After two years of dredging works using a federal investment of R$ 500 million, (some 80 million dollars) the Port of Rio Grande – the main port in the southernmost Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul – will be able to receive vessels of up to 366 meters in length. This is because the port’s new draft, (15 meters) was officially approved on October 26th.

Thanks to the removal of more than 16 million cubic meters of sediment, the operational draft of the so-called internal channel, where the most important port terminals and the largest flow of cargo are located, went from 12.8 to 15 meters. The depth, which was 14.2, is now 16.5 meters. The handling capacity now meets international navigation standards, and the port is able to receive vessels of up to 366 meters in length- a difference of 29 meters in relation to the previous capacity of 337 meters in length.

 

Via Merco Press

 

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RÍO DE JANEIRO, Oct 28 2020 (IPS) – “Showing solidarity is consuming the energy generated in your own municipality” – this is the motto of a project of distributed electricity generation in one of Brazil’s many poor neighbourhoods.

“Sertão (the word for the country’s semiarid hinterland) with solidarity” is how the director of the Brazilian Association of Distributed Generation (ABGD) in the southeastern state of Minas Gerais, Walter Abreu, named the project. The organisation promotes solar energy in the north of that state, where 1.5 million of the state’s 2.7 million people live in poverty and half of these in extreme poverty.

 

By Mario Osava via Inter Press Service

 

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The Brazilian government has announced a partnership with Microsoft to train millions of citizens in technology subjects over the next three years.

Under the Mais Brasil (More Brazil) program, a remote education platform developed in partnership with the Ministry of Economy offers 20 courses through the Microsoft Community Training tool, with the capacity to train up to 5.5 million job seekers by 2023.

 

By Angelica Mari via ZD Net

 

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October 26 (Renewables Now) – Brazil’s National Development Bank (BNDES) said on Friday it will support the construction of 505 MW of solar projects through loans of over BRL 1.1 billion (USD 195.7m/EUR 165m).

Some BRL 910 million of the total will be used for the 415-MW Sol do Sertao Solar Complex in Oliveira de Brejinhos, Bahia state. Brazil’s Essentia Energia is the project developer.

 

By Lucas Morais via Renewables Now

 

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Santos — The Brazilian anhydrous ethanol market hit its highest traded value on Oct. 21 amid a scenario of fuel consumption increase, lower ethanol production and a lack of imports from the US.

S&P Global Platts assessed anhydrous ethanol ex-mill Ribeirao Preto on Oct. 21 at Real 2,530/cu m ($451.07/cu m), up 13.71% on the month and 17.95% on the year. The assessment was the highest since Platts started to assess this market in April 2014.

 

By Nicolle Monteiro de Castro via S&P Global Platts

 

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During the last visit of a delegation from the Donald Trump administration to Brasília, Minister Paulo Guedes (Economy) and the president of Exim Bank (Bank of Exports and Imports of the USA), Kimberly Reed, signed a memorandum to identify financing possibilities for exports from that country to Brazil that may add up to US $ 1 billion.

The document signed at the Itamaraty ceremony establishes commitments between Brazil and the USA to advance cooperation on trading goods and services, especially in telecommunications and 5G, energy, infrastructure, logistics, mining, and manufacturing.

 

By Ricardo Della Coletta, Thiago Resende and Gustavo Uribe via Folha de S. Paulo

 

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São Paulo – Brazil’s minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Marcos Pontes, said on Tuesday (20) that investing in technology development in Brazil, in partnership with other countries, is a way of overcoming global challenges. Pontes discussed projects under development during his participation in the Economic Forum Brazil & Arab Countries, hosted by the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the Arab League and the Union of Arab Chambers.

“The pandemic demands solutions that are also opportunities for small-sized companies that are able to present them. In these lines, Brazil is still struggling in educating technology professionals. The technology will be increasingly important in the composition of the country’s GDP, as it is in agriculture, healthcare, education, and several other sectors,” he said.

 

By Marcos Carrieri via Brazil-Arab News Agency

 

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The new coronavirus pandemic has prompted an increase in contactless payments in Brazil, though the method has yet to take off, according to a new study released by Visa.

According to the research, contactless payments made through cards, smartwatches and other mobile devices accounted for about 3% of all payments processed by the company between January and June 2020, compared to 1% in the same period last year.

 

By Angelica Mari via ZD Net

 

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São Paulo – Brazil will play an even more important role in Arab food security. That was one projection for the Arab-Brazilian relations expressed by Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) president Rubens Hannun during the opening ceremony of the Economic Forum Brazil & Arab Countries on Monday (19). The ceremony featured Brazil’s president Jair Bolsonaro and Arab League secretary-general Ahmed Aboul Gheit.

The event is themed “The Future is Now.” Hannun said that the Arab countries are becoming a global standard in technology, environmental preservation, and sustainable production. “Brazil, in turn, will play an even more prominent role in the Arab food security. Therefore, there is plenty of potential to create and expand alliances,” Hannun said.

 

By Isaura Daniel via Brazil-Arab News Agency

 

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BlackRock is planning to cross-list “up to 100” of its overseas exchange traded funds in Brazil to take advantage of a boom in investment sparked by plunging interest rates and market liberalisation.

The world’s largest asset manager said it hoped the ETFs would be available by the end of March next year, which would mark a huge expansion on its existing range of five São Paulo-listed ETFs.

 

By Steve Johnson via Financial Times

 

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SAO PAULO (Reuters) – The United States boosted its financial cooperation with Brazil on Monday to help the South American nation’s economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic with a loan to its largest private bank.

The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) has extended a $400 million loan to Itau Unibanco Holding SA ITUB4.SA which should be used to finance small companies in Brazil, DFC said in a statement on Monday.

By Leonardo Benassatto and Carolina Mandl via Reuters

The world’s largest grains and oilseeds companies, American giants Bunge and Cargill, have joined together to create the joint venture Covantis, which will use blockchain technology in the agricultural sector in Brazil.

The unprecedented project foresees the exchange of information between all members of Covantis, which also includes the participation of other agribusiness giants such as the French Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC), the Chinese state-owned company Cofco International and the Dutch multinational Glencore Agriculture.

 

By Cassio Gusson via Cointelegraph

 

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RIO DE JANEIRO, Oct 15 (Reuters) – The Brazilian government is set to discuss on Friday a proposal that would temporarily eliminate tariffs on corn and soy imports from countries outside the Mercosur trade block, a source with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters.

The matter will be decided during a meeting of Gecex, a technical body within the Economy Ministry, said the source, who requested anonymity to discuss confidential matters.

 

By Rodrigo Viga Gaier via Successful Farming

 

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Brazil’s largest research facility focused on artificial intelligence (AI) has been launched yesterday (14) through a collaboration between the private and public sector.

Announced in February 2019, the Artificial Intelligence Center (C4AI) is the result of investments made by IBM, the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) and the University of São Paulo (USP).

 

By Angelica Mari via ZD Net

 

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October 15 (Renewables Now) – Brazilian power sector watchdog Aneel has given the green light to the start of commercial operations of 95.68 MW of solar plants owned by local units of Italian firm Enel Green Power SpA.

Aneel’s approval allows the company to generate 50 MW from the UFV Sao Goncalo 5 park and 45.68 MW from UFV Sao Goncalo 6.

By Lucas Morais via Renewables Now

 

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Take a dozen banana peels, wash them gently with a brush under running water, then chop them into small pieces. Next, blend the peels with five spoons of cacao and a cup of ice water. Once the lumps have been removed, place the mixture in a hot, buttered pan and stir it for five minutes. Let it cool down to thicken, and then roll the resulting dough into small spheres. Lastly, dip the balls into sesame or peanut powder, and you’ll have a brigadeiro, an iconic Brazilian dessert.

But this is not the standard version of the sweet: It’s a unique variant created by Regina Tchelly, a 39-year-old Brazilian chef and resident of Rio de Janeiro’s Babilônia slum.

By Agostino Pestroni via EcoWatch

São Paulo – Coffee exports from Brazil hit an all-time high in September at 3.8 million bags shipped. The number includes green, soluble, and roast and ground coffee. Shipped volume was 8.6% higher than in September 2019, and the biggest amount ever shipped in a September.

September exports fetched USD 458 million, up 3.6%. Revenue in local currency was BRL 2.5 billion, up 35.7% due to a US dollar hike. Price per bag averaged at USD 120.7. The numbers are from the Brazilian Coffee Exporters Council (Cecafé).

 

Via Brazil-Arab News Agency

 

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Empresa Metropolitana de Águas e Energia (EMAE), the energy supplier for the Brazilian state of São Paulo, has launched a tender for the deployment of four utility-scale floating PV projects.

The arrays will be built at the largest water reservoir in the state, which hosts an 880 MW hydroelectric power plant. The power station supplies electricity to about 1.8 million people, and is also used for fishing and swimming.

 

By Emiliano Bellini via PV Magazine

 

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(Florianopolis/Oslo, 07.10.2020) Statkraft is ready to start construction of its Ventos de Santa Eugenia wind project in northeastern Brazil, after closing a turbine supply contract with German wind turbine manufacturer Nordex. Statkraft’s largest wind project in South America will more than double its renewable energy capacity in Brazil.

The 519 MW wind project entails 10 wind farms with a total of 91 turbines in the state of Bahia, located close to Statkraft’s existing Bahia wind power assets. Given the excellent wind conditions in the area, the project will generate almost 2.3 TWh of renewable energy per year, enough to supply 1.17 million Brazilian homes.

 

Via GlobeNewsWire

 

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Brasilia [10/10/2020]

Mayor of Salvador, ACM Neto (DEM), has the best approval rate among the mayors of 12 capitals surveyed by IBOPE.

This week, IBOPE conducted a round of electoral polls in Brazilian capitals in which it also measured the approval of the current mayors. Of the 12 capitals surveyed, only three disapprove of their mayors: Porto Alegre, Recife, and Rio de Janeiro. In São Paulo, the approval and disapproval rates register a technical tie. In the other eight capitals, the current mayors boast approvals that reach 85%, as is the case in Salvador.

Mayor Antonio Carlos Magalhães (ACM) Neto (DEM), who has governed the capital of Bahia for eight years, achieved the best performance appraisal among the 12 capitals surveyed by IBOPE. He received an 85% approval rating and only a 12% disapproval rating. For 73% of voters, the Democrat’s management can be considered good or great. Only 6% of voters consider the management to be bad or terrible.

Another who also boasts good approval ratings is the mayor of Belo Horizonte, Alexandre Kalil (PSD). He seeks re-election and boasts 76% approval in the capital of Minas Gerais, with 65% of voters considering his management as good or excellent. Kalil has only 22% disapproval among voters; 13% of them consider the management to be bad or very bad.

The mayor of Florianópolis, Gean Loureiro (DEM), who is seeking re-election, also has good rates among voters. He has the approval of 72% of voters, against 22% of disapproval. Management is considered good or excellent by 58% of voters heard by IBOPE. Another 9% consider the management to be bad or very bad and 32% consider it to be regular.

The mayor of Goiânia, Iris Rezende (MDB), also has an approval rate higher than 60%. In the capital of Goiás, 69% of voters approve the management of the PMDB party member, against 26% who disapprove it. More than half of respondents (53%) rated management as good or excellent. Another 12% consider the Rezende government to be bad or very bad.

In Curitiba, Rafael Greca (DEM), who is seeking re-election, has 68% of voter approval and a disapproval rating of 29%. More than half of Curitibanos (54%) consider the mayor’s management to be good or excellent. Another 29% consider it regular and 16%, bad or very bad.

In Natal, the approval rating of Mayor Álvaro Dias (PSDB), also a candidate for re-election, is 63%. Another 31% of voters disapprove of the PSDBista’s management. There is a technical tie between voters who classify management as good or excellent and those who classify it as regular: 42% in both cases. Another 14% consider management to be bad or very bad.

The mayors of João Pessoa, Luciano Cartaxo (PV), and Palmas, Cinthia Ribeiro (PSDB), have approval ratings above 50% – 56% and 53% respectively. “

Copyright © 2020, Gazeta do Povo. All rights reserved.

 

By Kelli Kadanus via Gazeta do Povo

 

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São Paulo – Poultry exports from Brazil were up 1.3% in shipped volume year-to-date through September from a year ago, the Brazilian Animal Protein Association (ABPA) reported. Sales to Arab countries such as Jordan and Libya increased.

Year-to-date through September, 3.17 million tonnes of poultry products got exported from Brazil. Export revenue was down 12.1% to USD 4.6 billion. In September, shipped volume was down 2.3% to 345,000 tonnes, while revenue was down 18.4% to USD 479 million.

 

Via Brazil-Arab News Agency

 

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RIO DE JANEIRO/SAO PAULO (Reuters) – A consortium of Brazil’s 3R Petroleum and Norway-linked DBO Energy is in bilateral talks with Brazil’s Petrobras to purchase a cluster of offshore natural gas fields, according to two sources with direct knowledge of the matter.

The Peroa cluster, located off the coast of Espirito Santo state, would be among the first all-gas offshore fields sold by Petrobras amid a larger push to break the company’s near-monopoly in Brazil’s natural gas value chain.

 

By Gram Slattery and Carolina Mandl via Reuters

 

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São Paulo – Beef exports from Brazil were up 2% in terms of shipped volume year-on-year in September, the Brazilian Meat Packers Association (Abrafrigo) reported this Wednesday (6) quoting federal government numbers. The month saw 166,300 tons of raw and processed beef shipped. Export revenues decreased by 2% to USD 668.7 million.

Year-to-date through September, beef exports climbed 10% to 1.4 million tons, while revenue went up 20% to USD 6.1 billion.

 

Via Brazil-Arab News Agency

 

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Brazil’s capacity and readiness to adopt and explore digital technologies for economic and social transformation has seen some improvements, according to a study published this week by Swiss business school International Institute for Management Development (IMD). The country climbed six positions in this year’s World Digital Competitiveness Ranking (WDCR) in relation to 2019, ranking 51st in a list of 63 countries.

The IMD ranking scrutinizes the digital competitiveness of nations based on the intangible infrastructure necessary for the learning and discovery aspects of technology, as well as the level of preparedness of an economy to carry out its digital transformation. In addition, it quantifies the landscape of developing digital technologies.

 

By Angelica Mari via ZD Net

 

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WASHINGTON: Brazil’s economy is set to shrink by 5.8 per cent in 2020, the International Monetary Fund said on Monday (Oct 5), revising up an earlier forecast but warning the country faced “excpetionally high” risks.

“The economy is projected to shrink by 5.8 per cent in 2020, followed by a partial recovery to 2.8 per cent in 2021,” the IMF said in its annual report on Latin America’s largest economy.

 

Via CNA

 

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Brazilian ride-hailing service 99, controlled by China’s Didi Chuxing Technology Co Ltd, has partnered with WhatsApp to accept orders on the chat platform owned by Facebook in a move that would allow users to summon cars without using another app.

The partnership is the first of its kind in the world for Didi, China’s biggest ride-hailing company, the companies said, and could give 99 an advantage in competing with US-based Uber Technologies Inc, the market leader in Brazil.

 

Via Merco Press

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The wind power, the second source of electric power in Brazil, behind the hydroelectric, represents 19,000 jobs in Brazil, as compared to 34,000 in 2018. Even with the fall, Brazil remains among the 10 most used in the world. this segment, behind China, Germany, United States, India, United Kingdom, Denmark, Mexico, Spain and the Philippines. The report states that, before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the wind sector was expected to expand due to planned installations.

Around 80% of this market is located in the northeast, which has the best wind conditions. The report indicates that local containment requirements and subsidized services for project developers have strengthened the national supply chain for wind turbines. It is also of high impact in the production of towers and the most moderate effect in the manufacture of wind turbines. The national content in the Brazilian wind sector is currently estimated at 80%.

Via Reve

 

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Brasília – Imports slowed down faster than exports in September in Brazil, yielding a record-high trade surplus. Exports exceeded imports by USD 6.164 billion, the strongest result for the month since record-keeping began in 1989.

Both exports and imports decreased during the month. Average daily exports from Brazil were down 9.1% year-over-year to USD 18.459 billion. Average daily imports slid by 25.5% to USD 12,296 billion.

 

Via Brazil-Arab News Agency

 

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Following lots of legislative uncertainty, Brazil has now formally enacted the country’s first general data protection law, Lei Geral de Proteção de Dados, or “LGPD.” While administrative sanctions do not go into effect until August 1, 2021, individuals and public prosecutors can now bring claims for losses and damages. Indeed, at least one public civil action has already been filed. LGPD is the first comprehensive general data protection law in Latin America. It was modeled after the EU’s GDPR. While there are many similarities, LGPD does introduce new concepts. Below are some of the key elements to keep in mind.

 

By Julia K. Kadish and Liisa Thomas via Mondaq

 

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SAO PAULO (Reuters) – The government of Brazil’s Sao Paulo state signed a $90 million contract on Wednesday to receive 46 million doses of a potential vaccine from China’s Sinovac Biotech Ltd.

Sao Paulo, Brazil’s most populous state, is one of the sites of Phase III clinical trials for the Sinovac vaccine conducted by the state’s Butantan Institute, a leading biomedical research center.

 

By Eduardo Simões via Swissinfo.ch

 

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