power transmission line to the northern Brazilian state of Roraima have pledged to deploy 200 inspectors to reduce the environmental impact on an indigenous reservation where they will erect 250 pylons, according to an environmental assessment document seen by Reuters.

It said they also had committed to keeping secret any geological information on the discovery of mineral resources to avoid drawing illegal mining interests that have long set their sights on the land of the Waimiri Atroari tribe.

 

By Luciano Costa via Reuters

 

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Ministry studies implantation of agricultural innovation pole in Rio

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Luiz Cláudio de França, director of the Department of Innovation Support for Agriculture of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (MPLS), met last Friday (24), during the 8th Green Rio Conference in Rio de Janeiro, with representatives of the State Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food Supply (Seappa-RJ), the Agricultural Research Company of Rio de Janeiro (Pesagro-Rio), and Embrapa Solos, to discuss the implantation of an agricultural innovation pole in Rio de Janeiro.

The idea is to join public agencies related to agriculture, science and technology, universities and private initiative in search of regional agribusiness development and also the dissemination of knowledge to benefit agriculture in other regions of the country.

 

By DATAGRO

 

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Norway’s BW Offshore to float Energy to fund Brazil growth

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OSLO (Reuters) – Oslo-listed BW Offshore said it will float BW Energy this year to help expand the oil and gas business, particularly in Brazil, as its first quarter earnings rose 72%.

Shares in BW Offshore, originally an owner of floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessels operated on behalf of oil companies, were 17.6% higher at 60.6 Norwegian crowns by 0901 GMT on Thursday.

 

By Terje Solsvik and Victoria Klesty via Reuters

 

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Fiat Chrysler to invest $4B to regain lost share in Brazil

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Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is bringing new models to Brazil and expanding production at two local factories as part of a 16 billion reais ($4 billion) plan to regain lost market share in Latin America’s biggest economy, CEO Mike Manley said.

FCA increased its investment plan for Latin America by 2 billion reais through 2024, though it extended the time frame of outlays first announced in June by a year.

 

By Gabrielle Coppola, Vinicius Andrade and Leonardo Lara via Automotive News Europe

 

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Brazil lower house votes to allow foreign airlines in domestic market

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BRASILIA (Reuters) – Brazil’s lower house of Congress voted on Tuesday to allow foreign-controlled airlines to operate domestic flights in Latin America’s largest economy, opening the door to more competition in an increasingly concentrated market.

The chamber approved the original text of a decree issued by former President Michel Temer in December that removed the 20% limit on foreign ownership of Brazilian airlines.

 

By Maria Carolina Marcello and Anthony Boadle

 

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The Mysterious Ancient Underwater Roman Relics of Brazil

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In the southeast region of the country of Brazil lies Guanabara Bay, off the coast of the major metropolis of Rio de Janeiro. It is the second largest bay in Brazil, but other than that there is nothing particularly special about it other than perhaps the large amount of pollution here. However, lying approximately 15 miles offshore, buried down in 100 feet of water across an area around the size of three tennis courts is a rather strange oddity. Here scattered along the bottom are various relics from ancient Rome, far from where they have any business being, and which have remained a baffling historical anomaly and conundrum that remains unsolved.

 

By Brent Swancer via Mysterious Universe

 

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Venture Funding In Brazil Soars To $1.3B In 2018

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As South America’s largest country, Brazil has the potential to be an economic powerhouse. But over time, political turmoil, largely as a result of corruption, has marred the economic landscape.

Still, despite the political upheaval in recent years, the country’s startup scene has seen some serious acceleration, reflecting a general trend we’re seeing in Latin America as a whole.

 

By Mary Ann Azevedo via CrunchBase News

 

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Can Backseat Snacks Help Uber Take Brazil?

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If it’s going to conquer the world one foreign market at a time, Uber has considerable work to do in Latin America. Populous cities with iffy public transit portend big business, but the competition there is fierce and well-funded, with local taxi operators plus Chinese giant DiDi and its subsidiary 99, and the Daimler-backed scrappy Greek upstart Beat. Now the newly public company could get a boost in its driver rosters in Brazil, thanks to a partnership between backseat mini-convenience store Cargo and the local ampm operator Ipiranga.

 

By Julia Walmsley via Forbes

 

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Spain’s Globalia to launch new air carrier in Brazil: cabinet minister

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SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Spanish tourism and transportation company Grupo Globalia will launch a new air carrier in Brazil, Brazilian Infrastructure Minister Tarcísio Gomes de Freitas said in a message posted on Twitter on Saturday.

Globalia owns the Air Europa carrier and companies in the tourism sector, including hotel operators and travel services such as Travelplan and Groundforce.

 

By Marcelo Teixeira and Roberto Samora via Reuters

 

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Ministry of Agriculture launches program Bioeconomia Brasil

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Minister Tereza Cristina (Agriculture, Livestock and Supply) launches this week the program Bioeconomia Brasil – Sociobiodiversidade. The objective of the program is to promote the structuring of productive systems based on the sustainable use of products of biodiversity and extractivism.

The launch will take place during the first day of programming at Green Rio 2019, a business fair for organic and sustainable entrepreneurs. The eighth edition of the event will be held from next Thursday (23) until Saturday (25) at Marina da Glória, Rio de Janeiro.

 

Via DATAGRO

 

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Cryptocurrency regulation gets the go-ahead in Brazil

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Brazil’s move towards cryptocurrency regulation took a step closer this month as the government in Brasilia agreed and published ‘instruction 1888’.

The instruction passes new rules that come into force on August 1, meaning that individuals, legal entities and brokerage firms that carry out operations with crypto will have to inform the treasury of every detail of their transactions.

By Gabriel Quintanilha via Yahoo Finance

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The 2019 Person of the Year Gala Dinner Will Take Place as Scheduled – May 14th, 2019 at 6:30 P.M.

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 49th Person of the Year Awards Gala Dinner
 Tuesday, May 14, 2019
 New York Marriott Marquis
 Opening Reception: 6:30pm / Gala Dinner: 8:00pm
 New York City
Dear Sponsors and Guests,
The Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce hereby ratifies that the 2019 Person of the Year Gala will take place as scheduled, on May 14th at the Marriott Marquis in New York.
The Chamber will be celebrating its 50th year of promoting trade, investment and cultural ties between Brazil and the United States. During the Gala, the Chamber will award Instituto Brasil Solidário for their contributions to Social Responsibility and Neoway for their leadership in Digital Innovation.
Cordially,
Awards Committee
Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce, Inc.

Mobile accounts for nearly half of all banking transactions in Brazil

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Brazilians have embraced mobile banking as their preferred means to handle their banking affairs as the channel accounted for nearly half of all transactions carried out last year, according to a new report.

The latest research on banking technology trends carried out by Deloitte on behalf of the Brazilian Banking Federation (FEBRABAN) also shows that the number of transactions overall, so any interaction involving a financial element or not, has seen an increase of 24 percent in 2018 in relation to the prior year.

 

By Angelica Mari via ZD Net

 

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Brazil’s 1st waste-generated energy plant will be in Paraná

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The state of Paraná will have the first energy plant in Brazil generated from “waste” – that is, a combination of organic waste and sewage sludge. The plant will use biodigestion technology: from this input, it will produce biogas which, in its turn, will be converted into electric power.

The project aims to reuse 1,000 cubic meters of sewage sludge and 300 tons of organic waste daily – a volume which would be disposed into the environment. It’s also planned to convert organic waste into biofertilizers and recycle waste plastic to produce bags.

 

Via Bluevision Braskem

 

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Agro wins digital platform for data storage of agricultural machinery

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In partnership with seven agricultural machinery manufacturers, the Brazilian Association of Machinery and Equipment Industry (Abimaq) presented the latest Agrishow the Farmer Collaborative Database (BDCA).

According to the partners, this is a digital platform that aims to store – in an independent environment – data collected from machines, implements, sensors, among other devices and equipment, used in the field, for later consultation.

 

Via DATAGRO

 

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Mark Mobius Bets on Brazil

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The veteran emerging-market investor Mark Mobius said he plans to add to his Brazil holdings, lauding the first few months of President Jair Bolsonaro’s administration even as other investors have shown skepticism.

Mobius, who left Franklin Templeton Investments in 2018 to set up Mobius Capital Partners, said the president’s performance has been “terrific” as he works to push through a pension overhaul that analysts see as key to revitalizing Brazil’s economy. He expects the bill to pass this year and predicted more money will flow into Brazil as the agenda takes hold.

By Vinicius Andrade via Bloomberg

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Brazil healthcare firm Hapvida looking for more acquisitions: CEO

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SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Brazilian healthcare provider Hapvida Participacoes e Investimentos SA will look for more acquisitions in the near future after agreeing to acquire rival group Sao Francisco Saude for 5 billion reais ($1.26 billion), Chief Executive Officer Jorge Pinheiro told reporters on Tuesday.

The deal will enable Hapvida to expand to Brazil’s southeastern, southern and center-west regions, from its current focus only on the north and northeastern regions.

 

By Carolina Mandl via Reuters

 

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Brazil expects to collect at least $47 billion in signing bonuses from oil auctions

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HOUSTON (Reuters) – Brazil expects to collect at least $47 billion in signing bonuses this year from three upcoming offshore oil auctions set for October and November, an official said on Monday.

An Oct. 27 sale of production rights in Brazil’s so-called transfer-of-rights area – one of the world’s most promising offshore oil areas off the coast of southeastern Brazil – could draw $27 billion (106 billion reais) in signing bonuses, said Marcio Felix, executive secretary for oil, gas and biofuel at Brazil’s Ministry of Mines and Energy, at a Houston energy conference.

 

By Collin Eaton via Reuters

 

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BNDES President highlights importance of RenovaBio

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The president of the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES), Joaquim Levy, said on Monday (06) that Brazil has enormous opportunities for the application of technologies in mobility that allow for lower carbon emissions and increasing use of energy efficiency, reports Agência Brasil. For him, public policies that stimulate the development and application of these technologies, as well as the production of low-carbon fuels, are fundamental for growth and have a high benefit for society.

“The future of mobility goes through different paths such as the use of public or individual transport, zoning determining routes for greater or lesser distance, as well as the choice of different modalities for the transportation of cargo,” Levy said at the opening of the seminar Future of Mobility – More Energy Efficiency and Less Environmental Impact, promoted by the BNDES, at the institution’s headquarters, in downtown Rio.

 

Via D