Amazon’s mission is to be Earth’s most customer-centric company. They are guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking.

The customer is at the heart of everything they do. Amazon is a place where smart, passionate people obsess over customers and innovate on their behalf.

Although their business has evolved over the years, one constant is customers’ desire for lower prices, better selection, and convenient services. Today, Amazon shoppers can find what they’re looking for online and in person. From delivering fresh produce to their doorstep, to creating and distributing movies, music, and more, they are always finding new ways to delight their customers. They operate a lot like a set of startups, embracing invention and creating stores, devices, and services that their customers will use, share, and love.

Learn more here.

December 22 (Renewables Now) – China Energy Engineering Corp (HKG:3996), also know as CEEC, announced on Monday that one of its units has secured two contracts to build 869 MW of renewable power plants in Brazil.

The deal concerns a 231-MW wind farm and a 638-MW solar photovoltaic (PV) park, both to be built in Rio Grande do Norte state. The two engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contracts were secured by China Gezhouba Group International Engineering Co Ltd.

 

By Lucas Morais via Renewables Now

 

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For quite some time, Brazil has garnered the right ingredients for a robust natural gas market: a large population underpinning rising energy demand, sizable reserves and a market hungry for diversification of energy sources. However, the gas market remains small compared to its vast resource base and demand potential. It is also highly concentrated.

 

By Liliana Diaz via Mondaq

 

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The Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES) has announced the winner of the tender for the modeling the process relating to the privatization of two of the country’s largest state-owned technology companies.

The Social Security Technology and Information Company (Dataprev) and the Federal Data Processing Service (Serpro), – companies accountable for the development, maintenance, and operations of thousands of government systems as well as major data-related government strategy and projects – will be sold in 2021.

 

By Angelica Mari via ZD Net

 

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Brazilians traveling abroad will have to present a negative Covid-19 test to the airline when embarking back to the country.

The test must be taken within 72 hours prior to departure. Foreigners traveling to Brazil are subject to the same rule, which becomes effective as of December 30 this year and can disrupt the trip of those who have planned holidays abroad.

 

By Fernanda Mena via Folha de S. Paulo

 

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Brazil is a strategic player in the global market and the most influential country in Latin America. The country is said to have the largest online population in Latin America, with 150mn Brazilians connected and 68% owning a smartphone. It is also the largest FinTech hub in Latin America, which is driven by strong growth in the digital banking segments.

According to Global Index database, there are about 48mn unbanked Brazilians. This part of the population moves nearly 204bn USD of the country’s economy per year. The articles list 5 FinTechs disrupting the financial space in Brazil.

 

By Pavithra R via IBS Intelligence

 

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São Paulo – Beef exports from Brazil are set to end the year of 2020 at a new record high in volume and revenue, the Brazilian Beef Exporters Association (ABIEC) forecasts.

The organization forecasts that the volumes shipped from January to December will reach 2.02 million tonnes, up 8.8% from a year ago. Revenues should reach USD8.53 billion by the end of the year, up 11.8% year on year.

 

By Bruna Garcia Fonseca via Brazil-Arab News Agency

 

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McClennan Masson helps large organizations innovate like digital startups. As an end-to-end digital product firm, they unlock viability, define and build best-in-class digital products and services that provide better experiences for consumers, customers, and employees.

Their digital innovation and development firm three components: Consultancy, Venture & Original Products. Each feeds and informs the other in a powerful virtuous circle of network, experience, funding, brand, craft, and talent.

Learn more here.

Globally, affluent professionals are adopting a work-from-home lifestyle and affecting a mini-coronavirus exodus from dense urban centers. Brazil has the second-highest number of COVID-19 fatalities after the U.S., while the luxury real estate market is experiencing an unexpected boom.

In Rio de Janeiro’s exclusive neighborhood of Joa, real estate buyers are clamoring for the spectacular views overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

 

By Lucreia Franco via CGTN

 

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Fitch Ratings-Sao Paulo-17 December 2020: Fitch Ratings’ sector outlook for asset managers in Brazil is stable, as is the Rating Outlook. The agency highlights the return to growth amid shifting investor needs and uncertainties after the crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The inflows have been propelled by the decline in benchmark interest rates to a historical low of 2.0%, driving strong demand for more sophisticated investment strategies, such as equity and multimarket. Fitch expects these dynamics to remain in place during 2021, despite ongoing concerns related to the government’s fiscal condition and the global pandemic.

 

By Pedro Gomes via Fitch Ratings

 

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(CNN)Brazil’s Ministry of Health on Wednesday announced its national vaccination rollout plan to counter Covid-19, set to start early next year.

During a ceremony at the Planalto Palace in Brasilia, with President Jair Bolsonaro in attendance, the country’s Health Minister Eduardo Pazuello gave what he called a “macro-view” of the strategy to vaccinate Brazilians. ANVISA, Brazil’s health regulatory agency, has yet to officially authorize the use of any Covid-19 vaccine in Brazil.
By Tatiana Arias and Florencia Trucco via CNN

SÃO PAULO, Brazil, Dec. 09, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Many enterprises in Brazil responded to the COVID-19 crisis this year by accelerating digital transformation projects, creating new opportunities for service providers that help companies plan and implement these efforts, according to a new report published today by Information Services Group (ISG) (Nasdaq: III), a leading global technology research and advisory firm.

The 2020 ISG Provider Lens Digital Business – Solutions and Service Partners report for Brazil found the pandemic and associated lockdowns left many industry segments struggling to survive in the first months of 2020. Rapidly emerging trends in response to the crisis, such as consumer adoption of online shopping and internet banking, and workplace adoption of video conferencing and collaboration platforms, led companies to carry out in a few months what would have been years-long digitization projects.

 

Via GlobeNewsWire

 

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December 16 (Renewables Now) – Brazil’s National Development Bank (BNDES) has approved a BRL-191-million (USD 37.5m/EUR 30.8m) loan to support the construction of the 90-MW Pedranopolis photovoltaic (PV) complex owned by Spain’s Powertis SA.

Located in Sao Paulo state, the PV complex consists of three solar parks scheduled to commence operations in December 2021. Once operational, Pedranopolis will be able to generate enough power to meet the demand of 125,000 homes.

 

By Lucas Morais via Renewables Now

 

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After much anticipation, Pix – Brazil’s instant payments platform developed by the Central Bank of Brazil – has gone live for the entire Brazilian population. The new payment method allows immediate money transfer, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including weekends and holidays.

By the 3rd  of December, the Central Bank of Brazil had registered over 100 million Pix keys. Now, 60% of Brazilians already prefer Pix over TED (Express Wire Transfer) and DOCs (Credit Transfer Document), according to a research carried out by C6 Bank and IBOPEdtm. Further, 91% already know about Pix and find the new payment method safe.

 

By Ralf Germer via Paypers

 

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December 15 (Renewables Now) – The Brazilian green power unit of Italian energy major Enel SpA (BIT:ENEL) said on Monday it has initiated construction works on 1.3 GW of renewable energy plants in the Northeastern region of Brazil.

Enel Green Power Brasil Participacoes Ltda (EGPB) is building four wind farms and one solar plant at a total cost of about BRL 5.6 billion (USD 1bn/EUR 901m).

 

By Lucas Morais via Renewables Now

 

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Farm Rio is on a quest to become among the handful of Brazilian clothing and footwear brands to go global like Havaianas flip flops.

To do it, the 23-year-old label, known for its bold, fun prints with tropical motifs, is manufacturing abroad, using collaborations with popular global brands like Levi’s to build awareness and leaning into its Brazilian heritage of colour and bold, tropical prints. A unit of publicly traded Grupo Soma, Farm Rio is making inroads at top global department stores from Neiman Marcus to Saks Fifth Avenue and its Farm Rio’s flagship New York store beat sales predictions by over 50 per cent. Farm Rio revenues outside Brazil jumped 217 per cent to 63.4 million reais ($12.5 million) in the first nine months of 2020, with domestic revenues of $69.8 million.

By Christiana Sciaudone via Vogue Business

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The Brazilian state-owned National Supply Company, or Conab, forecasts that the forthcoming harvest of grain in Brazil will amount to 265.9 million tonnes, 3.5 percent more than the last harvest and the most on record, Xinhua reports.

The Chinese government-run news agency says Conab attributes the growth it forecasts to more land being cultivated, and greater productivity.

 

Via Macau Hub

 

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The Brazilian economy could benefit from a boost of up to 4.2% within the next decade if companies and governments promote large-scale adoption of artificial intelligence, according to a new study by consulting firm FrontierView commissioned by Microsoft.

The potential of GDP increase of more than four percentage points is the most optimistic scenario set out in the reseach, whereby AI use goes beyond automation and is used to create highly skills jobs, drive productivity and economic growth.

 

By Angelica Mari via ZD Net

 

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Hydro has signed two Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with the aim to develop two renewable power projects in Brazil.

Renewable energy is an important step towards a more sustainable future, and it is a key element in Hydro’s strategic agenda. These agreements are an important step for Hydro’s newly established Renewable Growth unit, which targets to offer competitive renewable power to Hydro’s industrial assets by taking equity and operator positions in wind, solar and hydropower projects in Brazil and the Nordics.

 

By Nadine Blossom via Aluminum International Today

 

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On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce, we regretfully inform you of the passing, on December 10, 2020 at the age of 82, of Joseph Safra, Lebanese-Brazilian banker who ran the Brazilian banking and investment empire Safra Group, and longtime Chamber affiliate.  The Safra family has been a great supporter of the Chamber since its inception in 1969, and Mr. Safra’s dialogue with the Chamber strengthened ties between Brazil and the United States and furthered our mission of promoting trade and investment between the two nations.

Born in Beirut, Lebanon to a Sephardic Jewish family with banking connections, Mr. Safra moved to Brazil in 1952.  In 1955, his brother Edmond and father Jacob started financing assets in São Paulo.  That same year, Mr. Safra founded Banco Safra, and went on to serve as Chairman of all Safra companies, offering banking services throughout North America, South America, and Europe.  He was credited with making Banco Safra one of Brazil’s soundest banks and today, the sixth largest private bank in Brazil.  As Brazil’s richest man and, for many years, the world’s wealthiest banker, he also spent much of his time funding health, education, and charity projects.

Mr. Safra is survived by his wife, Vicky Sarfati, and their four children – Jacob, Esther (and spouse Carlos Dayan), Alberto, and David.  More information on Mr. Safra’s great life and career can be found here:

https://www.reuters.com/article/people-safra-obituary-idUSL1N2IQ0YQ

São Paulo – Year-to-date through November 2020, Arab countries stepped up their imports of Brazilian coffee more than any other continent or economic bloc. Those countries imported 1.89 million 60-kg bags of coffee, up 12.9% year-over-year. Foreign exchange revenue came out to USD 192.7 million, marginally down 0.3%. The numbers were made public this Wednesday (9) by the Brazilian Coffee Exporters Council (Cecafé).

Total exports from Brazil amounted to 39.8 million bags of coffee, up 5.7% from a year ago, with foreign exchange revenue climbing 6.7%, to USD 5 billion. Average price per bag increased by 1% to USD 126.45.

 

Via Brazil-Arab News Agency

 

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Brazil is providing one of the few bright spots for oil demand outside of Asia with the coronavirus continuing to ravage the U.S. and Europe.

Fuel consumption in Latin America’s largest economy has already surpassed pre-virus levels and is expected to be stronger than 2019 going into next year on the back of robust agricultural demand and more driving.

 

By Lucia Kassai via Bloomberg

 

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The White House Coronavirus Task Force has recommended to President Donald Trump that the United States begin allowing travelers into the country from Brazil, the United Kingdom and the 27 countries in the European Union, according to two officials involved in the discussions.

If Trump signs off on the policy proposal, it would reverse bans on inbound travel for U.S. allies put into place at the beginning of the pandemic as the virus surged overseas. Travel from China and Iran, two of the earliest hotspots for the virus and from which travel was restricted in January and February, would not be relaxed, according to these officials.

 

By Kayla Tausche via CNBC

 

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São Paulo – Footwear exports from Brazil were up 13.8% year-on-year in November to 9.55 million pairs, the Brazilian Footwear Industry Association (Abicalçados) reported this Tuesday (8). Revenue was down 23.8% to USD 53.4 million.

Flip flop exports soared by 52% year-on-year. ANBA had anticipated this trend in an article last September.

 

Via Brazil-Arab News Agency

 

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São Paulo – Year to date through November, beef exports from Brazil reached 14,848,067 tonnes, up 9% from a year ago, and USD7.7 billion, up 14%, the Brazilian Meat Packers Association (Abrafrigo) reported quoting the Brazilian Ministry of Economy’s Foreign Trade Secretariat figures.

According to the association, the Chinese imports in November compared to October helped keeping the 2020 growth forecast close to 10% in volume and around 15% in revenue. In volume terms, China bought 1,071,273 tonnes year to date through November, up 31% from 2019. In revenue, the Chinese market accounted for 57.9% of beef exports from Brazil, from 43.2% in 2019.

 

Via Brazil-Arab News Agency

 

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If you thought that coworking was a non-starter during a pandemic, think again. Eureka Coworking is a Brazilian-based startup bringing people back to their offices with a commitment to safety, flexibility, and sustainability. Headquartered in São Paulo, Brazil, Eureka Coworking has offices in that city and its environs, as well branches in Portugal. Location has become even more important with the pandemic.

“This is the perfect moment for us because most people lack sufficient space to work at home in a professional manner, and our locations nearby bike lanes and within walking distance of neighborhoods help people who want to ride bicycles or walk to work,” said Daniel Moral, co-founder and CEO of Eureka Coworking. “We talked with our clients and decided to open together using safety measures.”

 

By Susan Galer via Forbes

 

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São Paulo – Brazil’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) numbers show that the economy is reacting to incentives such as the emergency aid program, said Ecio de Farias Costa, a professor at the Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), in an interview over the phone with ANBA. Brazil’s Q3 GDP was up 7.7% from Q2 to BRL 1.891 trillion (USD 364,5 bn), the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) reported this Thursday (3).

Emergency aid was made available in April by the federal government to citizens deemed most vulnerable to the economic crisis triggered by the novel coronavirus – those unemployed or whose monthly per capita household income fell short of half a minimum wage. Aid was supplied in instalments of BRL 600 (USD 115), or BRL 1,200 (USD 230) for women-led households. By September, the aid was extended through December 31, in just four instalments of BRL 300 (USD 57), and double that amount for single-mother families. For these latter instalments, however, the criterion changed, and not everyone was able to get the cash.

 

By Thais Sousa via Brazil-Arab News Agency

 

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The 2020s will be a key decade for Brazil, not only for oil and gas projects, but for the energy sector in general, as pre-salt production continues to soar to new highs and operators begin a gradual shift to cleaner energy sources.

“Next year will be huge, not only for Brazil’s deep-water and offshore plays, but as Brazil also moves to unlock the onshore,” Genesis Energies South America general manager Rodolpho Athayde told Upstream’s recent Brazil Oil & Gas digital event.

By Fabio Palmigiani via Upstream

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SAO PAULO (Reuters) – São Paulo’s Butantan Institute biomedical center on Thursday received 1 million doses of a Chinese COVID-19 vaccine developed by Sinovac Biotech Ltd that is undergoing late-stage testing by the institute at 16 locations in Brazil.

The consignment of CoronaVac vaccine will be packaged and labeled at Butantan’s facilities pending regulatory approval. Butantan said it expected Sinovac to publish efficacy results from its vaccine trials by Dec. 15.

 

Via Reuters

 

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BRASILIA, Dec 3 (Reuters) – Brazil’s services sector expanded in November for a third straight month but at a slower pace than the month before, a purchasing managers’ survey showed on Thursday, as worries over a second wave of the coronavirus cooled the recent recovery.

Services have lagged manufacturing and industry in the rebound from the COVID-19 crisis but had recently shown signs – particularly in job growth – that the bounceback was finally underway.

 

By Jamie McGeever via Reuters

 

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We are pleased to announce that as of January 2021 we will be the first major Brazilian law firm to have a physical presence in Canada, with the opening of our Toronto office. This initiative is part of Cescon Barrieu’s growth and expansion strategy, as we celebrate our 20th anniversary in January 2021.

“We are excited to open the Toronto office, our first office outside Brazil,” said Cescon Barrieu Managing Partner Joaquim Oliveira. “Canadian companies have been a significant part of our cross-border work since our firm was formed almost twenty years ago.

Our Toronto office will enhance our ability to provide the best possible legal services to our Canadian clients with interests in Brazil.” Our Toronto office will be headed by Frederico Marques, who has been living and working in Canada for almost 15 years. Frederico led McCarthy Tetrault’s Latin American practice over the past seven years.

From the outset, our Canada Desk will have a multidisciplinary team comprised of a group of nearly 20 partners and associates, including by Marcos FleschAna Carolina Passos and Ana Paula Calil in Corporate/M&A and Capital Markets, Frederico Viana and Marcelo Mendo in Mining and Environmental law, Helena Abdo in Arbitration and Litigation, and Luciano Souza in Compliance and Government relations.

The integrated practices between our offices in Brazil and Canada will initially be focused on business opportunities in Mining, Infrastructure, Energy and Renewables, Oil and Gas, ESG, Technology & Fintech, and Medical Cannabis.

 

Brazil’s health regulator Anvisa said on Wednesday it was open to approving COVID-19 vaccines for emergency use and outlined the requirements for companies looking to do so.

Anvisa said authorizations would be analyzed on a case-by-case basis and that to be considered the vaccine must be in late-stage trials in Brazil. It said no requests had been received so far.

 

Via Merco Press

 

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NEW YORK and SAO PAULO, Dec. 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Nubank and Chubb today announced the launch of a fully digital life insurance offering in Brazil. With the introduction of Nubank Vida, the largest independent digital bank in the world enters the insurance market with a fast, seamless and personalized capability available to its 30 million customers across Brazil. Nubank Vida is underwritten by Chubb, the world’s largest publicly traded property and casualty insurer with operations in 54 countries and territories. Nubank Vida was developed using the integration capabilities of Chubb Studio, the global digital product distribution platform announced by Chubb in September.

The Nubank life insurance offer is fully customized to allow the customer to enjoy a seamless experience where quotes, bill payment and account management are all transacted digitally. Basic coverage includes natural or accidental death and funeral assistance, as well as living benefits covering hospitalization for accident, disability for accident and funeral assistance for family members.

 

Via Cision PR Newswire

 

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Vestas wins 534 MW order in Brazil to extend Casa dos Ventos’ wind farm and make it the largest wind power project in Latin America.

Casa dos Ventos, one of the pioneers and largest investors in the development of wind energy projects in Brazil, has placed a 534 MW order for the second stage of the of the Rio do Vento complex, located in the state of Rio Grande do Norte in Brazil. The extension will add to the 504 MW first phase of the project that is currently under construction, and the combined complex of more than 1 GW will be the largest wind farm in Latin America to date.

 

Via Reve

 

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In February 2018, the OECD and Brazil started a joint project to analyze the similarities and differences between Brazilian legislation and the transfer pricing (“TP”) frameworks to assess cross-border transactions between associated enterprises from a tax standpoint. This project is within the scope of Brazil’s initiative to engage with the OECD in tax-related projects, and, in a broader respects, consistent with Brazil’s interest in initiating the process to join the OECD.

Stages of the Project

The project had three stages:

  • Stage 1: preliminary analysis of the legal and administrative framework of Brazil’s transfer pricing rules;
  • Stage 2: assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of Brazil’s existing transfer pricing rules and administrative practices; and
  • Stage 3: options for alignment with the OECD transfer pricing standard.

 

By Ivan Tauil and Thais Rodrigues via Mondaq

 

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In brief

In July 2020, Brazil’s New Sanitation Legal Framework was approved. It aims at the universalization of sanitation and water supply in Brazil by 2033 by attracting investment of USD128 billion. The new regulatory framework is expected to transform the nation’s water and sanitation sector, creating a business environment with more competition and legal certainty, and fostering domestic and foreign private investment in the sector.

Introduction

On July 15, 2020, Brazilian President, Jair Bolsonaro, sanctioned Federal Law No. 14.026/2020, also called as Brazil’s New Sanitation Legal Framework. This new regulation had been awaited with great anticipation and promises to change the way water and sanitation services are provided in the country by bringing more stability and legal certainty and enabling domestic and foreign private investment in the sector.

 

By DLA Piper via Lexology

 

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The Brazilian government has announced a facial recognition trial with retired public servants to support the process of periodic verification that the beneficiary is alive in order to continue receiving of benefits.

The trial underpinning the process will be carried out with 10,000 retired federal civil servants and pensioners and the participants will be able to follow the process through a people management mobile app developed for federal government staff. If the pilot is successful, the functionality will be extended to 700,000 people.

 

By Angelica Mari via ZD Net

 

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