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Fundação Abrinq estreita relações com o Governo Federal e o IBGE

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Na segunda-feira (22/04), o Ministro dos Direitos Humanos e da Cidadania, Silvio Almeida, esteve presente em São Paulo – SP, na sede da Fundação Abrinq, para discutir estratégias de fortalecimento das políticas públicas em prol das crianças e dos adolescentes no País. Acompanhado pelo Secretário Nacional dos Direitos da Criança e do Adolescente, Cláudio Vieira, o ministro enfatizou a importância da cooperação entre os diferentes setores da sociedade para garantir avanços significativos na área.

Durante o encontro, Silvio Almeida destacou a necessidade de união de esforços entre o setor público, o setor privado e as organizações da sociedade civil para enfrentar os desafios e promover o desenvolvimento integral das crianças e dos adolescentes. Outro ponto abordado foi o direito de brincar, que Silvio Almeida considera essencial para o desenvolvimento saudável das crianças. Ele enfatizou a importância da Lei do Direito de Brincar e expressou sua preocupação com as crianças que são privadas desse direito.

O encontro entre o Ministro Silvio Almeida e a Fundação Abrinq representa mais um passo na construção de parcerias sólidas e efetivas em prol da defesa dos direitos das crianças e dos adolescentes no Brasil.

Fundação Abrinq e IBGE discutem estratégias para cooperação técnica

No dia 19 de abril, a Fundação Abrinq e o Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE) realizaram um encontro para iniciar conversas sobre possíveis formas de cooperação técnica. O foco principal da reunião foi a preocupação compartilhada sobre o impacto da juventude que não trabalha nem estuda na mão de obra e no crescimento do país nas próximas décadas.

Marcio Pochmann, presidente do IBGE, expressou a importância de compreender as causas deste fenômeno, afirmando que a força de trabalho do futuro já está em formação. “A mão de obra que atuará daqui a 50 anos já nasceu; desse modo, o Instituto se preocupa em descobrir as causas do desinteresse dos jovens pelo trabalho e estudo e ajudar o país a encontrar maneiras de solucionar esse problema”.

Já Rubens Naves, conselheiro da Fundação Abrinq, apresentou as iniciativas da organização. Naves ressaltou a importância de envolver os jovens que não estão inseridos em atividades educacionais ou de trabalho, destacando seu potencial para o futuro do país.

Leia a notícia na íntegra

Via Fundação Abrinq

J.P. Morgan Leads $100M Financing for Startup’s R&D of Covalent Biologic Drugs for Cancer

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Enlaza Therapeutics’ drugs form covalent bonds that lock the therapy onto its target. With cancer as its initial focus, the startup contends its approach could offer safety and efficacy advantages compared to currently available targeted therapies.

Treating cancer with medicines that tightly attach to their targets via covalent bonds is not a new concept in drug discovery, but it is picking up pace. Some companies are trying to improve this approach as they employ covalency to address elusive targets. These efforts, at least the publicly known ones, are focused on small molecules. Enlaza Therapeutics is working to bring covalency to biologic therapies and it has raised $100 million for efforts that include work in one of the hottest areas of cancer drug research.

The Series A financing announced Tuesday was led by the life sciences group of J.P. Morgan.

Besides J.P. Morgan, other participants in Enlaza’s new financing include earlier investors Frazier Life Sciences, Avalon Ventures, Lightspeed Venture Partners, and Samsara BioCapital. New investors in the startup include Amgen Ventures, Regeneron Ventures, Bregua Corporation, Pappas Capital, and Alexandria Venture Investments.

Learn the full article

By Frank Vinluan Via MedCity News

Latin American Indigenous leaders discuss joint agenda for COP30 in Brazil

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Indigenous leaders from across Latin America convened in the Brazilian capital this week to push for the rights of native peoples and draft a collective agenda for COP30, which includes measures ranging from land demarcation to fair energy transition, participants at the Campamento Tierra Libre (Free Land Camp) told EFE.

Marking the 20th anniversary of the camp, held from April 22 to 26, nearly 8,000 individuals participated in what is considered Brazil’s largest indigenous mobilization, featuring traditional rituals, debate plenaries, vigils, and a crafts fair.

The Campamento Tierra Libre primarily aims to defend the rights of Brazilian Indigenous people to preserve their territories.

At this year’s camp, Latin American indigenous leaders worked on drafting a document outlining a united strategy for the upcoming United Nations Climate Conference (COP30). The conference is scheduled to take place in 2025 in the Brazilian city of Belém, located in the Amazon region, and is expected to be a crucial event for indigenous communities.

Key demands by Latin American indigenous peoples include the development and enhancement of public policies ensuring their rights, land demarcation and protection, and other guarantees for sustainable socioeconomic development in the region.

Learn more

Via EFE Comunica

 

Brazil’s inflation slows to 0.21% in mid-April

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Brazil’s consumer prices rose slightly less than expected in the mid-April reading, data from statistics agency IBGE showed on Friday.

Prices in Latin America’s largest economy rose 0.21% in the month to mid-March, below the 0.29% growth expected by economists polled by Reuters.

This took the inflation of the previous 12 months to 3.77%, slowing down from 4.14% in the 12 months to mid-March and also below expectations of a 3.86% increase. The reading marked the first time since July last year the figure came in below 4%.

“All told, the inflation picture continues to improve in Brazil, thanks to favorable base effects, the lagged effect of high-interest rates and softening domestic demand,” said Andres Abadia, Chief Latam Economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics.

Read the full article

Reporting by Peter Frontini; Editing by Steven Grattan and Angus MacSwan via Reuters

Meet our New Member Inter&Co

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Inter&Co (NASDAQ: INTR), the company that controls Banco Inter in Brazil and the subsidiary Inter&Co Payments, is the pioneering financial super app serving over 30 million customers across the Americas.

The Inter ecosystem offers a broad array of services, including banking, investments, mortgages, credit, insurance, and cross-border tools. The super app also boasts a dynamic marketplace, linking consumers with shopping discounts, cashback rewards, and exclusive access to marquee events across the globe. The company is expanding rapidly, as evidenced by its naming rights sponsorship of Orlando’s professional soccer venue, now called Inter&Co Stadium. Focused on innovation and captivating member experiences, Inter&Co delivers comprehensive financial and lifestyle solutions to meet the evolving needs of modern consumers.

Learn more

Issue Notes são a “linha mestra da presidência brasileira do G20”

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Conhecidas como Issue Notes, documentos deram pontapé inicial às discussões temáticas do G20, com estratégias para questões prioritárias da presidência brasileira do Fórum

No centro das discussões do G20 Brasil, estão as Issue Notes, ou notas temáticas. Os documentos que sintetizam análises especializadas sobre os assuntos, desde economia e meio ambiente até segurança cibernética e saúde, já estão disponíveis para consulta e download. As notas informativas têm papel fundamental na orientação das políticas globais, com análises detalhadas e caminhos para os desafios enfrentados pelo mundo.

No cenário da diplomacia internacional, as Issue Notes são ferramentas importantes que indicam a compreensão e resolução de questões complexas. Com o Brasil à frente da presidência em 2024, o foco dessas análises se intensificou.

As prioridades do G20 no Brasil são a inclusão social e o combate à fome e à pobreza, a promoção do desenvolvimento sustentável em suas dimensões econômica, social e ambiental e transições energéticas, e a reforma das instituições de governança global, incluindo as Nações Unidas e os bancos multilaterais de desenvolvimento.

As Issue Notes são como bússolas para guiar os debates, fornecendo informações detalhadas e direcionamentos diante dos desafios globais. Durante as reuniões do G20, os documentos são discutidos e aprimorados por especialistas que integram os grupos de trabalho ou as forças-tarefa. A diversidade de perspectivas e conhecimentos contribuem para a formulação de propostas mais inclusivas, refletindo o espírito colaborativo do grupo.

Clique aqui para ler a nota na íntegra.

Via G20 Brasil

TozziniFreire Advogados recebe conferência latino-americana de proteção de dados

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Autoridades em proteção de dados do Brasil e da Colômbia palestraram durante a PrivacyRules 2024

No dia 11 de abril de 2024, TozziniFreire Advogados – um dos maiores escritórios full-service do Brasil – recebeu conferência sobre os desafios de proteção de dados e conformidade na América Latina. Entre os palestrantes estavam os representantes das autoridades de proteção de dados da Colômbia e do Brasil, respectivamente, Grenfieth Sierra (Superintendencia de Industria y Comercio – SIC) e Kátia Cardoso (Autoridade Nacional de Proteção de Dados – ANPD).

O evento foi dividido em três painéis, seguido por um momento para perguntas e respostas dos participantes. Luiza Sato, sócia de TozziniFreire Advogados, e Stella Vanegas, sócia-fundadora do escritório Vanegas Morales Consultores, apresentaram o objetivo e deram início à conferência.

“Foi admirável a participação da comunidade de Proteção de Dados representada por profissionais de diversos países da América Latina, incluindo as autoridades de proteção de dados do Brasil e Colômbia, unidos para discutir temas de tão alta relevância. É imprescindível trabalhar juntos e unir esforços, a fim de construir um mundo movido a dados que seja saudável, seguro e sustentável”, relata Luiza Sato.

Saiba mais

Publicação produzida pelas Áreas Cybersecurity & Data Privacy via TozziniFreire Advogados

How United Airlines uses AI to make flying the friendly skies a bit easier

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From chatbots to pilot announcements, AI is starting to gain traction

When you board a United Airlines plane, the gate agents, flight attendants and others involved in making sure your plane leaves on time are in a chatroom coordinating a lot of the work that you, as a passenger, will hopefully never notice. Is there still space for carry-on bags? Did the caterer bring the missing orange juice? Is there a way to seat a family together?

When a flight is delayed, a message with an explanation will arrive by text and in the United app. Most of the time, that message is generated by AI. Meanwhile, in offices around the world, dispatchers are looking at this real-time data to ensure that the crew can still legally fly the plane without running afoul of FAA regulations. And only a few weeks ago, United turned on its AI customer service chatbot.

Jason Birnbaum, who became United’s CIO in 2022, manages a team of over 1,500 employees and about 2,000 contractors who are responsible for all of the tech that makes this happen.

Every flight has an AI story

United is quite bullish on AI, Birnbaum said. “I think the travel industry has so many different examples of where AI can be used both for the customer and for the employees.” One of those is United’s “Every flight has a story.”

Not that long ago, it was rather typical to get a notification when a flight was delayed, but no further information about it. Maybe the incoming flight was delayed. Maybe there was a maintenance issue. A few years ago, United started using agents to write short notices that explained the delay and sent those out through its app and as text messages. Now, pulling in data from its chat app and other sources, the vast majority of these messages are written by AI.

AI for pilots?

After creating the system that automatically writes the delay “stories” in the app, Birnbaum’s team is now thinking about where it can use the same generative AI technology. One area: those short briefings pilots usually give before takeoff.

“A pilot actually came up to me and said, ‘One of the things that some pilots are great at is getting on that speaker and saying, “Hey, welcome, everybody going to Las Vegas, blah blah.”’ And he said, ‘Some pilots are introverted; could you have an AI engine that helps me generate an announcement on the plane about where I’m going so that I could give a really good announcement about what’s happening?’ And I thought that was a great use case.”

Another area where generative AI may help pilots is in summarizing complex technical documents. But as Birnbaum rightly noted, everything that involves the pilot flying the plane is heavily structured and regulated, so it’ll be a while before the airline will launch anything there.

Learn more

By Frederic Lardinois via TechCrunch

Etanol brasileiro para uso como combustível de aviação sustentável

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EUA lançam primeira usina com combustível de aviação sustentável e mercado brasileiro poderá ser fornecedor

Embora os Estados Unidas consigam produzir seu próprio etanol através do milho, os investidores americanos estão interessados em trazer o Etanol brasileiro, vindo da cana-de-açúcar para a produção comercial do combustível. Além da melhor qualidade do produto brasileiro que pode ser explorado em maior quantidade, o fato das maiores usinas brasileiras já estarem certificadas para produzir matéria-prima para o combustível de aviação sustentável (SAF). Através do certificado, essas usinas passam a atender aos padrões internacionais de produção, o que acabou sendo um interessante chamariz para que os americanos olhassem com bons olhos o etanol nacional.

Entre as usinas certificadas, a São Martinho espera ser a primeira a fechar negócio e abastecer os EUA. A empresa conseguiu o certificado de padrão Corsia, que é globalmente aceito e possui o registro da Agência de Proteção Ambiental dos EUA (EPA).

Porém, na cola para conquistar os americanos, outras grandes nacionais como a Raízen, BP Bunge Bioenergia e usinas ligadas à Copersucar também possuem o certificado Corsia que só é conseguida a partir de empresas que conseguem provar que a produção é feita com emissões baixas e que não contribuem para o desmatamento.

A produção mundial de SAF com base no etanol é de cerca de 9 bilhões de litros por ano de biocombustível até 2030, segundo estimativa da Raízen. Esse valor é o equivalente a um terço de toda a produção de etanol do Brasil. Porém, o vice-presidente da Raízen, joint venture entre a Cosan e a Shell, Paulo Neves, a empresa está segura de que conseguirá atender os Estados Unidos sem deixar o Brasil defasado.

Leia a reportagem na íntegra

Por Guilherme Cosenza via Correio da Manhã

 

 

Meet our New Member Truth & Trust Advisory Team

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The Truth & Trust Advisory Team transcends the traditional role of real estate agent, serving as dream architects devoted to transforming every transaction into a seamless experience

We are committed to transparency and building trust with our clients, always eager to offer access to exclusive properties and innovative sales solutions.

More so, we build personal relationships with our clients, sharing unforgettable moments with them while exploring NYC and assisting them in navigating the sales process.

Learn more about Truth & Trust Advisory Team or contact info@truthtrustadvisoryteam.com

Notice of FY 2025 H-1B Cap Initial Registration Selection Process Completion and Cap Season Reminders

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H-1B Initial Electronic Registration Selection Process Completed

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has received enough electronic registrations for unique beneficiaries during the initial registration period to reach the fiscal year (FY) 2025 H-1B numerical allocations (H-1B cap), including the advanced degree exemption (master’s cap). We have randomly selected enough properly submitted registrations for unique beneficiaries projected as needed to reach the H-1B cap and have notified all prospective petitioners with selected beneficiaries that they are eligible to file an H-1B cap-subject petition for such beneficiaries.

For more information, visit the H-1B Electronic Registration Process page.

FY 2025 H-1B Cap Petitions May Be Filed Starting April 1

H-1B cap-subject petitions for FY 2025, including those petitions eligible for the advanced degree exemption, may be filed with USCIS beginning April 1, 2024, if filed for a selected beneficiary and based on a valid registration.

Only petitioners with registrations for selected beneficiaries may file H-1B cap-subject petitions for FY 2025.

An H-1B cap-subject petition must be properly filed at the correct filing location (see H-1B Form I-129 Filing Location Change to Lockbox section below) or online at my.uscis.gov and within the filing period indicated on the relevant selection notice. The period for filing the H-1B cap-subject petition will be at least 90 days. Petitioners must include a copy of the applicable selection notice with the FY 2025 H-1B cap-subject petition.

Petitioners must also submit evidence of the beneficiary’s valid passport or travel document used at the time of registration to identify the beneficiary.

Petitioners filing for selected beneficiaries based on their valid registration must still submit evidence or otherwise establish eligibility for petition approval, as registration and selection only pertains to eligibility to file the H-1B cap-subject petition.

For more information, visit the USCIS page

Via U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

Meet out New Member Apex Partners

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With over 10 years of history, Apex is a platform for solid and structured investments and financial services that operates in the areas of Asset Management, Advisory, Investment Banking, and Research – being a reference in serving large corporations, institutional investors, and clients with consolidated wealth.

Through a strong proprietary distribution capacity, we offer structured products for the Brazilian regional markets, where capital is allocated. Today, the company is present in Espírito Santo, Paraná, and Santa Catarina, where it has established offices and more than 150 employees aligned with a unique culture.

In recent years, we have expanded around our core operations, building a resilient thesis even in the face of the challenging economic cycles faced by Brazil in the last decade. All this because we decided to explore the potential of the Brazilian regional markets, especially in states that have grown – significantly – above the national average.

The coming years will be even more promising. The path that will lead to becoming the leading Brazilian regional investment bank by 2030 is increasingly guided by a unified regional structure, always maintaining a commitment to the excellence and success of our clients.

Learn more about Apex Partners

Benefit Dinner 2024 NY

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Edu Lyra and Gerando Falcões International invite you to Benefit Dinner New York 2024

Join us in our mission to raise critical funds by purchasing tickets or making a donation.

Don’t miss out on our online silent auction, closing at 10pm on May 13th.

When
Monday, May 13th
Cocktails 6pm
Seated Dinner 7pm

Where
230 Fifth Rooftop
At 1150 Broadway
New York, NY 10001

Dress Code
Business Casual

———————————————————

Get tickets here or make a donation.

For any questions, please reach out to us at donorservices@gerandofalcoes.com.

Thank you for your continued support!

Learn more

Via Gerando Falcões

Cushman & Wakefield Honored as a 2024 VETS Indexes 5 Star Employer

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Cushman & Wakefield announced that the real estate services firm has earned the designation of VETS Indexes 5 Star Employer in the 2024 VETS Indexes Employer Awards. The award recognizes the organization’s commitment to recruiting, hiring, retaining, developing and supporting veterans and the military-connected community

“The extraordinary efforts of Cushman & Wakefield to hire, retain and support veterans and the military-connected community have earned the organization one of our highest awards,” said George Altman, President of VETS Indexes

This year, a record 344 organizations submitted completed surveys for the VETS Indexes Employer Awards, an increase of more than 100 from last year and nearly triple the number from two years ago. Of those, VETS Indexes recognized 285 organizations across the following award levels: 5 Star Employer, 4 Star Employer, 3 Star Employer and Recognized Employer.

This in-depth survey and recognition program analyzes employers’ policies, practices and outcomes in detail, across the following 5 categories:

  • Veteran job candidate recruiting and hiring
  • Veteran employee development and retention
  • Veteran-inclusive policies and culture
  • Support for members of the National Guard and Reserves
  • Military spouse/family support

For more information, click here.

Via Business Wire

King & Spalding’s Journey to Best Law Firm of the Year

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King & Spalding, which received The American Lawyer’s Best Law Firm of the Year award in late 2023, has achieved notable success in recent years, growing its revenue and profits, key offices and international presence, all without a merger

Its financial growth was particularly remarkable during the pandemic, as the litigation powerhouse targeted growth across the energy, food and beverage, and health care sectors when other industries were stagnant, according to one analysis.

The Atlanta-founded firm steadily increased its revenues over the years before breaking the $2 billion mark in 2022—and will top that mark and other metrics in 2023, said longtime chairman Robert Hays in an interview this month. The firm’s revenue growth has consistently beaten the Am Law 100 collective growth rate each year for the past several years.

King & Spalding has expanded in major U.S. markets like New York and in growing international regions like Saudi Arabia throughout the year, said Hays, who has served as chairman since 2006 and was reelected earlier this month (January, 2024).

King & Spalding beat out seven other firms for the Best Law Firm of the Year award and also won awards for Attorney of the Year (Sally Yates), and Best Client-Law Firm Team (King & Spalding and Blackstone Credit). It was a finalist for Managing Partner of the Year (Robert Hays), Best Provider Collaboration, Litigation Department of the Year for Product Liability, and Georgia Litigation Department of the Year.

The report also stated that “energy was the only bright spot” in the stagnant economy during the pandemic and King & Spalding was among firms that “made sustained investments in talent depth and market reputation” in that sector.

Regional to Global

Hays, in the interview, cited an award factor mentioned during the presentation ceremony in New York: the firm’s history in recent decades of moving from being a regional firm to a “national
and global firm.”

King & Spalding expanded from its “flagship” Atlanta office in 1989, to 13 U.S. and 10 foreign offices with more than 1,300 lawyers today, according to firm information.

In 2023, after years of operating offices in the United Arab Emirates, the firm’s longtime affiliation with a local firm led to Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Justice awarding King & Spalding a foreign law license.

Click here to learn more

Via ALM Global Law.com

 

Mattos Filho announces promotion of seven lawyers to partnership

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New partners set to boost strategic areas and business development at the firm, whose partner count now rises to 144

Mattos Filho has announced seven lawyers have been promoted to the firm’s partnership. The new partners work across six different practice areas: Litigation & Arbitration, Finance, Asset Management Services & Investment Funds, Infrastructure & Energy, Corporate/M&A, and Tax.

With a keen eye on the demands of the most diverse sectors of the economy and the needs of the market, the promotion of lawyers follows the strategy of expanding business development, as well as generating opportunities and developing internal talents.

Six of the seven new partners are women. In the last five years, internal partner promotions at the firm have been practically even in terms of men (31) and women (29) – 52% and 48%, respectively. This statistic reflects Mattos Filho’s push to offer equal opportunities and develop female leadership at the firm.

The new partners are listed below (alphabetical order):

  • Joana Pimentel – Corporate/M&A – São Paulo;
  • Ligia Godoy – Litigation & Arbitration – São Paulo;
  • Marcelo Guimarães – Tax – São Paulo;
  • Maria Fernanda Fidalgo – Asset Management Services & Investment Funds – São Paulo;
  • Natalia De Santis – Finance – Rio de Janeiro;
  • Natália Mauad – Infrastructure & Energy – São Paulo;
  • Natalie Matos – Tax – São Paulo.

Learn more

Via Mattos Filho

Brazilian Airline Azul To Resume Two US Routes: Recife to Fort Lauderdale and Orlando

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Azul Linhas Aéreas Brasileiras, one of Brazil’s three major carriers, announced it would relaunch operations from its hub at Aeroporto Internacional de Recife-Guararapes to Orlando and Fort Lauderdale

Azul is Brazil’s largest carrier by number of flights and destinations served. Founded in 2008 by David Neeleman, the carrier has grown rapidly and become the airline many Brazilians consider the best in the nation. Compared to LATAM Brasil, its international long-haul operations are limited, with only four cities served: two in the United States and two in Europe.

The airline announced that from June 5, it would be resuming flights from its hub at Aeroporto Internacional de Recife-Gurarapes to Orlando International Airport and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. Flights were suspended last month due to capacity restraints with its widebody fleet, but with the acquisition of new (to the airline) aircraft, Azul can resume flights just three months after suspending them.

Unlike most routes from the United States, where aircraft remain on the ground in Brazil for the entire day before flying back to the US overnight, Azul will fly to the US during the day, and its return legs will operate overnight.

Learn more

Reporting by Lukas Souza via Simple Flying

United States introduces payment of visa application fee via Pix

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Since March of this year, the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Brazil have introduced the option of paying the application fee (MRV) via Pix. This new alternative is in the initial phase of implementation and payments may require up to an hour for approval

In addition to this method, applicants still have the option of payment by credit card or in cash. This innovation reflects our ongoing commitment to improving services for Brazilian visa applicants.

Between January and March 2024, the number of visas processed by the United States in Brazil grew by 20 percent compared to the same period last year. This means that more than 340,000 visas were processed in just three months across the country. This increase is the result of our commitment to providing an increasingly better consular service. In 2024, we expect to break the record of 1.1 million visas issued in Brazil in 2023.

Get more information

Via U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Brazil

 

 

BNY Mellon Collaborates with Accenture to Drive Accelerated Growth for Clients

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BNY Mellon, the global financial services company, is collaborating with Accenture, a leading professional services company, to modernize financial services offerings with an initial focus on data management and analytics product development and delivery.

Combining Accenture’s data, AI, and platform engineering expertise with BNY Mellon’s comprehensive financial data and analytics services will help accelerate the introduction of new services across private markets and wealth management technology, as well as support expansion into new markets. With the expertise and platforms to help clients achieve their goals, BNY Mellon will also work with Accenture to create exceptional client experiences. The two companies plan to further collaborate on bringing the newly developed services to market in the future to transform the financial services industry.

The collaboration of Accenture and BNY Mellon is the latest announcement by BNY Mellon as part of its technology and ecosystem strategy focused on building new solutions to help its clients grow their businesses. BNY Mellon’s Data & Analytics business recently announced a strategic alliance with Microsoft, focused on transforming the capital markets through leading data management solutions for its buy-side and sell-side clients.

About BNY Mellon
BNY Mellon is a global financial services company that helps make money work for the world — managing it, moving it and keeping it safe. For 240 years we have partnered alongside our clients, putting our expertise and platforms to work to help them achieve their ambitions. Today we help over 90% of Fortune 100 companies and nearly all the top 100 banks globally access the money they need. We support governments in funding local projects and work with over 90% of the top 100 pension plans to safeguard investments for millions of individuals, and so much more. As of December 31, 2023, we oversee $47.8 trillion in assets under custody and/or administration and $2.0 trillion in assets under management.

Learn more

By Jessica Thomas via BNY Mellon

Brazil’s Cutrale to expand to new state to avoid orange disease, government says

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Brazil’s Cutrale group, a leading global supplier of orange juice, will invest 500 million real ($100.55 million) to plant the fruit in Mato Grosso do Sul state in a bid to expand into regions with lower pressure from greening disease, according to state authorities.

The cureless disease has partly damaged trees in Brazil and destroyed most of them in the United States, causing orange juice prices to skyrocket.

The government of Mato Grosso do Sul, in Brazil’s center-west, said the company will plant 5,000 hectares with oranges in the town of Sidrolandia, according to a statement late on Wednesday.

Mato Grosso do Sul said Cutrale is expected to plant 1.73 million orange trees on irrigated fields there, adding in the future the company could set up a processing facility in the area.

Cutrale confirmed to Reuters it “met with the government of Mato Grosso do Sul to discuss investments in the region’s citrus industry.” But the company added it could not elaborate on the tentative project, making the timeline for implementation of the fields unclear.

Learn more

Reporting by Roberto Samora; Writing by Ana Mano; Editing by Aurora Ellis via Reuters

Banco Master anuncia aquisição do will bank

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Com a compra, o Banco Master passa a atender mais de 10,5 milhões de clientes

O Banco Master anunciou, na sexta-feira (23/02), a aquisição do will bank, banco digital que conta com mais de seis milhões de clientes e forte presença no Nordeste. Com a negociação, o Master passa a ser majoritário no banco digital, que tem também o fundo de private equity da XP como sócio.

Desta forma, o Banco Master passa a atender mais de 10,5 milhões de clientes e espera expandir a base do will bank, oferecendo cartão de crédito, seguros e outros serviços, de acordo com o comunicado enviado pela companhia ao mercado.

“Com a aquisição do will bank, passamos a ter um ecossistema digital completo, com tecnologia robusta e capilaridade na distribuição de produtos financeiros”, afirma Daniel Vorcaro, Presidente do Banco Master.

Leia a reportagem completa

Via Forbes

Copa Airlines announces 3 new destinations to Mexico, Brazil, and USA

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Copa Airlines, a subsidiary of Copa Holdings, S.A. and a member of the Star Alliance global airline network, announces the start of operations, in June of this year, to three new destinations: Tulum, Mexico, Florianopolis in Brazil, and Raleigh-Durham in North Carolina, United States. With the addition of these routes, Copa Airlines expands its network to 85 destinations in 32 countries across Central, South, North America, and the Caribbean.

  • With the addition of Raleigh-Durham, the airline strengthens its presence in the United States, reaching a total of 16 destinations in that market.
  • The new route to Tulum, Mexico, consolidates the airline’s presence in Mexico with five destinations, providing a faster and more convenient alternative for traveling to this renowned tourist destination in the Riviera Maya.
  • Florianopolis, the “Island of Magic,” becomes Copa Airlines’ 7th destination in Brazil, the primary air market in Latin America.

With the aim of expanding its connectivity in the important Brazilian market, starting from June 25, Copa Airlines will fly to the city of Florianopolis, the capital of the state of Santa Catarina in southern Brazil. Known as the “Island of Magic” for its more than 100 stunning beaches with crystal-clear waters and white sands, this city offers a rich culture and Azorean architecture, along with natural diversity encompassing ecotourism, trails, and natural parks. Considered one of the friendliest capitals in the country, Florianopolis is a true paradise for surfing enthusiasts.

The city of Florianopolis becomes the seventh destination for the airline in Brazil. Copa Airlines’ flight to Florianopolis will initially operate with three weekly frequencies on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. Departing at 3:23 p.m. from Panama (local time) and arriving at Hercilio Luz International Airport at 12:22 a.m. (local time). The return flight will depart from Florianopolis at 1:25 a.m., reaching Panama at 6:30 a.m. (local time) on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Mondays.

Passengers interested in traveling to or from the cities of Tulum, Florianópolis, and Raleigh-Durham can make their reservations at www.copa.com, sales offices, and the call center.

Maintaining its leadership in the region, Copa Airlines was recognized by the renowned company Cirium as the “Most Punctual Airline in Latin America in 2023,” achieving an on-time arrival rate of 89.46% and an on-time departure rate of 91.71% for the year. This recognition, placing us among the top 3 most punctual airlines globally, has been awarded by Cirium on nine occasions.

Learn more

Via Aviator

 

White & Case named to “Global Elite” in GDR 100

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Global Data Review (GDR) has, for the fourth consecutive time, named White & Case LLP to its Global Elite list.

Sitting atop the GDR 100 ranking of the world’s leading data law firms, these 25 “exceptionally good” practices are noted for their international reach and “top-of-the-market” work.

White & Case is ranked #2 overall, and in the top three in the following categories:

  • Data protection advisory: This category highlights firms advising on “the most complex cross-border projects.”
  • Non-personal data advisory: This category focuses on firms’ work in areas such as “the collection and use of data used to train AI (and, more recently, bespoke regulatory advice on AI models’ operation), critical infrastructure cybersecurity rules like the EU’s NIS 2 Directive, or companies seeking advice on how best to protect their valuable proprietary data from espionage or hacks.”
  • Investigations: This category considers firms’ work with “their most demanding clients,” in which “successful teams handled multiple jobs over the relevant period, showing that clients frequently turned in their direction when the going got tough.”
  • Litigation: This category identifies firms that were “frequently able to get good results,” noting that “getting decisions overturned on appeal or persuading regulators not to take matters further are signs of excellent lawyering, especially in a principles-based field where grey areas abound.”

Tim Hickman, partner and head of the Firm’s Data, Privacy & Cybersecurity practice, said: “These rankings reflect our commitment to helping clients successfully navigate complex AI, data, and cyber challenges around the world.”

GDR’s profile of White & Case described the Firm’s “ability to handle complex work spanning multiple jurisdictions for some of the world’s most demanding clients” and “cross-industry excellence.” One client noted the team’s “outstanding performance,” while another said, “The responsiveness of the partners and the pragmatic advice really sets them apart.”

Via White & Case

2-Key Brazilian economic activity index rises for fourth straight month

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Economic activity in Brazil rose for the fourth straight month in February, a central bank index showed on Wednesday.

The IBC-Br economic activity index, considered a leading indicator of gross domestic product, increased by a seasonally adjusted 0.4%, matching expectations from analysts polled by Reuters, and following a revised 0.52% increase in January.

Recent official data revealed unexpected growth in the retail sector in February, while the services sector and industrial output surprisingly dropped in Brazil.

Meanwhile, the largest economy in Latin America created a net 306,111 formal jobs in February, beating estimates.

On a non-seasonally adjusted basis, the IBC-Br expanded by 2.59% since February of last year and grew by 2.34% on a 12-month basis.

Learn more

Reporting by Camila Moreira and Andre Romani via Reuters

Magalu dá novo passo no mercado de ‘nuvem’ em parceria com a Dell

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Depois de lançar o Magalu Cloud em dezembro do ano passado, o Magazine Luiza quer começar a escalar seu negócio de nuvem pública.

A varejista, que marca presença na segunda edição do Web Summit Rio com a presidente Luiza Trajano, anuncia ao público nesta terça-feira os três primeiros serviços oferecidos pela plataforma com foco em armazenamento, segurança e identidade.

A gigante do varejo brasileiro aposta no mercado de infraestrutura de nuvem desde 2021, mas só no ano passado abriu os serviços para consumidores. Até o momento, há cem clientes PJ e cerca de 700 pessoa física — todos vindos por indicações e redes de contatos do Magalu, explica Christian Reis (Kiko), diretor da Magalu Cloud.

Clientes dos setores de varejo, saúde, tecnologia e industrial já utilizam o serviço de nuvem desde o ano passado, mas esta é a primeira vez que o Magazine Luiza passa a oferecer a plataforma ao público em geral. Para isso, a empresa acelerou investimentos, reforçou as operações de software e realizou testes de carga para atender a demanda.

Agora, com o início da oferta ao público em geral, a Magalu Cloud se diz pronta para atender o mercado e para ampliar sua participação no setor. Os serviços passam a ficar disponíveis a partir de hoje ao público em geral e podem ser contratados pelo site. A plataforma é voltada tanto para desenvolvedores quanto startups e empresas de maior porte.

Parceria com a Dell

O Magalu Cloud está lançando três serviços: um de armazenamento de dados escalável (object storage), uma solução de gerenciamento de contas corporativas e colaboradores, fornecedores ou terceiros (chamado Turia IAM) e outra de autenticação integrada, em que o usuário acessa diversos serviços online por meio de uma conta única (ID Magalu).

Uma das estratégias para acelerar o crescimento do negócio foi firmar uma parceria com a Dell na frente de object storage e assim já chegar a mais clientes. A ideia é que os clientes da Dell passem a aproveitar o Magalu Cloud para fazer backups de volumes grandes de dados ou transferir novos dados para a plataforma, otimizando o tempo que uma máquina física própria de armazenamento exigiria.

Leia a reportagem completa

Via Época Negócios/Agência O Globo

Vale reaches 100% renewable energy consumption target in Brazil two years ahead of schedule

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Vale has officially announced that all the electricity used in its operations in Brazil in 2023 came from renewable sources, such as hydroelectric, wind and solar power plants. Thus, the company has achieved its goal of having 100% renewable electricity consumption in Brazil two years ahead of schedule, which was 2025.

The information is highlighted in the 2023 edition of the Integrated Report, which includes more environmental, social and diversity advances made by the company.

Having reached the target, Vale has zeroed its indirect CO2 emissions in Brazil, which correspond to scope 2. The company still has the challenge of achieving 100% renewable energy consumption in its global operations by 2030. At the moment, this indicator stands at 88.5%.

The start-up of the Sol do Cerrado solar complex in November 2022 was key to achieving the target two years ahead of schedule. Located in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, the solar complex represented an investment of US$ 590 million by Vale. It is one of the largest solar energy parks in Latin America, with an installed capacity of 766 Megawatts-peak, equivalent to the consumption of a city of 800,000 inhabitants. In July 2023, the complex reached its maximum capacity. It has the potential of contributing to around 16% of all the electricity consumed by Vale in Brazil.

In its global operations, Vale is also moving towards 100% renewable energy consumption by 2030. The company invests in joint venture partnerships, renewable generation certificates in contracts (PPAs) and innovation initiatives for better efficiency in the use of batteries.

Scope 1: alternative fuels and biocarbon

Vale is also working to reduce its direct Scope 1 emissions. In the mines and railroads, where diesel (a fossil fuel) is currently intensively consumed, the company is studying the adoption of alternative fuels, such as ethanol for trucks and green ammonia for locomotives. In the pelletizing furnaces, the strategy is to replace anthracite, a type of mineral coal, with zero-emission biocarbon, made from the carbonization of biomass.

Last year, Vale signed an agreement with Wabtec for the supply of three electric locomotives and the start of studies into the development of a green ammonia-powered locomotive engine. The company also produced pellets with 100% biocarbon for the first time in an industrial test.

Learn more

Via Vale

Wharton’s 56th Global Forum

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Dear Members and Supporters:

In recognition of the global importance of Brazilian business and the longstanding partnership between The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and Brazilian executives, the Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce is proud to support Wharton’s 56th Global Forum.  This highly anticipated event will take place from June 7-8, 2024 at The Grand Hyatt São Paulo (Avenida das Nações Unidas, 13.301, 04578-000 São Paulo – SP – Brazil).

The 56th Global Forum presents unparalleled opportunities to gain diverse perspectives from global leaders in industry, government, and academia.  The event will feature engaging presentations on cutting-edge research, faculty and executive-led master classes, and networking opportunities with global business leaders.

For more information on Wharton’s 56th Global Forum, including agenda, speakers, and registration, please click here.

To note – prior to the Forum Kick-Off, Wharton Executive Education will host a mini program on “Family Wealth Management: Balancing Family Harmony with Financial Prosperity.”   The mini program will take place on Friday, June 7th from 9 AM – 1 PM. In the link below, you can find more information about Friday’s workshop, including a QR code for registration. You can register for the workshop only or for the full forum.

We hope you take this opportunity to gain valuable insights from experts in business and government in one of Latin America’s most entrepreneurial cities!

Best wishes,

Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce

—

Click here for more information and get tickets!

Southern Brazil reaps record soy to offset center-west crop failure

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A record soybean harvest in Brazil’s southernmost state should offset losses in the drought-hit center west, keeping a lid on prices in the world’s largest producer and exporter and slowing the pace of sales, according to local farmers and cooperatives.

Rio Grande do Sul will produce 68% more soybeans this season than last, according to estimates from national crop agency Conab, which said Thursday the state would regain the post of Brazil’s No.2 producer after Mato Grosso. Another state crop agency Emater projects a record crop of 22.25 million metric tons, up 71.5% from a year ago.
That marks a dramatic comeback after two straight years of drought in southern Brazil and neighboring Argentina. In the current crop, the El Nino weather pattern has hammered soybean farmers in Brazil’s top-producing state of Mato Grosso but compensated with strong yields in the south.

‘A GOOD PROBLEM’

Brazil will produce an estimated 146.5 million tons of soybeans this season, according to Conab, which had forecast 162 million tons in October, before the strong El Nino ravaged fields in center-west Brazil. In Mato Grosso, where Conab forecasts a drop of 7.5 million tons in soy production this year, global grain merchants often buy directly from farmers. But in Rio Grande do Sul they tend to deal with cooperatives set up in the late 1950s initially to help wheat producers store and sell the crop, said Enio Schroeder, vice-president at Cotrijal, the state’s largest farm coop, with more than 16,000 members.

Read the full report

Reporting by Ana Maro and Diego Vara via Reuters

Empresa com sócio-fundador brasileiro promove consultoria a empresários brasileiros que desejam expansão para os EUA

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Com a concorrência altíssima ao expandir a sua empresa para os Estados Unidos, o serviço de busca de estratégias e conhecimento local realizado pela empresa Dispatched Business Studio, tornou-se fundamental para que as chances de sucesso sejam maiores.

A empresa, que tem sua sede localizada em Nova York, e possui como sócios-fundadores o brasileiro Rodrigo Castello Branco e a estadunidense Fabíola Ordóñez, está promovendo um modelo de consultoria que vem gerando repercussão em toda a América Latina.

A Dispatched, que é considerada uma modern advisory firm (empresa moderna de consultoria), promove para seus parceiros uma minimização dos custos e o afastamento dos riscos ao se estabelecer empresas nacionais em território dos Estados Unidos ao simplificar as etapas de lançamento e expansão das empresas em todas as etapas, por meio de um conjunto de serviços e de networking que proporcionam a capacitação dos empreendedores, para que estes tenham uma maior assertividade e sucesso na realização de seus objetivos.

Leia a reportagem na íntegra.

Por Analice Nicolau via Jornal de Brasília

Meet our New Member Brunswick

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Brunswick is a strategic advisory firm focused on critical issues and critical stakeholders at the center of business, politics and society. Our purpose is to help our clients – the leaders of large, complex organizations – understand and navigate these interconnected worlds.

From financial situations through to capital markets, regulatory and public affairs, social issues, crisis, cyber, employee engagement and litigation, clients rely on Brunswick for insight, advice, preparedness and campaigns.

Learn more here

Embraer and Brazilian Air Force begin studies for special mission platforms

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Embraer and the Brazilian Air Force announced the beginning of collaborative studies to identify potential platform adaptations for Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance missions. The platforms to be used are already operational in the Brazilian Air Force, such as the C-390 Millennium.

“The Brazilian Air Force constantly monitors its ability to fulfill its missions completely in the current context, while also looking at future challenges and the evolution of technologies. Studying the adherence and adaptability of Embraer platforms to the future challenges of these missions is an expected way to maximize commonality and technological autonomy,” says Lieutenant-Brigadier Marcelo Kanitz Damasceno, Commander of the Brazilian Air Force.

“Embraer has a successful track record in adapting its platforms for different objectives. The joint studies will allow the expansion of the solutions portfolio to meet the operational needs of the Brazilian Air Force’s Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance missions and potential international customers. This is another important step in the long-term relationship between Embraer and the Brazilian Air Force,” says Bosco da Costa Junior, President and CEO of Embraer Defense & Security.

The announcement took place at the International Air and Space Fair (FIDAE) in Santiago, Chile, with the presence of Bosco da Costa Junior, President and CEO of Embraer Defense & Security, and Lieutenant-Brigadier Marcelo Kanitz Damasceno, Commander of the Air Force.

Via EDR Online

Message for U.S. Citizens: Postponement of Brazilian Visa Requirement to 2025

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The Brazilian government postponed the visa requirement for U.S. nationals for one year. On April 10, 2025, the Government of Brazil will reinstate a visa requirement for all U.S. nationals visiting Brazil, with an option for an e-visa for qualified applicants.  This date reflects a one-year postponement announced on April 9, 2024.

Currently, the visa fee is $80.90 with a 10-year validity.  For questions about the e-visa application procedures, visit the Brazilian government-authorized website, https://brazil.vfsevisa.com/

Please share this information with family, friends, and colleagues who are planning to visit.

Via U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Brazil

Meet our New Member Love Together Brasil

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Love Together Brasil is a non-profit, non-governmental organization based in Piancó, Paraíba.

The idea to establish Love Together Brasil was born in 2014, inspired by Geralda Sarraf, a native of Piancó who lives in New York, and her American friend Kristen Campagna.

The idealism and altruism of the friends became a reality, with the help of friends and volunteers, starting in April 2015, when Love Together Brasil, officially established, began its work in underprivileged communities in the hinterlands of Paraíba.

The goal of Love Together Brasil is to carry out, with the support of volunteers and the partnership of companies and public and private institutions, specific actions in education, health, and water supply.

In the last three years, the activities of Love Together Brasil have been intensified to alleviate the problem of water scarcity in underprivileged communities in the Northeast region, notably in Paraíba, with the drilling/installation of artesian wells in Daycares, Schools, Hospitals, and Urban and Rural Communities, through the “WATER FOR THOSE WHO ARE THIRSTY” Project, benefiting thousands of people.

Through this project, with the help of donors and volunteers, Love Together Brasil has delivered 50 (fifty) artesian wells, contributing to improving the living conditions of approximately 150,000 people in the Metropolitan Region of the Vale do Piancó, which covers 18 (eighteen) municipalities in the hinterlands of Paraíba.

In addition to carrying out specific actions in Education and Health, our mission is to bring potable water to underprivileged communities in the northeastern hinterland, promoting the socioeconomic development of regions affected by frequent droughts, intense heat, and water scarcity.

See other projects carried out by Love Together Brasil.

Learn more

Dispatched Business Studio Brings a New Concept of an Advisory Firm

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Whether interested in entering new global markets or accelerating their business in the US, clients benefit from the “one-stop shop” approach at Dispatched.

Dispatched Business Studio is a platform of trusted advisors working in collaboration with businesses, brands, and innovative founders. This new model of an advisory firm provides curated business solutions that tap into a unique network of experts across a broad range of industries in the US and internationally.

Dispatched’s mission is to simplify and elevate the process of launching and expanding companies at all stages by delivering a comprehensive suite of services, expertise, and connections that empower entrepreneurs, innovators, brands, and investors to strategically accelerate.

The definition of ‘dispatch’ is to send off purposefully and to deal with tasks efficiently, which reflects the founders’ inherent ability to rapidly organize complex projects and manage tasks and teams through a detail-oriented approach.

Fabiola Ordonez and Rodrigo Castello Branco are creative former practicing attorneys with multicultural backgrounds and entrepreneurial mindsets who practiced law at major international firms and the world’s largest asset manager. With over fifteen years of combined experience, they have structured, led, negotiated, and closed countless transactions amounting to billions of dollars in deal value for private and public companies across various industries.

Based in New York, with personal and professional experiences spanning the Americas, Europe, and Asia, they bring a fresh and dynamic approach to the ‘square’ stereotype of advisory firms. Fabiola and Rodrigo identified a gap in clients’ needs for bespoke and efficient business services and guidance outside of law – a true handholding.  With that in mind, they departed from the practice of law to create this new concept of a ‘business studio’, where they offer a “one-stop shop” model to US and LatAm based clients.

Learn more.

Via AP News

Diversidade no centro da gestão do Banco do Brasil

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“Diversidade é questão central da nossa gestão”, diz presidente do BB, que recebe prêmio da ONU

Tarciana Medeiros, presidente do Banco do Brasil, está entre os CEOs e empresas que conquistaram o Prêmio Ambição 2030 da ONU (Organização das Nações Unidas).

Na sua primeira edição, o prêmio reconheceu iniciativas de inclusão étnico-racial e equidade de gênero e foi anunciado na quinta-feira (14/03) em evento na sede da ONU, em Nova York.

Tarciana foi premiada como CEO de destaque com as iniciativas “Raça é Prioridade” e “Elas Lideram”, que têm como objetivo alcançar a paridade de pessoas negras e de mulheres na liderança, respectivamente, até 2030. “A diversidade é questão central da nossa gestão e temos conquistado importantes resultados tanto para equidade de gênero como para a inclusão da população preta e parda”, diz a CEO.

Diversidade no centro da gestão

Desde que assumiu, em janeiro de 2023, a presidenta, como gosta de ser chamada, tem levantado pautas de diversidade e sustentabilidade dentro do banco mais antigo do país, com 215 anos.

Sob sua gestão, o banco estabeleceu metas públicas e concretas em sustentabilidade e inclusão, criou um comitê de diversidade e tornou-se embaixador dos compromissos da ONU. “Essas ações priorizadas na estratégia do BB têm demonstrado impacto positivo para clientes, funcionários, fornecedores e demais parceiros estratégicos, contribuindo para a inclusão financeira e a geração de trabalho e renda.”

Para além do discurso e dos resultados financeiros que vem trazendo, Tarciana Medeiros levou mais mulheres para a diretoria e um executivo negro para liderar a BB Asset Management.

O Banco do Brasil também foi homenageado por suas medidas dedicadas à promoção da igualdade de gênero e inclusão étnico-racial. A instituição está presente na premiação nas categorias “30% de pessoas negras ou indígenas em posição de liderança até 2025” e “Apoio ao empreendedorismo de mulheres através das cadeias de suprimentos e marketing, com implementação de práticas de desenvolvimento empresarial que empoderem as mulheres”.

Leia a reportagem completa

Via Forbes Brasil

28th Inffinito Brazilian Film Festival

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Join us at the Miami Dade College’s 41st Annual Miami Film Festival, in collaboration with 28th Inffinito Brazilian Film Festival, for an exceptional cinematic experience featuring two captivating Brazilian films on April 10th and 12th.

TOLL

  • When: Wednesday, April 10, 7:00 PM + Q&A @ Silverspot Cinema 11
  • Directed by: Carolina Markowicz
  • Synposis: Suellen, a Brazilian toll booth attendant and mother, becomes entangled with a group of thieves in a desperate attempt to support her family. She discovers she can exploit her position to earn extra money for what she believes is a noble cause: sending her son to an expensive gay conversion workshop led by a renowned foreign priest. However, her actions set off a series of unforeseen consequences, leaving few satisfied, except perhaps the thieves.

MAYA AND THE WAVE

  • When: Friday, Apri 12, 7:30 PM + Q&A @ Silverspot Cinema 12
  • Directed by: Stephanie Johnes
  • Synposis: Maya Gabeira, raised in Brazil with aspirations to compete in surfing, faces not only the challenges of mastering the ocean through dedication and training but also the entrenched chauvinism within the male-dominated sport. Critics constantly question her abilities, yet Maya remains undeterred. In Maya and the Wave, we accompany Gabeira on her journey to shatter world records in Nazaré, Portugal, renowned for its towering waves.

Register for free on our platform

Via Inffinito

Brazil hopes COP30 climate summit boosts ecotourism

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Brazilian tourism officials are hoping to change the country’s image as a mere haven for scantily clad beachgoers by hosting U.N. climate talks next year in the Amazon rainforest city of Belem that will focus on environmental sustainability and ending deforestation to slow global warming

The summit is expected to boost Brazil’s attractiveness as an ecotourism destination and increase travel to its Amazon rainforest and other biomes that offer the world’s greatest biodiversity, Tourism Minister Celso Sabino said.

Only 9% of current visitors to Brazil are ecotourists, while almost two out of every three tourists come for sun and beach, he said in an interview late on Tuesday.
“Tourism is essential for the sustainability and preservation of forests, bringing needed economic development for the local inhabitants,” he said.
Drawing more environmental and adventure travelers is part of the government’s plan to increase overall tourism in Brazil, which is low in comparison with other countries. Tourism contributes less than 8% of Brazil’s GDP, compared to more than 20% in Spain, Portugal or the Dominican Republic, he said.
Sabino is working on expanding flights to Brazil and will be at the Seatrade Cruise Global fair in Miami next week to discuss increasing the number of cruise ship visits to Brazilian ports.
All steps to raise foreign and domestic tourism are welcomed by private businesses complaining that the number of tourists remains stagnant and below the pre-pandemic level.
“Brazil has a natural vocation for ecotourism given its unique biodiversity. There is an enormous potential to be tapped,” said Marina Figueiredo, executive president of Braztoa, the Brazilian tour operators association.
Tourists worldwide are looking for new experiences with nature and wildlife, Figueiredo told Reuters.
“COP30 next year will be more than just a conference. It is a very strategic event that will showcase Brazil as a country that protects the environment and preserves nature,” she said.
—
Reporting by Anthony Boadle; Editing by Paul Simao

Brazilian Tax Reform And Its Implications For Foreign Sellers

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Brazilian consumption taxes are highly complex. Different levels of government have the authority to levy taxes on consumption, leading to the coexistence of multiple taxes, each governed by distinct rules. This complexity creates numerous challenges, such as tax competition between states and conflicts of jurisdiction among different tiers of government.

Despite doubts about the possibility of tax reform in Brazil, the long-awaited simplification of the tax system has finally been enacted after nearly four decades of discussions and several unsuccessful attempts.

Current Brazilian consumption tax system

The Brazilian Federal Constitution of 1988 granted the authority to levy consumption taxes to all levels of government — federal, state, and municipal. As a result, Brazil operates with multiple layers of taxation, with various taxes existing concurrently. This constitutional framework delineates the division of taxation responsibilities regarding goods and services.

Brazilian tax reform

On 20 December 2023, Brazil approved the long-awaited reform, replacing the existing consumption taxes with a dual VAT system comprising a subnational VAT (imposto sobre bens e serviços, IBS) and a federal VAT (contribuição sobre bens e serviços, CBS). Both federal and subnational VAT will share key features, such as the taxable transaction and base, and will operate on a non-cumulative basis following the destination principle.

Implications for foreign remote sellers

Foreign remote sellers currently have no tax compliance obligations in Brazil. Unlike many other countries, Brazil has not implemented special regulations mandating remote sellers to collect Brazilian consumption taxes on digital services provided to Brazilian customers.

Although the proposed reform does not explicitly outline rules for foreign sellers of digital services, some initial insights can be drawn based on its overarching principles. Under the Brazilian dual VAT system, taxable transactions will include both domestic and import transactions involving tangible goods, intangible goods, and services. The destination principle will apply to both cross-border transactions and domestic ones, but the criteria for determining the customer’s location will be specified in the complementary law. As a result, services provided by foreign sellers will be subject to taxation in Brazil. However, the specific tax collection mechanism Brazil will adopt has yet to be determined. If tax collection obligations are imposed on foreign sellers, they will face significant challenges in determining the customer’s location and the applicable tax rate, which may vary from one municipality to another.

Concluding remarks

The Brazilian tax reform aims to address long-standing issues of tax competition and jurisdictional conflicts among different levels of government. Once fully implemented, it is expected to simplify taxation and enhance tax administration and compliance. The new system will align more closely with international tax principles and will also encompass digital services provided by remote sellers to Brazilian customers. However, clarity is still needed regarding the application of tax collection responsibilities. Furthermore, the tax reform is anticipated to stimulate foreign investments in Brazil. Many companies interested in investing in the country currently hesitate due to the complexity of the tax system. However, the cost reductions resulting from the reform may lead to increased interest in establishing a local presence in Brazil.

By Aleksandra Bal via Forbes

Read the full article

5 lideranças brasileiras que transformaram o Brasil

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Há séculos, mulheres pioneiras lideram transformações no Brasil. Seja na gestão pública, no empreendedorismo social, na ciência, na tecnologia ou na educação, elas seguem abrindo caminhos para que outras lideranças femininas alcancem patamares cada vez mais altos no futuro.

Não à toa, a presença de mulheres na liderança começa a dar sinais de crescimento no país. Segundo o Panorama Mulheres 2023, realizado pelo Talenses Group e pelo Insper, as CEOs mulheres passaram de 13%, em 2019, para 17% em 2022. Já no setor público, a porcentagem de mulheres em cargos de alta liderança saltou de 29% para 34%.

Porém, para que os grandes feitos dessas mulheres sejam reconhecidos devidamente, é preciso saber que elas existem.  Por isso, esta lista destaca 5 lideranças femininas que contribuíram e contribuem com esse cenário de pioneirismo no país. Confira a seguir:

1. Nísia Floresta (1810-1885)

Aos 22 anos, Nísia Floresta escreveu o livro “Direitos das mulheres e injustiça dos homens”, o primeiro entre outras 14 obras publicadas pela educadora, jornalista e poetisa em defesa dos Direitos Humanos no Brasil. Geralmente, utilizava os veículos para propagar ideais republicanos, abolicionistas e defensores dos  direitos de mulheres, escravizados e indígenas.

2. Antonieta de Barros (1901-1952)

Dois anos depois da conquista do voto feminino, Antonieta de Barros (1901-1952) se tornou a terceira mulher e a primeira parlamentar negra a ser eleita no Brasil, em 1935. Filha de ex-escravizada e natural de Florianópolis (SC), a deputada tinha a educação como causa e ofício.

3. Nise da Silveira (1905-1999)

A psiquiatra alagoana Nise da Silveira é pioneira em muitas áreas: uma das primeiras mulheres a se formar em Medicina no Brasil, foi a única em uma turma de mais de 150 homens. Também foi pioneira da psicologia junguiana no país, bem como das pesquisas sobre a relação emocional de pacientes com animais.

Mas seu grande legado está no uso da arte como tratamento para transtornos mentais. Quando coordenou o Centro Psiquiátrico Nacional Pedro II, no Rio de Janeiro, Nise partiu na contramão das técnicas utilizadas nos sanatórios da época, que geralmente envolviam lobotomia, camisas de força e confinamento.

4. Adriana Barbosa (1978)

Nascida e criada em São Paulo (SP), Adriana Barbosa trilha o caminho do empreendedorismo desde os 12 anos de idade, quando ajudava a complementar a renda da família. Mesmo trabalhando na área de Comunicação, ela seguiu frequentando feiras de empreendedorismo, o que a motivou a criar um evento que valorizasse a cultura negra nesses espaços. Assim nasceu a Feira Preta. A empreendedora foi a primeira mulher negra a ser indicada na lista de Inovadores Sociais do Mundo, pelo Fórum Econômico Mundial.

5. Karen Santos (1992)

A trajetória de empreendedorismo social da designer Karen Santos nasceu a partir de uma dor pessoal: a escassez de mulheres pretas no mercado digital. Quando migrou para a área de UX (Experiência do Usuário), sentiu a necessidade de trocar experiências com outras profissionais negras.

Por isso, a UX para Minas Pretas nasceu como uma comunidade, mas rapidamente se tornou uma startup de educação (edtech), com objetivo de capacitar mulheres negras na área de UX Design.

Leia a reportagem na íntegra.

Via Fundação Lemann

Mattos Filho é recordista na categoria Brazil Law Firm of the Year do Chambers Brazil Awards

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Reconhecido pela sétima vez como escritório do ano em uma das principais premiações do mercado jurídico, Mattos Filho também é líder em números de prêmios na edição 2024, com conquistas em cinco categorias

O Mattos Filho recebeu o principal prêmio do Chambers Brazil Awards 2024: Brazil Law Firm of the Year. É a sétima vez que o escritório é reconhecido como o melhor do ano no país, o que o torna recordista nesta categoria. Durante a cerimônia, realizada no último dia 21/3, em São Paulo, o Mattos Filho recebeu outros quatro reconhecimentos, sendo o líder em número de premiações desta edição.

O Chambers Brazil Awards é uma das principais premiações do mercado jurídico e reconhece os escritórios de advocacia do país por sua excelência técnica, atendimento ao cliente e crescimento estratégico. Para o Mattos Filho, esse resultado reflete o trabalho estratégico dos profissionais no atendimento jurídico de excelência que é prestado aos clientes.

Confira todas as conquistas!

Via Mattos Filho

 

10th Year Anniversary Concert! Brazilian Rhythms & Styles

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The Brazilian Music Foundation is celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2024 and has prepared a wonderful concert of Brazilian rhythms and styles which will be presented on May 9th, 2024 at the National Opera Center America.

We will continue to present the best of Brazilian music and also help children in Brazil through our program “The Future of Our Children”.

“BRAZILIAN RHYTHMS & STYLES” 

Our music is our story!

With it we found musical textures, like Lundu, Maxixe, Choro, Samba, Bossa Nova, MPB, and many countless rhythms and musical genres. 

Brazil’s musical mix is the result of our ethnic and cultural mix. For example, the lundu was adapted by the curumins from the religious songs of the Jesuits, while the chorinho evolved from the mixture of European music brought by the Portuguese court and the street festivals enlivened by the atabaques of African slaves. This fruitful mixture germinated in our imagination, creating a fusion between popular and classical elements.

The communion of ethnic miscegenation with the creative imagination gave rise to our national character and its captivating musicality. The broad and deep links between the history of Brazilian music and its social and cultural elements are demonstrated in this concert.

ABOUT THE CONCERT

The concert showcases the richness and variety of Brazilian Rhythms. We will travel together through the history of Brazilian musical styles; showing the diversity of pitches, tones, sounds, and musical colors. The story will be brought to life by a select group of virtuoso musicians.

The chosen repertoire will present the diversity of sounds from each era, the work of several musicians who were part of the history of Brazilian music.

From lundu to MPB, we will present some musical hits by artists like; Chiquinha Gonzaga, Ernesto Nazareth, Villa Lobos, Francisco Mignone, Donga, Ary Barroso, Cartola, Dorival Caymmi, Tom Jobim,  Zequinha de Abreu,  Nelson Cavaquinho, João  Gilberto, Luiz Gonzaga, and more…

From Classical sounds to profound popular lyrics, you will be delighted to hear some famous songs that have touched the lives of so many people around the world! We hope you will be moved by the wonderful sounds of Brazilian Music!

MEET THE PERFORMERS

Location:

THE NATIONAL OPERA CENTER 
330 7th Ave (betw. 28th-29th St), 7th floor, New York, NY

May 9, 2024 | 8:30 PM EST

Click here for Google map!

GET TICKETS

 

Via Brazilian Music Foundation

Meet our New Member Finocchio & Ustra Advogados

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Finocchio & Ustra (FIUS) is a full-service law firm, with a team of approximately 250 people. FIUS has a relevant history of success cases resulting from its strategic way of acting and business acumen. Focused on understanding and improving its clients’ businesses, the firm places the client at the center and harnesses multidisciplinary efforts to mitigate risks and deliver strategic, innovative, reliable and effective solutions. The team is its best asset, and FIUS is incredibly proud to have an extremely talented team that acts freely in an ethical and collaborative environment. The firm’s core values are based on respect, innovation, excellence, and preparing for coming corporate challenges. Headquartered in Campinas for 22 years, with branches in Ribeirão Preto, São José dos Campos and São Paulo, FIUS has a strong presence in the countryside of the state of São Paulo, as well as correspondents throughout Brazil and abroad.

Learn more.

Brazil is More Than Just Sun, Sea and Sand: Where to Go for Wildlife, Hiking and Diving

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Beyond culture and carnivals, Brazil’s beautiful natural landscapes are a growing draw for tourists.

Famous for its world-class carnivals, glorious beaches, towering Christ the Redeemer statue and hearty cuisine, Brazil is a country of staggering proportions and diverse landscapes.

The country is also home to a wealth of natural wonders and outdoor activities, making it a top holiday choice for outdoor lovers and thrill seekers looking for an adrenaline rush.

Among its most renowned treasures is the Amazon rainforest, which spans over 6.7 million square kilometers and represents over half of the planet’s remaining rainforests. Its fragile biodiversity is unmatched and is home to millions of species of plants, animals, and insects, many of which have yet to be discovered.

The best natural wonders in Brazil

The Amazon River, flowing through the heart of the rainforest, is the largest river by discharge volume globally. It plays a vital role in sustaining the ecosystem and surrounding communities.

In the southern region of Brazil lies the Pantanal, the world’s largest tropical wetland area.

During the rainy season, the Pantanal transforms into a vast flooded plain, teeming with wildlife such as jaguars, caimans, capybaras, and many bird species. Its diverse habitats support a rich ecosystem, drawing nature enthusiasts and researchers from across the globe.

Along the border with Argentina, Iguazu Falls is one of the most spectacular waterfalls globally. It comprises a series of over 275 individual falls cascading over cliffs amidst lush rainforests.

By Portia Jones via Euronews.

Read full article here.

Brazil’s Mangrove Forests Represent Untapped Blue Carbon Banks, Says New Study from National Geographic Explorers

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Press Release

New research from the National Geographic and Rolex Perpetual Planet Amazon Expedition suggests increased protection of Brazil’s mangroves can help meet the country’s emissions targets

Washington, D.C. (March 4) — Released today in Nature Communications, a new study titled “The inclusion of Amazon mangroves in Brazil’s REDD+ program” suggests that Brazil’s mangroves hold untapped climate mitigation potential, sequestering an estimated 468.3 tonnes of carbon per hectare — a capacity roughly 3-20-fold higher than that of Brazilian upland biomes. The study, authored in part by National Geographic Explorers Angelo Bernardino and Margaret Awuor Owuor, proposes that it is essential that Brazil’s mangroves be included in the country’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) as part of the Paris Agreement and could be further utilized in the voluntary carbon credit system to finance forest conservation through the REDD+ initiative.

Protecting these blue carbon reservoirs would not only be key to helping Brazil reach its 100 percent emissions reduction goal, but could also provide added economic benefit as actions to halt mangrove loss in the Amazon could potentially generate nearly 11.5 ± 0.11 million tonnes in carbon credits over a 10-yr period (2020-2030) under REDD+, suggesting they are of great value to mitigate emissions from the forestry sector and finance biodiversity conservation.

Brazil contains the second largest repository of mangrove forests in the world, yet the country’s National REDD+ strategy currently does not include the mitigation of mangrove deforestation in the context of result-based payments for reducing emissions under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). To better understand their potential impact and advocate for these critical coastal ecosystems, Bernardino, Awuor Owuor and a team of local researchers analyzed 900 soil samples and tree measurements from over 190 forest plots to determine mangrove forest emission levels across pristine and deforested areas near the Amazon River mouth including Sucuriju, Araguari and Bailique, and to the east including Curuçá, Maracanã and Bragança.

Via NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY NEWSROOM

Read full press release.

The US Treasury Secretary Calls Brazil’s Tax Reform ‘historic’

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On Tuesday, February 27, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen called the Brazilian tax reform approved by the National Congress last year “truly historic”. According to her, the measure may attract foreign investments to the country.

“I congratulate Minister [of the Economy, Fernando] Haddad for proposing truly historic tax reform. This will make business easier, including for US companies to invest in Brazil.”

The reform is one of the main measures the Lula government and minister of economy Fernando Haddad have been advocating for, which promises to modernize Brazil’s tax system by implementing a taxation model currently used in many developed countries. The government expects to send the bill to the National Congress in March.

From the newsroom
Translated by: Ana Paula Rocha | Edited by: Nicolau Soares via Brasil de Fato 

Read full article.

Leia em português.

Legal Insights From Brazil to Start Your Week

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Capital Markets | Brazilian Authority Updates Rules For Eligible Underlying Assets of CRI and CRA; Reimbursement of Expenses Remains Restricted

The National Monetary Council (CMN) promoted specific adjustments to regulation that substantially impacted the offering of Agribusiness Receivables Certificate (CRA) and Real Estate Receivables Certificate (CRI) by agribusiness and real estate related companies, respectively.

See below the changes that Resolution No. 5,121, of March 1st, made to Resolution No. 5,118:

1. The Definition of “Debt Instruments” Does Not Include Commercial Contracts: The wording of Resolution 5.118 generated doubt among market agents whether or not it included contracts of a commercial nature, which are common in securitization transactions.

The CMN clarifies, through Resolution 5.121, that contracts of a commercial nature, such as rental contracts, purchase and sale contracts and usufruct contracts related to real estate, can be used as underlying asset for CRA and CRI offerings.

2. Possibility of Issuing CCI as Backing for CRIs: The revised regulation now allows debt instruments whose issuers are not characterized as debtors, co-debtors or guarantors to also be backed by CRA and CRI, such as the Real Estate Credit Certificate (CCI), which is a title issued by a real estate lender.

3. Prohibition of Backing with Debt Instruments of Financial Institutions: Another amendment to Resolution 5.118 sought to restrict the application of the new prohibitions to financial institutions or their respective subsidiaries.

4. Possibility of CRI Offerings for Reimbursement of Expenses Remain Prohibited: One of the points that market agents expected that the CMN would review was regarding offering of CRI for reimbursement of expenses.

Resolution 5.121 did not change the restriction imposed by Resolution 5.118 that CRAs and CRIs cannot contain as collateral credit rights “arising from financial operations whose resources are used to reimburse expenses”.

Although the changes introduced are welcome, the CMN should have also allowed the possibility of CRI for reimbursement of expenses, which is a typical real estate transaction and brings liquidity to the sector.

 

Dispute Resolution | New “Electronic Judicial Domicile” System in Brazil: Mandatory Registration of Brazilian Companies Must Be Completed by May 2024

According to the Brazilian National Council of Justice (CNJ), registration is mandatory for all companies that are registered in Brazil (i.e., that have a taxpayer number, so-called “CNPJ”), except if they are classified as “micro” or “small” company. Such registration must be completed by May 30th, 2024.

After such deadline, (i) inclusion will be automatic, based on Brazilian Federal Revenue data, (ii) all procedural communications sent via Electronic Judicial Domicile will be deemed acknowledged and valid, (iii) the company will be exposed to penalties and procedural sanctions for non-compliance with such judicial communications (including default of appearance and possible convictions) and (iv) if the company does not use the portal and/or does not respond to procedural communications, a fine will be imposed.

The Electronic Judicial Domicile is a platform that concentrates all communications and subpoenas, issued by Brazilian courts and directed to companies, on a single system. It is worth mentioning that the system encompasses all Brazilian courts, regardless of the jurisdiction (for example, civil, federal, labor, tax courts and even superior courts).

The purpose of the system is to facilitate procedural communications, standardize access to such subpoenas and expand the digitalization of the Judiciary. As its use will be mandatory, companies must designate an employee/third party to periodically access the portal and train them to operate the platform – so that they perform the filtering and forward such communication to an external lawyer hired by the company.

According to the rules of the Electronic Judicial Domicile system, all summonses will be deemed read and valid after 3 business days, and all notifications after 10 business days, starting the procedural deadlines. Also, in case of failure to confirm receipt of the summons, the company will be subject to a fine of up to 5% of the value of the claim.

It is important to highlight those communications directed to retained lawyers and/or lawyers already with powers in legal proceedings will not be affected by the new system. The Electronic Judicial Domicile only encompasses communications that are targeted by the Courts directly to companies, as is the case with summonses (i.e., for new claims, in which there is no appointed lawyer yet) or personal subpoenas (in which the communication is made to the party, and not via a lawyer).

 

Labor | Brazilian Superior Labor Court Denies Award Bank Employee Status To Former Employee of Payment Methods Fintech

The 4th Panel of the Brazilian Superior Labor Court (TST) recognized that employees of a fintech of payment methods cannot be equated with bank employees, even if only for the purposes of labor and employment rights.

The actions that have reached the TST seek to classify payment method companies in the financial category, in which case the employment contract becomes governed by the collective bargain agreement of bank employees, generally more advantageous, such as, for example, working hours six hours a day (30 hours a week).

However, the activities of payment method companies are incompatible with those of financial institutions in the eyes of the Brazilian Central Bank, due to an express legal prohibition. The activity of means of payment is governed by Law No. 12,865, of 2013, which provides for payment arrangements and payment institutions that are part of the Brazilian Payment System (SPB – Brazilian Acronym), which expressly prohibits the performance of these companies in activities carried out by institutions financial institutions regulated by the Brazilian Central Bank.

In this case, the Brazilian Regional Labor Court of Rio de Janeiro had understood that the evidence demonstrated that the company acted as a financial company and not just as a payment method company, because in addition to managing credit cards, the company allegedly performed services of “ credit, financing or investments”.

The fintech appealed the decision to the Superior Labor Court (TST – Brazilian Acronym), and, for the Reporting Judge of the case at the TST, Judge Maria Cristina Peduzzi, as credit card operators act only as intermediaries between the end user, commercial establishments and financial institutions, which are regulated by the Central Bank of Brazil, payment method companies do not, as a rule, qualify as financial institutions.

The Reporting Judger highlighted that “the classification of the activities carried out by the employee as belonging to a (non-financial) payment institution is sufficient to remove the status of a financial institution”, since intermediation and services do not mean that they actually performed the services of financial institutions.

We highlight that, fortunately, this decision is in line with the majority understanding of the TST on the subject, which, since 2020, has been taking a position in the sense that employees of fintechs, and other means of payment, act in fact as banking correspondents and cannot be classified as banking or financial institutions, therefore recognizing the regularity of the companies before the Brazilian Central Bank and the absence of labor rights for bank employees to the employees of these companies.

Via Feijó Lopes Advogados 

Novas Perspectivas – Fundos (impactos: jurídicos, fiscais e tributários)

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Novas Perspectivas – Fundos (impactos: jurídicos, fiscais e tributários)

Wed, Mar 6, 2024 9:00 AM BRT

Programação:

09:00 – 09:20 Abertura/Avisos/Pesquisa
09:20 – 09:35 Palestrante: Gisele Sterzeck (BR)
09:35 – 09:55 Palestrante: Ana Gaertner (BR)
09:55 – 10:25 Palestrante: Eduardo Alves (BR)
10:25 – 10:55 Palestrante: Flavia Fernandes (BR)
10:55 – 11:00 Perguntas e Respostas (Q&A)
11:00 – 11:00 Encerramento

INSCREVA-SE AQUI.

Meet our New Member Dispatched Business Studio

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Dispatched Business Studio – a modern take on an advisory firm – offers a one-stop shop approach to LatAm and US based companies looking to enter new global markets or accelerate their businesses in the United States.

Dispatched is a platform of trusted advisors working in collaboration with businesses, brands, and innovative founders. They provide curated business solutions that tap into a unique network of experts across a broad range of industries in the United States and internationally. Implementing their expertise and connections save their clients time and resources, and allows them to focus on their core businesses and passions.

Learn more.

Brazil Transactions – Industry Insights

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Brazil Transactions – Industry Insights, Winter 2024

1,400 M&A transactions were registered in Brazil in 2023, a 9.3% decrease in the number of announced transactions.

2023 period registered 22 follow-ons, raising over BRL 32 billion (+USD 6.4 bn). For the second consecutive year, there were no IPOs.

Total market capitalization of the Brazilian Stock Exchange (Bovespa) as of December 31, 2023, was over USD 874 bn.

Read full report.

Via KROLL

 

 

For more information, please contact:

Alexandre Pierantoni
Managing Director
Head of LATAM and Brazil Corporate Finance
Sao Paulo
+55 11 3192 8103
+55 11 9 5500 8151
alexandre.pierantoni@kroll.com

José Thompson
Director, Corporate Finance
Sao Paulo
+55 11 3192 8108
+55 11 9 8689 4026
jose.thompson@kroll.com

 

Quem São os Ricos e Famosos que Fazem Doações à Brazil Foundation

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Instituição ganhou a atenção de várias personalidades, entre elas a bilionária MacKenzie Scott, a cantora Selena Gomez e o piloto de F1 Lewis Hamilton

Os desafios de todo tipo enfrentados pelo Brasil chamam a atenção do mundo, gerando comoção entre várias personalidades. A Brazil Foundation, com sede em Nova York e um escritório no Rio de Janeiro, foi criada em 2000 por Leona Forman, após se aposentar de suas atividades na ONU (Organização das Nações Unidas). Na época, com apoio de figuras ilustres, entre elas a antropóloga e pesquisadora Ruth Cardoso (também ex-primeira dama e que faleceu em 2008), Forman fundou a instituição com o objetivo de servir como ponte entre doadores nos EUA e ações afirmativas no Brasil.

Não demorou muito para atrair a atenção de famosos, interessados em fazer doações ao país. A modelo Gisele Bündchen é um exemplo: criou o Fundo Luz Alliance para captar recursos e apoiar iniciativas de preservação e recuperação de rios, mata ciliares e aquíferos. A Brazil Foundation auxiliou Bündchen na aplicação dos recursos, buscando as iniciativas que atendiam aos requisitos da instituição e eram de fato efetivas.

Por Francisco Stefanelli via Forbes Brasil 

Leia matéria na íntegra.

 

 

 

Banco do Brasil é Considerado o Mais Sustentável do Mundo em Ranking pela 5ª vez

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O Banco do Brasil foi considerado o mais sustentável do mundo pela consultoria Corporate Knights, que avalia o desempenho em sustentabilidade corporativa de cerca de 7.000 empresas de capital aberto mundo afora com receitas brutas acima de US$ 1 bilhão. Foi a quinta vez que o BB foi o banco mais bem avaliado entre as 100 empresas mais sustentáveis. Além disso, pela primeira vez, a instituição figurou entre as dez organizações mais bem colocadas, ocupando a sexta posição.

A avaliação da Corporate Knights leva em conta 25 indicadores econômicos, ambientais e sociais, relativos a receitas e investimentos sustentáveis, promoção da descarbonização, diversidade racial e de gênero.

“Este reconhecimento evidencia nossa atuação consistente no tema ASG sigla para boas práticas ambientais, sociais e de governança. Em 2023, reforçamos ainda mais este nosso trabalho, com a criação de uma Unidade Estratégica para conduzir de modo transversal as pautas ambientais, sociais e de governança no banco”, afirma a presidente do BB, Tarciana Medeiros, em nota. “Temos compromissos públicos e com metas concretas em cada uma dessas frentes, atuando de modo voluntário, protagonista e como verdadeiros líderes em sustentabilidade empresarial no Brasil e no mundo.”

Além das metas e estruturas internas voltadas ao tema, o banco tem uma carteira de R$ 338,2 bilhões em créditos com pegada sustentável. São empréstimos e financiamentos para atividades e setores que têm impactos sociais e ambientais positivos, como energias renováveis, eficiência energética, produção sustentável de alimentos e desenvolvimento local e regional.

“Estamos em um momento em que nossas ações e compromissos para um mundo mais sustentável, conectados aos Objetivos de Desenvolvimento Sustentável da ONU, convidam todos os públicos de relacionamento a assumirem responsabilidades diante das mudanças climáticas e seus efeitos na vida das pessoas e comunidades no presente e no futuro”, diz o vice-presidente de Governo e Sustentabilidade Empresarial do banco, José Ricardo Sasseron.

Via Isto é Dinheiro

Leia o artigo na íntegra.

Lei da Igualdade Salarial: Desafios, Estratégias e Possibilidades

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A Lei da igualdade salarial é um novo capítulo para a equidade no ambiente de trabalho. Com novas obrigações, a legislação traz janelas de oportunidades para todas as empresas, tendo a compreensão jurídica de suas implicações e o engajamento de lideranças como pilares fundamentais para a adequação à Lei.

No evento ‘Lei da Igualdade Salarial: desafios, estratégias e possibilidades’, nossa sócia Silvia Figueiredo Araújo Schnitzlein e a associada Andressa Gudde recebem especialistas do mercado para apresentar perspectivas e desafios, propondo caminhos para que as empresas estejam preparadas para lidar com todos os possíveis desdobramentos da Lei 14.611/2023.

O time de debatedores é composto por Flávia Lisboa Porto (Reckitt), Marcela Pietrobom (Medtronic), Fernanda Frezarin Kazakevicius [Ela/Ella/She] (Unilever) e Gianfranco Cinelli (Hidrovias do Brasil).

O evento será presencial em São Paulo, no dia 27 de fevereiro, e contará com transmissão online.

Para inscrições e mais informações, acesse: https://bit.ly/3T3urXR

Novas Perspectivas – Planejamento e Execução Estratégica

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Novas Perspectivas
Planejamento e execução estratégica (passos críticos)

Com Gerson Charchat (sócio, PwC) e Felipe Bovolon (diretor, PwC)

Adicionar o evento no meu calendário

Wed, Feb 21, 2024 9:00 AM BRT

Programação:

09:00 ~ 09:20 Abertura/Avisos/Pesquisa
09:20 ~ 09:50 Palestrante: Felipe Bovolon (Strategy&)
09:50 ~ 10:20 Palestrante: Mauro Toledo (Strategy&)
10:20 ~ 10:50 Palestrante: Gerson Charchat (Strategy&)
10:50 ~ 11:00 Perguntas e Respostas (Q&A)
11:00 ~ 11:00 Encerramento

Speakers:

 

Clique aqui para se inscrever

Via PwC

Three Brazilian Banks Among Global Top 500 Valuable Brands

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In 2024, Itaú, Banco do Brasil (BB), and Bradesco are ranked within the world’s 500 most valuable brands.

This report comes from Brand Finance and was presented at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on January 17.

Banco do Brasil stands out, jumping 50 places since 2023. This leap marks it as the fastest-growing Brazilian brand in value.

By Richard Mann via The Rio Times

Read full article.

Paula Vieira de Oliveira Appointed as Co-Chairperson of Legal Programs & Events Committee for 2024

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The Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce Paula Vieira de Oliveira as Co-Chairperson of the Legal Programs & Events Committee, serving alongside Co-Chairperson Maurizio Levi-Minzi.  Ms. Vieira is Partner in charge of Mattos Filho’s New York office and a member of the firm’s corporate / M&A practices.  She is skilled in Brazilian and cross-border M&A transactions, private equity, inbound investments, and commercial contracts involving public and private companies in many industries and sectors.  She also advises management bodies and shareholders on corporate regulatory matters.  Ms. Vieira is a graduate of Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo (PUC-SP) and holds a Master of Laws from the University of Pennsylvania.

At the 2024 Annual Membership Luncheon, to take place in February / March, all new committee chairpersons will be officially announced.  We are privileged to have Ms. Vieira assist in the development of Chamber programs and seminars focusing on key legal issues in Brazil-US business.

As of April 10, 2024, Passport Holders from Australia, Canada, and the United States will Be Required to Obtain an e-Visa to Enter Brazil.

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As of April 10th, 2024 , passport holders from Australia, Canada and the United States will require an e Visa to enter Brazil. If you have a valid physical visa on your passport for the purpose of your visit, you do not need to apply for a new visa. For special passports you still need an e Visa or physical visa if you are traveling with a diplomatic passport.

Via United Airlines

      

Novas Perspectivas – Fechamento do Exercício 2023

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Novas Perspectivas

Fechamento do Exercício 2023

Wed, Jan 10, 2024 9:00 AM BRT

Programação:

09:00 – 09:20 Abertura/Avisos/Pesquisa
09:20 – 09:50 Palestrante: Christiano Santos (BR)
09:50 – 10:20 Palestrante: Jéssika Vinque (BR)
10:20 – 10:50 Palestrante: Paula Romano (BR)
10:50 – 11:00 Perguntas e Respostas (Q&A)
11:00 – 11:00 Encerramento

 

Register here

M&As in Brazil Expected to Reach Record Levels in 2024

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After falling last year, the number of M&A operations in Brazil is expected to recover in 2024.

Consulting firm Kroll registered 1,400 transactions last year, compared to 1,543 in 2022.

“In 2024, we’ll see the return of a record volume of M&A operations, to around 1,600, as we had in 2021. This is because I expect the return of appetite from foreign investors amid a reduction in interest rates in Brazil and due to less political noise,” Alexandre Pierantoni, the head of Kroll’s corporate finance and M&A area, told BNamericas.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva returned to the presidency in January 2023, narrowly defeating Jair Bolsonaro in October 2022. The transition of power led market players to postpone investment decisions until the government’s plans became clearer.

In addition, M&As and the capital market were impacted by a high base rate of 13.75%. The central bank started a reduction cycle only in August as inflation fell, with the benchmark Selic currently at 11.75% and further reductions expected.

“The positive impacts of the Selic reduction will still materialize, especially when we reach a single-digit level, closer to 9%. I believe that from the second half of the year we will see signs of the return of IPOs, which will also help to provide traction to M&A movements,” said Pierantoni.

The financial and technology sectors will remain the most significant ones in terms of transactions, followed by energy and water.

“São Paulo state is expected to complete the privatization of water utility Sabesp this year, which in itself is a major operation. Furthermore, the completion of this operation could attract even more investor interest to companies in the sector, including to companies that are not yet listed,” added Pierantoni.

Recently, Sabesp hired banks to handle part of the privatization, which is envisaged as a share offering planned for this half. The state owns 50.3% and wants to keep 15-30%. The rest of the shares are listed in Brazil and the US.

Sabesp is one of the world’s biggest firms in the sector, providing potable water to 28.7mn people and sewage services to 25.5mn.

Via BNamericas.

Read full article

Newsletter: Mercado de Capitais – Edição 09

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NEWSLETTERS 20 . Dezembro . 2023

O impacto da presença de influenciadores digitais no mercado financeiro, que será analisado pela CVM por meio de consulta pública, é um dos destaques desta edição, na seção Companhias Abertas. As novidades em Ofertas Públicas e Fundos de Investimento incluem o início do processo de consulta para revisão das normas aplicáveis a ofertas públicas de aquisição; e a divulgação das orientações sobre o preenchimento de informação de cotistas no Banco Central.

Confira o conteúdo desta edição:COMPANHIAS ABERTAS
  • Consulta da CVM analisa impacto da presença de influenciadores digitais no mercado financeiro
  • Nova norma da CVM altera regra envolvendo companhias securitizadoras
OFERTAS PÚBLICA
  • CVM inicia processo de consulta para revisão das normas aplicáveis a ofertas públicas de aquisição
  • CVM promove alterações pontuais nas Resoluções 141 e 151

FUNDOS DE INVESTIMENTO

  • Área técnica da CVM divulga orientação sobre preenchimento de informação de cotistas no Banco Central

Via Veirano Advogados

Confira a edição completa de dezembro de 2023.

Legal Insights From Brazil to Start Your Week

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What you will be reading in this issue:
________________________________________
1. Governance | 5 Key Agenda for Medium and Large Brazilian Companies in 2024
2. Labor | 5 Actions to Mitigate the Risk of Psychologial Diseases Being Recognized as Occupational Ones

Governance | 5 Key Agenda for Medium and Large Brazilian Companies in 2024

Brazilian companies that we have seen grow, innovate and generate value in different segments of Brazilian economy have in common strategic attention to medium and long-term funding, governance, talent attraction and M&A opportunities.

The factor below apply to companies in all major sectors in Brazil, including agribusiness, technology, manufacturing, finance, energy, and others.

Companies that want to grow in 2024 should consider the following 5 themes in their strategic plans:

  1. Focus on Attracting Structured Financing in Brazilian Reais: The Brazilian capital market for fixed income credit is closer than ever to medium and large companies, but still few are aware of the importance to create relationships with local financial institutions, funds, family offices and other medium and long-term capital financiers.

Even so, agribusiness companies issued more than BRL100 billion in Agribusiness Receivables Certificates (CRA) so far in 2023, acquired by funds, family offices and other investors, to raise medium to long-term resources (5 to 10 years).

Likewise, companies in the real estate sector issued Certificates of Real Estate Receivables (CRI) in high volumes to finance projects and costs of projects already built, with terms of 5 to 10 years.

Commercial Notes and Debentures are also medium and long-term funding options for companies.

  1. Look at Obtaining Foreign Funding From Foreign Banks and Funds: Brazil’s participation is still irrelevant in international trade, with a share of close to 2% of global trade volume.

Even so, agricultural, industrial and technology companies export commodities, value-added products and services that generate receivables in dollars and other hard currencies that can be financed by foreign funding.

There are several foreign financial institutions, trading companies, funds, family offices and investors that finance exports of Brazilian companies, via export prepayment lines, direct loans, draft (international duplicate discount), among others, in a volume that exceeds US$50 billion annually.

Companies should seek these financing channels as another funding alternative, especially in hard currency.

Via Feijó Lopes Advogados

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Rio Ganha Escritório da Organização Mundial do Turismo

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A OMT é a agência da Organização das Nações Unidas responsável pela promoção do turismo de forma responsável, sustentável e acessível.

O Rio de Janeiro ganhou nesta quinta-feira (14) o primeiro escritório da Organização Mundial do Turismo (OMT) para as Américas e o Caribe.

A inauguração contou com a presença do ministros do Turismo do Brasil, Celso Sabino, dos ministros do Chile e do Paraguai, do presidente da Embratur, Marcelo Freixo, e do diretor da Organização Mundial do Turismo (OMT), Zurab Pololikashvili.

O escritório, no Centro da cidade, vai contar com representantes de outros países da região.

A OMT é a agência da Organização das Nações Unidas (ONU) responsável pela promoção do turismo de forma sustentável, responsável e acessível.

O Rio foi escolhido para sediar a nova representação da OMT em outubro. A cidade teve o 5º maior crescimento do PIB de turismo no mundo em 2022. E este ano já arrecadou R$ 190 milhões em impostos com o turismo, gerando mais de 20 mil empregos.

Por Por Ben-Hur Correia, RJ2 via

Ler artigo na íntegra.

Think Climate Risks Aaren’t Your Problem? Think Again

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The companies that will thrive in the face of rapid climate change are those that make adapting to it a top priority, says PwC’s Ashok Varma.

Not long ago, I participated in a PwC climate-action roundtable in Mumbai. One of the attendees, an executive from a hospital group, made an observation that grabbed my attention: the seasonal changes being caused by global warming, he said, were affecting the patterns and frequency of vector-borne diseases. His hospitals were increasingly having capacity issues, with sick patients coming in earlier and later in the year than before, straining hospital resources, from beds to diagnostic facilities.

By Ashok Varma via PwC

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PwC na 28º Edição da Conferência das Partes

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Realizada entre os dias 30 de novembro e 12 de dezembro deste ano, a 28ª edição da Conferência das Partes (COP-28) tem como principal objetivo avaliar e trazer insights quanto ao progresso dos países signatários no que diz respeito ao atingimento das metas do Acordo de Paris.

Neste contexto, alguns dos nossos líderes globais vão marcar presença para discutir meios de alavancar ações significativas para frear a crise climática que estamos enfrentando, discutindo temas como: financiamento e expansão da tecnologia climática, transformação da demanda de energia, adaptação climática para proteger a cadeia de valor e a sociedade, estratégias empresariais positivas para a natureza.

O nosso sócio e líder de Environmental, Social e Governance (ESG), Mauricio Colombari, representará a PwC Brasil na COP 28. Além da presença da nossa liderança, a PwC, por meio do seu Plano Net Zero 2030, está compondo o portfólio de projetos apresentados no evento  pela iniciativa Brasil pelo Meio Ambiente, da Amcham e ICC Brasil.

Para acompanhar as discussões da COP 28, fique de olho nas coberturas jornalísticas do evento e siga a página da PwC Climate.

Via PwC Brasil

 

Novas Perspectivas | Instrumentos Financeiros – A Norma Mais Complexa

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Novas Perspectivas

Instrumentos Financeiros (a norma mais complexa e mais controversa)

Adicionar o evento no meu calendário
Wed, Dec 13, 2023 9:00 AM BRT

Programação:

09:00 – 09:20 Abertura/Avisos/Pesquisa
09:20 – 09:50 Apresentação: Bruno Portela (BR)
09:50 – 10:20 Apresentação: Ana Moura (BR)
10:20 – 10:50 Apresentação: Gisele Sterzeck
10:50 – 11:00 Perguntas e Respostas (Q&Q)
11:00 – 11:00 Encerramento

Link de Inscrição

 

Speakers:

United patrocina o Brazil Climate Summit e o SDGs in Brazil, do Pacto Global da ONU

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Companhia que opera voos entre o Brasil e os Estados Unidos, e líder em investimentos para a produção de combustível de aviação sustentável, foi uma das patrocinadoras de eventos brasileiros voltados à sustentabilidade

A United Airlines, uma das maiores companhias aéreas do mundo, que opera voos entre o Brasil e os Estados Unidos, e líder em investimentos para a produção de combustível de aviação sustentável, foi uma das patrocinadoras de dois eventos brasileiros voltados à sustentabilidade: Brazil Climate Summit, que aconteceu nos dias 13 e 14 de setembro, e SDGs in Brazil, promovido pela rede brasileira do Pacto Global da ONU nos dias 14 e 15 de setembro, ambos em Nova York.

Para Jacqueline Conrado, Country Manager da United Airlines no Brasil, o país é muito importante por ser um celeiro de iniciativas sustentáveis e comprometidas com o meio ambiente. Além disso, o setor de aviação tem que apresentar soluções de viagem mais flexíveis e responsivas à experiência do usuário, revolucionando inclusive a forma de fazer negócio. “Hoje, nós fazemos um trabalho muito mais focado em ouvir e perceber os inputs dos clientes como nunca, que não aparecem relacionados só a preço, mas a experiência de viagem, benefícios e, de forma prioritária, à preocupação com o meio ambiente e diversidade e inclusão”, diz.

Por Luiz Fara Monteiro via R7

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The Icla da Silva Foundation Hope Gala

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The Icla da Silva Foundation Hope Gala

Inspiring Hope, Saving Lives

Join our friends from the Icla da Silva Foundation at their 2023 Hope Gala. Enjoy an auction, dinner, and dancing at the prestigious University Club of New York on October 2, 2023 at 6:30 pm.

You will network with leaders of industry while raising funds that remove financial barriers for patients whose only cure is a bone marrow transplant.

Click for ticket and sponsor information

A Era da Reinvenção | Mineração 2023 – 20ª Edição

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A Era da Reinvenção

Mineração 2023 – 20ª Edição

As grandes mineradoras do mundo precisam encontrar uma nova fórmula para o sucesso. A era dos minerais críticos chegou e representa a mudança mais importante que a indústria já viu em décadas. As empresas de mineração não podem mais depender de portfólios e práticas do passado para criar valor nesse novo cenário dinâmico e extremamente competitivo. A era dos minerais críticos deve ser uma era de reinvenção.

As mineradoras precisam lidar com um importante novo player que surgiu no mercado de minerais críticos: o governo. Diante do rápido crescimento da demanda e da concentração da cadeia de suprimentos em níveis preocupantes, os governos formaram alianças, instituíram novas políticas e mobilizaram fundos para garantir o acesso a minerais críticos. Esses movimentos mudarão o negócio de mineração. A entrada de fundos públicos, por exemplo, deve levar as mineradoras a repensar as taxas de retorno que podem esperar da mineração ou dos ativos da cadeia de suprimentos. As mineradoras também precisarão lidar com um risco maior de investir e o aumento da concorrência, uma vez que os governos interferem no cenário com incentivos e intervenções.

Via PwC Brasil

Ler artigo na íntegra.

Brazil National Day

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PRESS STATEMENT

ANTONY J. BLINKEN, SECRETARY OF STATE

SEPTEMBER 7, 2023

On behalf of the United States of America, I congratulate the people of Brazil on the 201st anniversary of its independence this September 7th.

Brazil and the United States proudly stand together as vibrant and diverse democracies. We strongly value our joint commitment to address regional and global challenges, promote social and economic inclusion, and combat climate change to create a just, equitable, and sustainable environment where all our citizens can thrive. Our diaspora communities boast rich cultures and sustain our warm people-to-people ties. Together, we can continue to strengthen our relationship grounded in shared democratic principles that ensure prosperity, security, and freedom for our citizens.

The people of the United States wish all Brazilians a joyous Independence Day.

Via U.S. DEPARTMENT of STATE

See statement here

Cargill chartered ship sets sail to test wind power at sea

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LONDON, Aug 21 (Reuters) – A Cargill chartered dry bulk ship has launched on its first voyage since being fitted with special sails, aiming to study how harnessing wind power can cut emissions and energy usage in the shipping sector, the U.S. commodities group said on Monday.

The maritime industry – which accounts for nearly 3% of global CO2 emissions and is under pressure from investors and environmental groups to accelerate decarbonisation – is exploring a number of different technologies including ammonia and methanol in an effort to move away from dirtier bunker fuel.

Cargill, one of the world’s biggest ship charterers, has been exploring wind assisted propulsion as one cleaner energy option. Wind was a common way of propelling ships before the switch to steam and diesel engines but is now mostly used only for smaller vessels.

By  via Reuters

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‘Brazil can lead the energy transition and Petrobras can be a vector’

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The change in Brazil’s federal government at the beginning of the year brought with it fresh winds and the prospect of formulating a new strategic direction for Petrobras.

After years of being focused on oil exploration and production, the company has turned its attention to activities considered “non-core”, such as refining, natural gas, fertilizers and petrochemicals.

But what is most striking to those who follow the state-run company is its commitment to the issue of energy transition.

After announcing the creation of an executive board focused on this subject, Petrobras announced that it intends to allocate between 6% and 15% of its capex to low-carbon projects between 2024 and 2028.

Under the chairmanship of Jean Paul Prates – who, as a senator, prepared a bill to regulate offshore wind generation in Brazil – the company has begun to step up its efforts to seek partnerships in the renewable sources sector both in and outside the country.

By Bnamericas.

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EVENTO: Novas Perspectivas | SP27195 – Inteligência Artificial (IA) – aplicada à Finanças (Inteligência Artificial (IA) – as oportunidades e os riscos)

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Wed, Aug 23, 2023 9:00 AM BRT

Programação:

09:00 – 09:20 – Abertura/Pesquisa Inicial – Kieran McManus
09:20 – 09:45 – Apresentação – Visão Geral IA – Suzan Barreto
09:45 – 10:10 – Apresentação – IA em seguros – Andressa Sivolella
10:10 – 10:30 – IA na SAP – Marcelo Nacif
10:30 – 11:00 – Q&A

Via PwC.

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Brazil Data Protection Agency (ANPD) Publishes Proposed International Transfer of Personal Data Regulation for Public Consultation

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The Brazil Data Protection Agency (“ANPD”) on August 15, 2023 released a draft of the International Transfer of Personal Data Regulation (“Regulation Draft”) and the standard contractual clauses (“SCCs”) for public comment. Interested parties can submit comments to the provisions of the Regulation between August 15 and September 14, 2023. After the comments period is closed, the ANPD will hold a public hearing to discuss the draft at a date to be determined. Once the Regulation Draft is approved, it will take effect immediately upon publication and companies will have 180 days to incorporate in their existing SCCs agreements the ANPD’s version or implement new agreements with the ANPD SCCs.

By way of background, the ANPD is the agency charged with implementing Brazil’s General Data Protection Law (“LGPD”). The LGPD is Brazil’s all-encompassing data protection law similar to the European Union’s GDPR. The LGPD imposes certain requirements on data processing agents (which include controllers and processors of data) to safeguard the data privacy rights of individuals (data subjects).

The newly issued Regulation Draft provides that the ANPD will determine which jurisdictions have an adequate level of data protection that will allow the free flow of personal data between Brazil and such countries, but the ANPD will prioritize the review of jurisdictions that provide reciprocal protections. It may take some time before we have a list of countries with data protection levels the ANPD deems adequate. In the interim, multinational countries will have to rely on other possible mechanisms to transfer personal data from Brazil.

According to the Regulation Draft, the ANPD may recognize as an equivalent the SCCs of other countries, upon their review and approval. The review procedure may be started by the ANPD or an interested party, but the ANPD will prioritize the review of those SCCs that can be widely used by processing agents performing international transfers of data in similar circumstances. Foreign SCCs recognized by the ANPD as equivalent will be considered a valid alternative.
The Regulation Draft also provides for the approval process of specific contractual clauses and global corporate rules, but it does not include the expected timeline for the review and approval of such.

A more readily available mechanism will be the ANPD SCCs, and the Regulation Draft includes a SCC Draft template, which companies may eventually choose to use, although there will be some challenges if the SCC Draft remains as-is after the public consultation.

The ANPD opted to create only one module of SCCs and it is in many aspects different from the EU SCCs. One provision that immediately catches one’s attention is that regardless of whether the exporter or importer is named as the responsible party for certain measures (as the Designated Party), the controller will ultimately remain responsible for (i) compliance with the obligations under the law and the agreement, (ii) responding to the ANPD, (iii) guaranteeing the data subject’s rights and (iv) the reparation of damage they may suffer. Moreover, when exporter and importer are processors, the controller, which instructs the processor that exports the personal data to the importer outside Brazil (the “Third-Party Controller”), must co-sign the SCCs and be ultimately responsible for the obligations mentioned above.

By Renata Neeser via Littler.

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Amazon set to launch credit card in Brazil with Bradesco

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Amazon.com (AMZN.O) will launch a credit card offering in Brazil, in a partnership with Brazilian lender Banco Bradesco SA (BBDC4.SA), the bank’s chief executive said on Friday, as the ecommerce giant pushes to expand its fintech offering.

The launch is set for next Tuesday, according to CEO Octavio de Lazari Junior, adding that the bank will manage the card’s credit risk, and the card will be powered by Mastercard (MA.N).

Reporting by Alberto Alerigi Jr., Additional reporting by Isabel Woodford, Writing by Carolina Pulice, Editing by Sandra Maler via Reuters.

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Novas Perspectivas | Os desafios e as Estratégias para Destravar Valor de Empresas

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Governança de Empresas em Tempos de Crise (Os desafios e as Estratégias para Destravar Valor de Empresas)

Quarta-feira, 9 de agosto, 2023 9:00 AM BRT

Programação:

09:00 – 09:20 – Abertura/Pesquisa Inicial – Kieran McManus
09:20 – 10:00 – Apresentação – Valeska Vieira e Lucas Dourado
10:00 – 10:20 – Entrevista – Leonardo Scarioli
10:20 – 10:50 – Entrevista – Tatiana Guerra
10:50 – 11:00 – Q&A

PALESTRANTES:

 

INSCREVA-SE AQUI

 

Brazil Central Bank Kicks off Rate Cuts More Aggressively than Expected

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Brazil’s central bank kicked off its rate-cutting cycle more aggressively than expected on Wednesday, reducing its benchmark interest rate by 50 basis points and signaling more of the same in the months ahead due to an improving inflation outlook.

The bank’s rate-setting committee Copom cut its Selic policy rate to 13.25%, as just 10 of 46 economists surveyed by Reuters had anticipated. The rest expected a smaller reduction of 25 basis points.

Brazil’s first rate cut in three years came after policymakers held borrowing costs steady since September 2022, following 1,175 basis points of rate hikes to battle inflation, the world’s most aggressive monetary tightening at the time.

Reporting by Peter Frontini Additional reporting by Marcela Ayres and Carolina Pulice Editing by Brad Haynes and Diane Craft via Reuters

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Latham & Watkins Advises Natixis and BNP Paribas on US$250 Million Revolving Financing to Establish BlackRock’s PMGD Platform in Chile

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Members of the firm’s Latin America Practice represented the leading financial entities in a revolving credit facility for BlackRock to acquire, develop, construct, and refinance a portfolio of distributed generation projects that is expected to be the largest in the Chilean market.

Latham advised Natixis and BNP Paribas, as coordinating lead arrangers and lenders, and BNP Paribas, as administrative agent and intercreditor agent, on the transaction, which was structured as a 3-year revolving credit facility. The facility was sized in contemplation of a +400 MW PMGD platform, and was initially used to refinance two previously acquired portfolios of operational assets aggregating 101 MW. The facility is expected to be used to acquire, develop, construct, and refinance other portfolios of both operational and construction projects sponsored by BlackRock.

Via Latham & Watkins

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Lowering Cost While Maintaining an Effective Global Transparency Program

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Utilizing technology for transparency reporting can be a win-win on value and efficiency for any organization

More forward-thinking organizations are taking advantage of innovative technology as transparency requirements continue to grow.

In Part 2 of our “Reimagine Risk and Unlock Opportunities” series, Tiffany Gallagher, Health Industries Risk and Regulatory Leader, PwC US, and Tim Canonico, Principal, Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences, PwC US, analyze the growth of transparency programs and the opportunities that organizations can focus on to succeed.

The goal of global transparency requirements is to encourage the right interactions with Healthcare Professionals and help Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences companies build more trust and transparency in healthcare for society. This landscape is continuing to rapidly evolve as voluntary requirements are being codified into law and other requirements expand to demand more transparency from more organizations.

Via PwC 

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Brazil’s Lula: Amazon Countries Summit to Build Common Policy for First Time

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Brazil President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Wednesday said that next week’s summit of Amazon region nations will seek to draw up a common policy for the first time to protect the rainforest.

“I have high expectations for this summit. For the first time we are going to have a common policy for the Amazon, for preservation, security, borders,” Lula said.

The eight countries of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO) will meet Aug. 7-8 in the city of Belem at the mouth of the Amazon river.

The summit will focus on forest conservation and security along the borders, Lula said, adding that private businesses will be asked to help with the reforestation of 30 million hectares of degraded land.
Reporting by Lisandra Paraguassu; Editing by Mark Porter and Aurora Ellis via Reuters.

USCIS Announces Alternative Procedure for Completion of Form I-9 – Permanent Virtual Verification

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In an ever-evolving digital landscape, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has given employers a new option for verifying employment eligibility. On July 21, 2023, the USCIS announced a final rule, effective August 1, 2023, that allows employers to have an alternative procedure (also referred to as “permanent virtual verification”), whereby qualifying employers may inspect employees’ Form I-9 documentation virtually as opposed to performing a physical verification, which was required for all new hires until the COVID-19 exception was created in March 2020.  This innovative approach aims to modernize the process of employment eligibility verification while ensuring compliance with immigration laws.

Since the inception of the Form I-9 in 1986, the process of employment eligibility verification had relied on in-person physical documentation examination. The COVID-19 pandemic brought a temporary option, however, which permitted virtual, remote verification for remote employees. The USCIS previously announced that this option was ending on July 31, 2023. Thus, this new alternative procedure begins the next day, August 1.

This alternative virtual verification procedure is available only to qualified employers. Such employers are:

  • In good standing in the E-Verify program;
  • Enrolled in E-Verify for all hiring sites in the United States, for which they seek to use the alternative procedure;
  • Have complied with all E-Verify requirements, including verifying the employment eligibility of newly hired employees in the United States; and
  • Have completed of an E-Verify tutorial/training concerning fraud awareness and anti-discrimination.

To utilize the alternative virtual verification, qualified employers must:

  • Examine remotely the front and back of their employees’ identity and employment authorization documentation or acceptable receipt to determine that the documentation reasonably appears genuine;
  • Conduct a live interaction with the employee presenting the same documentation discussed above to ensure the documentation reasonably appears to be genuine and relate to the employee;
  • Indicate on Form I-9, by completing the corresponding box, that an alternative procedure was used to examine documentation to complete Section 2 or for reverification, as applicable;
  • Retain clear and legible copies (front and back) of all documents presented by employees; and
  • In the event of Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) I-9 audit or relevant federal government agency investigation, make available clear and legible copies of documentation presented by the employee for document examination in connection with the employment eligibility verification process.

Qualified employers have the choice to use the alternative permanent virtual verification procedure or not. Additionally, qualified employers may opt to use this procedure for remote employees only, and not for employees who work onsite or in hybrid capacity. Employers may not discriminate in this decision-making process.

By Angel Valverde, Bruce Buchanan, and Jorge Lopez via Littler

Megatendências

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Cinco mudanças globais que estão redesenhando o mundo em que vivemos

Quase uma década se passou desde que a PwC identificou cinco megatendências, que caracterizamos como profundas e impactantes, de alcance global e efeito de longo prazo. Megatendências capazes de afetar a todos no planeta e reconfigurar nosso mundo por muitos anos. Agora está claro que as megatendências transformaram nosso mundo ainda mais rápido do que prevíamos. Em grande parte, isso se deve à interação entre elas, que turbinou tanto a velocidade quanto a disseminação da mudança.

À medida que foram se desdobrando, as megatendências também evoluíram. O modo como se manifestam hoje mudou em comparação com dez anos atrás.

Reavaliamos as megatendências para entender como elas mudaram, que futuro podem criar em 2030 e quais questões elas apresentarão à humanidade.

Via PwC

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BTG Pactual Remains Undefeated in Brazil Sales

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The domestic bank also leads II’s All-Brazil Trading Team.

The firm has been voted No.1 for the fifth year in a row in Institutional Investor’s annual All-Brazil Sales Team. Based on the votes of 367 buy-side money managers at 239 firms with significant holdings in the country, BTG Pactual extended its reign to half a decade — even as the ranking saw a shakeup further down the leaderboard among domestic and global firms alike.

Itau BBA rose from last year’s fourth place to take second, while last year’s runner-up, Bradesco BBI, dropped one spot to third. Credit Suisse improved one spot to take fourth, while JPMorgan Chase — in a steep rise from 2022’s ninth place — rounded out the top five. In line with other II surveys, votes were weighted based on respondents’ commission spending in the region. An additional AUM-weighted leaderboard was also produced which mirrored the commission-based results.

The volatility in this year’s results was reflective of the tumultuous year investors experienced in Brazil, due to an election cycle in late 2022 and depressed market activity.

“Clients were a bit lost at the start of the year, given the change of government and the outlook ahead. People lost a lot of money betting on a more centric-approach government, and the reality was a bit different,” said Thiago Faganello, head of Brazil sales and partner at BTG Pactual. “But things changed recently and quickly, so tons of opportunities showed up and clients are now trying to stock pick the best names for this new cycle.”

By Alexandra DeLuca via Institutional Investor

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Fitch Eleva Nota de Crédito Soberano do Brasil e Cita Melhora Fiscal

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Upgrade da classificação de risco do país de BB- para BB, com perspectiva estável, deve acelerar ingresso de capital estrangeiro no mercado doméstico.

Em relatório, a agência cita uma melhora do desempenho macroeconômico e fiscal “em meio a sucessivos choques nos últimos anos, políticas proativas e reformas”. A expectativa da Fitch é de que o novo governo trabalhará para melhorias adicionais.

A notícia pode afetar os ativos brasileiros nesta quarta, incluindo as ações do Ibovespa. Nos minutos após a divulgação do relatório, os juros futuros estenderam o movimento de baixa dos últimos dias. As taxas mais longas tinham as quedas mais pronunciadas. O dólar operava estável.

Apesar da elevação, a nota “BB” ainda está na categoria classificada como “grau especulativo”, abaixo do selo conhecido como “investment grade”, que o Brasil perdeu da Fitch em dezembro de 2015.

Por Mariana d’Ávila via Bloomberg Línea

Leia o artigo na íntegra

UBS Names New Leadership Team for Brazil, Latin America

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UBS Group AG named Sylvia Coutinho Brazil country head and the regional leader for Latin America businesses as the Swiss bank integrates teams from its acquisition of Credit Suisse Group AG.

Marcello Chilov, Credit Suisse’s former chief executive officer in Brazil and head of wealth management for Latin America, will run UBS global wealth management in Latin America, according to an internal memo seen by Bloomberg News. The changes take effect July 17.

Coutinho has been at UBS for more than 10 years, and was UBS’s Brazil country head prior to the merger. She was also head of wealth management for Latin America. In her new role, she will focus on leading integration efforts as well as overseeing regulatory, governance and collaboration between businesses for the region. She will report to Naureen Hassan, president of UBS Americas.

By Cristiane Lucchesi via Yahoo!Finance

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Brazil Data Protection Agency (ANPD) Issues its First Sanction Against a Non-Compliant Company

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On July 6, 2023, the first sanction imposed by the Brazilian Data Protection Agency (“ANPD”) against a company (controller) in Brazil was published in the official gazette. The ANPD is the agency charged with enforcing Brazil’s General Data Protection Law (“LGPD”).

The publication does not provide the details about the results of the investigation conducted by the ANPD against a company, but the sanctions provide a glimpse of the underlying circumstances.

The sanctions included:

  1. A Warning, without the imposition of corrective measures, for violation of article 41 of the LGPD (appointment of a Data privacy Officer (DPO);
  2. A “Simple Fine” of R$ 7,200 (~$1,480 USD) for violation of article 7 of the LGPD (legal basis for processing personal data);
  3. A Simple Fine of R$7,200 (~$1,480 USD) for violation of article 5 of the Auditing Regulations (obligation of controller/processor to cooperate with the ANPD).

By Renata Neeser via Littler

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Wilson, do Morgan Stanley, alerta ao que será crucial olhar em balanços do 2º tri

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A nova temporada de balanços corporativos referentes ao segundo trimestre não deve impulsionar ganhos adicionais no mercado acionário dos Estados Unidos. A avaliação de Michael Wilson, estrategista-chefe para ações e CIO (executivo-chefe de investimentos) do Morgan Stanley (MS) e considerado uma das vozes mais pessimistas de Wall Street, ampliando o consenso em torno dessa percepção já evocada por outros de seus pares.

Segundo o estrategista, desta vez os guidances (projeções) a serem anunciados pelas empresas serão mais importantes do que o normal para o movimento das bolsas, tendo em vista os elevados valuations das ações, as taxas de juros mais altas da liquidez cada vez menor.

“Com o início da temporada de balanços corporativos do segundo trimestre nesta semana, resultados melhores do que o previsto provavelmente não serão mais ‘suficientes’ para disparar novos ganhos em Wall Street”, escreveu em relatório nesta segunda-feira (10).

By Sagarika Jaisinghani via Bloomberg Línea

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Global public debt hits record $92 trillion – UN report

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Global public debt surged to a record $92 trillion in 2022 as governments borrowed to counter crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, with the burden being felt acutely by developing countries, a United Nations report said.

Domestic and external debt worldwide has increased more than five times in the last two decades, outstripping the rate of economic growth, with gross domestic product only tripling since 2002, according to the Wednesday report, released in the run up to a G20 finance ministers and central bank governors’ meeting July 14-18.

Developing countries owe almost 30% of the global public debt, of which 70% is represented by China, India and Brazil. Fifty-nine developing countries face a debt-to-GDP ratio above 60% – a threshold indicating high levels of debt.

By Jorgelina Do Rosario via Reuters

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PwC – Eventos de quarta-feira, 12 de julho de 2023

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Novas Perspectivas

Padrão Mundial – Relatórios de Sustentabilidade

Quarta-feira, 12 de julho às 9h00  (Horário de Brasília)

Programação:

09:00 – 09:20 Abertura/Pesquisa Incial
09:20 – 10:00 Palestrante: Melissa Schleich
10:00 –

10:20 Palestrante: Mauricio Colombari
10:20 – 10:40 Palestrante: José Vital
10:40 – 11:00 Perguntas e Respostas (Q&A)
11:00 – 11:15 Prova de conhecimento/Encerramento

REGISTER HERE

 

 

 

______________________________________________

AgTech Garage

Quarta-feira, 12 de julho às 15h00 – (Evento presencial)

Dia 1: Moon Hub

Sede Moon Hub by AgTech Garage, Praça do Conhecimento, 459 — Parque Tecnológico de Uberaba — Univerdecidade, em Uberaba/MG.

Palestrante: José Tomé (sócio, PwC)

 

15h — Abertura “Por dentro da Gestão Tripartite”

(AgTech Garage, Ubyfol e Prefeitura de Uberaba)

15h30 — Bem-vindos ao Moon Hub by AgTech Garage

16h10 — Painel “Conhecendo a Comunidade Uberabense”

(Agentes locais e clientes convidados)

17h10 — Tour pelo Moon Hub e Happy Hour

 

REGISTER HERE

 

_______________________________________________

PwC Debate Reforma Tributária: analisar, influenciar e planejar

Quarta-feira, 12 de julho das 17h00 às 18h15 (Horário de Brasília)

 

Palestrantes:
Romero Tavares
Romero Tavares, Sócio de Consultoria Tributária da PwC Brasil
.
.
Cristiano Noronha
Cristiano Noronha, Sócio e vice-presidente da Arko Advice

M&A Brasil – Janeiro – Junho 2023

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661 transações anunciadas no Brasil de Janeiro a Junho de 2023, com queda de 11,8% em relação ao mesmo período do ano anterior, quando foram registradas 750 transações. Análises mensais e de LTM (LTM refletindo queda de 5,8%) demonstram curva em recuperação e perspectiva de manutenção do mesmo nível de atividade (1.600 transações) registrado no ano de 2022.

Setor de Tecnologia lidera volume de operações com 17,5% das transações, seguido de Instituições e Serviços Financeiros com 14,8%. Setor de Saúde representou 6,1%, seguido pelos Setores de Produtos de Consumo, Energia e Logística, que representaram, cada um, 4,5% das transações anunciadas. Agronegócios vem aumentando sua relevância, passando de históricos 1,5% para 3,8% das operações anunciadas. Setor de Varejo, enfrentando desafios e que já se destacou em relevância de operações, representou 4,8% das operações.

By

Alexandre Pierantoni
Managing Director
Head of Brazil Corporate Finance
São Paulo
+55 11 3192 8103
+55 11 9 5500 8151
alexandre.pierantoni@kroll.com

And

José Thompson
Director
Corporate Finance
São Paulo
+55 11 3192 8108
jose.thompson@kroll.com

Via Kroll

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Habilidades em Primeiro Lugar

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Uma abordagem que priorize as habilidades poderia ajudar 100 milhões de pessoas em todo o mundo a se integrar à força de trabalho ou conseguir empregos melhores.

A PwC está colaborando com o Fórum Econômico Mundial para ajudar a impulsionar a transição para mercados de trabalho que priorizem as habilidades.

Esse movimento poderia abrir o mercado de trabalho para 100 milhões de pessoas em todo o mundo, trazendo benefícios não apenas para empresas e indivíduos, mas também para a sociedade em geral e para a economia.

Nosso relatório conjunto, “Habilidades em primeiro lugar: um framework para ação”, apresenta um framework consistente sobre o assunto para CEOs e governos e demonstra como algumas organizações já estão se beneficiando de uma cultura que prioriza as habilidades.

Via PwC

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Brazilian Law Firm Feijó Lopes Advogados Celebrates 17 Years and Announces the Launch of its New York Office

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Initiative consolidates a relationship of almost two decades with the foreign markets. Feijó Lopes Advogados, one of Brazil’s premier law firms is to open a physical unit in New York.

The initiative is part of the expansion plan to expand the existing relationship for over 15 years with the US and the international market, in addition to continuing to provide legal advice to foreigners who want to invest in Brazil, and also Brazilians who want to expand their businesses internationally.

“This expansion reinforces one of our most important ‘non-negotiable principles’, which is to be present in the key international financial and business centers that have relationship with Brazil. With the New York office, we want to be physically closer to our clients, banks, funds, investors and partners, foreign and Brazilian, and global companies that use New York – the main world financial center – as a hub for business”, highlights the managing partner of Feijó Lopes Advogados, Lúcio Feijó Lopes.

“Generating results for our clients is what drives us, whether it be legal assistance in strategic commercial negotiation, venture capital, M&A, fund structuring, debt offerings, tax and labor issues, or conflict resolution. We are faithful to our purpose of being the law firm of choice for our clients to solve their greatest challenges”, concludes Lopes.

The new office should be located at Park Avenue, midtown, New York, an area where the main banks, fund managers and headquarters of global companies and with business in Brazil are located.

Learn more.

Brazil Gears Up To Become Fourth Largest Oil Producer

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For nearly two decades, South America’s largest economy Brazil has been reaping a tremendous economic windfall from a massive oil boom that kicked off with the first offshore ultra deep-water pre-salt discovery in 2006. The boom nearly collapsed as corruption, mismanagement and malfeasance saw national oil company Petrobras laden with so much debt it was almost forced to declare bankruptcy. Since then, industry reforms and rationalization coupled with higher oil prices had reinvigorated the massive fossil fuel boom underway in Brazil, although it nearly faltered for a brief moment when left-wing President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva assumed power. There are indications that Brazil, regardless of the naysayers, is on track to become the world’s fourth-largest oil producer, which will be a tremendous boon for the economy.

Data from Brazil’s hydrocarbon regulator, the National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP – Portuguese initials), shows that for April 2023, the country pumped an average of 3.1 million barrels of oil per day. That number is almost 1% higher than a month earlier and 5% greater year over year. Total hydrocarbon output for April 2023 amounted to just over 4 million barrels of oil equivalent per day which was 1.1% higher month over month and 4.4% greater than a year earlier. Those numbers represent a modest recovery after a March 2023 slump because of rising industry concerns that Lula will take a more interventionist approach to Brazil’s oil industry. That growth indicates Brazil possesses the potential to become the world’s largest oil producer, especially when it is anticipated the country 2023 will add 300,000 barrels per day, taking production to 3.4 million barrels daily by the end of the year.

By Matthew Smith via Yahoo!Finance

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Florida Becomes New Battleground for Brazilian Banks Chasing High-End Clients

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The dispute among Brazil’s largest banks for high-income clients and the private segment has crossed borders and is becoming fierce in the US state of Florida as, in the last few months, the offensive has escalated to hiring new executives, opening new operations and aggressive investment in marketing.

The background is the growing presence of high-income Brazilians who visit. invest in or live in the United States, mainly in the so-called Sunshine State.

The services offered by Brazilian banks in the state include real estate financing, investments, international transfers, and even help with immigration planning.

By Sérgio Ripardo via Bloomberg Línea

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Equinor aims to boost Brazil oil output over next decade

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Equinor (EQNR.OL) plans to expand its oil production in Brazil more than fivefold over the next decade, while also eyeing green energy projects especially in offshore wind power, an executive for the Norwegian energy giant said on Tuesday.

The company aims to boost output to more than 500,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boed) by 2033 from current output of nearly 90,000 boed, Equinor Brazil vice president Lars Jetlund Hansen said at an energy event in Rio de Janeiro.

“We have great momentum to grow more in Brazil in both oil and gas and renewables,” Jetlund Hansen said.

Via Reuters

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Appetite grows for mergers and acquisitions in Latin America: study

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Latin America is increasingly seen as an attractive market for mergers and acquisitions (M&A), with the ongoing U.S.-China trade spat helping to whet investor appetite for opportunities in the region, a KPMG survey of executives showed on Monday.

The survey of nearly 400 executives across 14 countries globally showed technology, financial services and energy sectors leading the way and Mexico overtaking regional heavyweight Brazil for the top spot in M&A activity.

“Opportunities already outweigh challenges,” said Gerardo Rojas, head of KPMG’s Advisory Practice in Mexico and Central America. “The risks investors see in Latin America are outweighed by the desire to get out of Asia, particularly China, due to their trade war with the United States.”

By Aida Pelaez-fernandez via Reuters

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JPMorgan Eleva Recomendação para Petrobras Devido à Redução do Risco

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Analistas do JPMorgan elevaram a recomendação para as ações da Petrobras (PETR4;PETR3) de “neutra” para “overweight”, citando redução na percepção de risco, bem como dividendos alinhados a pares globais, de acordo com relatório enviado a clientes nesta segunda-feira (12).

Eles também elevaram os preços-alvo dos papéis PN (preferenciais) e ON (ordinários), negociados na B3, de R$ 30,50 para R$ 41; e dos ADRs, recibo de ações negociados nos Estados Unidos, de US$ 11,50 para US$ 15,50.

Na última sexta-feira (9), as preferenciais da Petrobras fecharam a 30,28 reais e as ordinárias, a 33,75 reais. Nos EUA, o ADR das ONs encerrou a 13,76 dólares e o das PNs a 12,44 dólares.

By Reuters via Forbes Brasil

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Brazil economists cut long-term inflation expectations, unchanged for months

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Brazilian economists have reduced their long-term inflation expectations, putting an end to months of unchanged projections that the central bank had cited as a cause for concern.

According to the median forecast of a weekly central bank survey on Monday, 2025 inflation projections now stand at 3.9%, down from the previous estimate of 4.0% calculated since March 24. The expectation for 2026 has also decreased to 3.88% from the previous 4.0% forecast since March 17.

The central bank has consistently expressed concern about increased inflation expectations for long-term horizons in its justifications for the need to keep the benchmark interest rate at a 13.75% cycle-high, which has remained steady since September despite cooling inflation.

Via Reuters

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EU chief embarks on Latin America tour to boost ‘neglected’ ties

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European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen starts a four-nation trip to Latin American on Monday to bolster political and trade ties that the European Union admits it has sometimes neglected.

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the European Union has cast around for “like-minded” partners to provide other sources of trade and critical minerals required for its green transition and help reduce its reliance on China.

Von der Leyen will meet the presidents of Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Mexico on consecutive days. Her trip follows that of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz earlier this year and comes a week before Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva travels to Paris.

By Philip Blenkinsop via Reuters

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Brazil’s May inflation seen at eight-month low, opening window for rate cuts

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Brazilian inflation probably declined to an eight-month low in May versus April, opening a much anticipated window for interest rate cuts in the second-half of the year, a Reuters poll of economists predicted.

On a 12-month basis, consumer price data due Wednesday are expected to show the smallest rise in more than two years, adding to evidence for the potential start of an easing cycle from a reticent central bank.

The IPCA inflation index likely increased 0.33% on the month in May, its softest reading since September 2022, and 4.04% in the 12-month gauge, the lowest since October 2020, according to median estimates of 20 analysts polled from May 31 to June 5.

By Gabriel Burin via Reuters

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Por que o agro puxa PIB do Brasil

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Vamos falar sobre a participação do agro no PIB (Produto Interno Bruto). O PIB do Brasil registrou alta de 1,9%, o crescimento foi alavancado pelo PIB do agro, que foi de 21,6%, o maior dos últimos 26 anos.

O crescimento no PIB calculado pelo IBGE surpreendeu a todos e ficou acima das expectativas, entretanto, deixa uma falsa sensação de que a economia no país vai bem, nada mais distante da realidade, indústria e construção apresentaram crescimento negativo, serviços cresceu 0,6%, quem puxou mesmo o PIB para o positivo foi o Agro.

Este resultado extraordinário foi alcançado pois produzimos neste ano a maior safra da nossa história com 305 milhões de toneladas, a produção de soja teve um aumento de 25% e milho de 10%, mas nem tudo são flores, para o produtor, esta foi a safra mais cara de toda nossa história. Este bom resultado deve aparecer ainda nos próximos trimestres, independente da queda abrupta que vem sofrendo o preço das commodities.

By Helen Jacintho via Forbes Brasil

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Bradesco lança E-agro, marketplace para operar no setor do agronegócio

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Banco com cerca de R$ 100 bilhões aplicados no agro entra em mais uma modalidade de comércio de produtos, um mercado estimado em R$ 185,7 bilhões para 2023

O Bradesco anunciou nesta segunda-feira (5) o lançamento do E-agro, marketplace para operar no setor do agronegócio. A plataforma é destinada à oferta de produtos e serviços financeiros e não financeiros para o produtor rural, clientes e não clientes da instituição financeira.

“O lançamento do E-agro é muito representativo. Crescemos concedendo crédito aos agricultores e temos hoje um universo potencial de mais de dois milhões de produtores rurais no Bradesco, que integram a cadeia do setor brasileiro que mais cresce”, afirma José Ramos Rocha Neto, vice-presidente do Bradesco. Com cerca de R$ 100 bilhões aplicados no setor, o Bradesco é o maior banco privado na concessão de crédito ao agronegócio. Em 2022, o Bradesco teve lucro líquido contábil de R$ 20,73 bilhões e conta com uma base da ordem de 77,1 milhões de clientes.

By Redação via Forbes

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Yellen says U.S. inflation easing as some sectors slow, labor market strong

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The U.S. economy is strong amid robust consumer spending but some areas are slowing down, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Wednesday, adding that she expects continued progress in bringing inflation down over the next two years with a strong labor market.

Yellen, in a CNBC interview, also said that while banks may struggle with commercial real estate and face some consolidation, there is ample liquidity in the system and banks should generally be able to withstand any strain.

Yellen said that inflation can subside while maintaining a strong labor market, with unemployment in the 4% range, up slightly from the 3.7% reading in May.

By Susan Heavey and David Lawder via Reuters

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Brazil’s Itau Unibanco in talks with Banco Macro to sell Argentina ops

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Brazil’s largest private lender Itau Unibanco is in talks with Banco Macro SA to sell its operations in Argentina, the lender said on Tuesday, a move that comes as the neighboring country grapples with a severe economic crisis.

Itau disclosed the “preliminary talks” in a securities filing, touting Macro as “one of the main private banks in Argentina with an extensive network of branches,” but noted that no binding agreement had been reached so far.

Itau’s operations in Argentina are moderately sized in terms of personnel and branches, but its loan portfolio in the country is relatively small when compared with other markets such as Chile and Colombia.

By Reuters Staff  via Reuters

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Brazil posts record trade surplus in May on surging exports

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Brazil posted a $11.4 billion trade surplus in May, marking a record for any given month since the data series began in 1989, official data showed on Thursday.

The figure also came above the $9 billion surplus expected in a Reuters poll with economists, backed by a surge in the volume of exports that more than offset price drops.

According to the Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade and Services, Brazilian exports totaled $33.1 billion in May, up 11.6% from the same month in 2022, to the highest value ever recorded in the entire series.

Via Reuters

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Delta Resumes Twice Daily Flights From Atlanta To Brazil

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Great news is here for Atlanta residents! Delta Air Lines has announced the reinstatement of its twice-daily service between Atlanta and São Paulo, effective from May 25. Previously discontinued, this route will now be served by a combination of Airbus A330-300 and Boeing 767-300(ER) aircraft.

Delta temporarily reduced the frequency of flights between the two cities during the low season in late March. The resumption of this service aims to offer travelers seeking connections between the United States and Brazil enhanced travel options.

In addition, New Yorkers will soon be able to fly nonstop to another Brazilian city, Rio de Janeiro, when Delta begins seasonal service between New York-JFK and Rio Galeo Airport (GIG) in Brazil on December 16. The new route will run daily on Delta’s Boeing 767-300 aircraft with Delta One, Delta Premium Select, Delta Comfort+, and Main Cabin service. The route is the third that Delta and LATAM have announced since the Joint Venture was approved in September 2022.

By Brunno Braga via Yahoo!news

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Brazil’s Petrobras revises strategic plan to boost low-carbon investments

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Brazilian state-run oil company Petrobras (PETR4.SA) said on Thursday its board of directors had approved a revision of part of its 2023-2028 strategic plan in a bid to increase investments in low-carbon initiatives.

Petroleo Brasileiro SA, as the company is formally known, said in a securities filing that under the new plan it would target 6% to 15% of its total capital expenditure (CAPEX) for low carbon, up from 6% in the 2023-2027 strategic plan.

The move, Petrobras said, is aimed at preparing the company for the energy transition, “reconciling the current focus on oil and gas with the search for diversification of our portfolio in low carbon businesses.”

Via Reuters

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Brazil’s economy likely surged back in Q1 powered by record crops

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Brazil’s economy likely surged back to growth in the first quarter of the year, powered by record-breaking crops and solid crude oil output that more than offset the drag of subdued manufacturing activity, a Reuters poll of economists showed.

Strong exports by commodities-producing sectors were seen adding to resilient private consumption in lifting gross domestic product (GDP), despite the negative effects of high interest rates and a worrying rise in government debt.

GDP is forecast to increase 1.3% in January-March over the fourth quarter, after a 0.2% contraction in the last three months of 2022, according to the median estimate of 18 forecasts taken between May 24 and 30. The data is due on Thursday.

By Gabriel Burin via Reuters

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Former Minister Paulo Guedes to launch green Brazil fund

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Former Brazilian Economy Minister Paulo Guedes is preparing to launch a “green” investment fund along with prominent bankers and other members of former President Jair Bolsonaro’s government, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters.

The fund is expected to launch in July, the sources said, aiming to attract domestic and international investments in Brazil’s energy transition, natural resource preservation and industries tied to renewable energy sources.

The new government of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has prioritized green economic development and stewardship of the Amazon rainforest after Bolsonaro faced global criticism for overseeing a surge in deforestation and illegal mining.

By Marcela Ayres via Reuters

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As melhores empresas para profissionais LGBTQIA+

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No mês do orgulho LGBTI+, levantamento HRC Equidade BR certifica 57 empresas com base em políticas, compromissos públicos e ações para a inclusão

Às vésperas de junho, mês do orgulho LGBTQIA+, a HRC (Human Rights Campaign), em parceria com o Instituto Mais Diversidade e o Fórum de Empresas e Direitos LGBTI+, divulga a segunda edição do ranking Equidade BR, com as melhores empresas para profissionais LGBTQIA+ trabalharem no Brasil.

Na primeira edição, 38 empresas foram reconhecidas entre as 60 participantes. Nesta segunda edição, houve um aumento de pouco mais de 50% na participação, com 91 empresas participantes e 57 reconhecidas, que obtiveram a pontuação máxima da pesquisa.

Entre as certificadas este ano, 18% são do setor de tecnologia, 16%, de consultoria, gestão e serviços e 11%, financeiro.

By Redação via Forbes Brasil

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Brazilian banks urged to crack down on meatpackers tied to deforestation

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Brazilian banks are being asked to meet minimum information requirements to help combat illegal deforestation when offering credit lines to meat processors, the Brazilian Federation of Banks (Febraban) said on Tuesday.

The group said the move is tied to rules approved by its self-regulation council to foster “sustainable finance” in Brazil, the world’s biggest beef exporter.

Banks that agree to participate in the scheme will be required to ask meat processors in the legal Amazon and Maranhao regions to implement a traceability and monitoring system that will allow them to demonstrate by December 2025 that their cattle purchases don’t come from areas of illegal deforestation.

By Paula Arend Laier via Reuters

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Brazil says UN confirmed Amazonian city of Belem as COP30 host

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Brazil’s government said on Friday the United Nations has confirmed the Amazonian city of Belem as the host of the COP30 climate change summit in November 2025.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva made the announcement in a video alongside his foreign relations minister and the governor of Para state, where Belem is located.

“I’m convinced it is going to be a great event,” said Lula, who had previously pledged to try to bring the U.N. climate talks to a city in the world’s largest rainforest.

Via Reuters

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US Embassy in Brazil releases instructional video on the ‘importance of using neutral pronouns’

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The U.S. Embassy in Brasília, Brazil, published a video teaching the “importance” of using gender-neutral pronouns, including “xe/xem” and “ze/hir.”

The video was posted to the Embassy’s social media on Wednesday for the International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia. The video description said there is a “range of gender identities beyond male and female” and that it is not possible to know a person’s gender based on appearance.

The speaker in the video, who said his name is Mark, noted that his pronouns are he and him before explaining why people should not assume someone else’s pronouns.

By Landon Mion via Fox News

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Brazil’s government establishes committee for sustainable sovereign bond issuance

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Brazil’s government created on Wednesday an interministerial committee to develop a framework for issuing “sustainable sovereign bonds” aiming to launch a bond later this year.

These new bonds will be “instruments of public debt backed by federal government budget allocations for sustainable development,” including actions and projects related to environmental and social themes, according to the Finance Ministry.

While there is no specific date for the framework’s release, the ministry expects the process to be completed in time for sustainable bonds to be issued later this year, it said in a statement.

Via Reuters

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‘Sounding the alarm’: World on track to breach a critical warming threshold in the next five years

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The world is now likely to breach a key climate threshold for the first time within the next five years, according to the World Meteorological Organization, due to a combination of heat-trapping pollution and a looming El Niño.

Global temperatures have soared in recent years as the world continues to burn planet-warming fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas. And that trend shows no sign of slowing. In its annual climate update, the WMO said that between 2023 and 2027, there is now a 66% chance that the planet’s temperature will climb above 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming above pre-industrial levels for at least one year.

As temperatures surge, there is also a 98% likelihood that at least one of the next five years – and the five-year period as a whole – will be the warmest on record for the planet, the WMO reported.

By Laura Paddison and Jessie Gretener via CNN

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Brazil retail sales smash market forecasts in March

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Brazil’s retail sales smashed market estimates in March, growing more than the highest forecast in a Reuters poll of economists, in a positive reading for the country’s broader first-quarter economic performance despite high interest rates.

Retail sales rose 0.8% in the month compared with February, data from statistics agency IBGE showed on Wednesday, largely beating consensus of a 0.8% drop in a Reuters poll of 13 economists, which had a 0.2% gain as maximum expectation.

Via Reuters

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New fuel policy in Brazil to ease prices at the pump, space out adjustments

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Brazilian state oil company Petrobras approved a new fuel pricing policy for gasoline and diesel that will sharply lower costs for motorists, it announced on Tuesday, ditching a more market-based policy in favor of greater flexibility to smooth price swings.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva celebrated the new policy for Brazil’s millions of motorists in a post on social media later on Tuesday, declaring it “a victory for the people.”

The new pricing system scraps a so-called fuel import parity policy that more closely aligned prices at the pump with the oil market and exchange rates. Lula, as the leftist leader is known, had promised to change that to make fuel cheaper.

By Gabriel Araujo and Marta Nogueira via Reuters

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IMF backs Brazil’s fiscal reform, ‘ambitious’ green agenda

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The International Monetary Fund on Tuesday said it “strongly supports” Brazil’s efforts to improve the country’s fiscal position, while also commending the country’s “ambitious agenda” to have a sustainable, inclusive, and green economy.

“Enhancing Brazil’s fiscal framework, broadening the tax base, and tackling spending rigidities would support sustainability and credibility,” the leader of an annual mission to the country, Ana Corbacho, said in a statement after the Fund’s visit.

Brazil’s finance ministry in late March unveiled new fiscal rules to balance limits on spending growth under the administration of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who has vowed to boost social programs and public investment.

By Brendan O’Boyle and Carolina Pulice Via Reuters

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As melhores universidades brasileiras, segundo ranking mundial

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Brasil tem 54 instituições de ensino superior entre as 2 mil mais bem classificadas pelo Center for World University Rankings; USP, Unicamp e UFRJ são as melhores colocadas

Entre as 54 universidades brasileiras classificadas na lista das 2 mil melhores do mundo pelo CWUR (Center for World University Rankings), 29 tiveram queda em suas posições em relação ao ranking do ano passado. A Universidade de São Paulo lidera como a melhor universidade da América Latina, mesmo tendo caído da 103ª posição para a 109ª neste ano. Assim, nenhuma instituição de ensino superior brasileira está entre as 100 melhores do mundo.

O CWUR, que avaliou mais de 20 mil universidades ao redor do mundo, também ranqueia as instituições de acordo com educação, empregabilidade, docência e pesquisa. As universidades brasileiras tiveram maior queda no âmbito de pesquisa, principalmente pelos cortes de financiamento de bolsas de pesquisa e do orçamento das instituições. Nesse quesito, por exemplo, a UFRJ (Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro) caiu 14 posições, enquanto a Unesp (Universidade Estadual Paulista) teve queda de 5.

By Gabriela Guido via Forbes Brasil

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BTG Pactual announces the acquisition of a stake in Systemica, a developer of carbon projects and environmental assets for reducing GHG emissions

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The partnership enables the bank to expand its operations in the carbon credit market with solutions for both the domestic and global markets

BTG Pactual (BPAC11), the largest investment bank in Latin America, signed an investment agreement for acquiring a minority stake in Systemica, a company that structures, develops, and implements projects for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, in addition to trading the environmental assets generated. The operation aims to contribute to a transitional economy and join efforts for advancing the carbon credit market, contributing to the integrity, quality and international reputation of carbon projects in Brazil and Latin America.

Demand for a low-carbon economy has been growing internationally, with financial institutions and large companies committing to reduce emissions and structuring strategies for decarbonizing their operations. From 2020 to the beginning of 2023, the number of companies committed to reducing emissions formalized under Science Based Targets (SBTi) — which shows how actions are based on science for combatting climate change — grew more than 10 times, which materializes in terms of ever-increasing volumes of retired carbon credits, according to Trove Research.

Via Yahoo Finance

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What the NHS is learning from Brazil

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Knocking on doors to check on people’s health and catch problems before they escalate is common practice across Brazil. But could that approach work in the UK?

Comfort and Nahima are on their regular beat around Churchill Gardens, a council estate in the Pimlico neighbourhood of London.

Dressed in blue fleeces with logos, they steadily climb the concrete staircases of each block on the estate.

By Naomi Grimley via BBC News

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Brazil’s Itau Unibanco first-quarter net profit up 14.6%

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Itau Unibanco Holding SA (ITUB4.SA), Brazil’s biggest private bank, reported first-quarter recurring net profit of 8.435 billion reais ($1.7 billion) on Monday, a 14.6% year-on-year rise despite higher provisions for bad loans.

The recurring net income figure, which excludes one-off items, was broadly in line with expectations of 8.42 billion reais in a Refinitiv poll of analysts.

Itau said in a securities filing the result was driven by the “positive effect” of a higher loan portfolio, which coupled with a “gradual change in the mix to loans with better spreads” led to a 20% rise in its financial margin with clients.

Via Reuters

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Entenda o PL da inteligência artificial e como ele impacta as empresas

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Popularizada pelo ChatGPT, da OpenAI, a inteligência artificial tornou-se o principal tema de tecnologia dos últimos meses. Na quarta-feira, 3, o presidente do Senado, Rodrigo Pacheco apresentou um projeto de lei que regulamenta o uso da IA. De acordo com Márcio Chaves, sócio do escritório Almeida Advogados, o PL materializa a tendência mundial de regulamentação do tema inteligência artificial, “de inegável necessidade diante da ausência de regras que ajudem a mitigar os riscos tanto com o atual status da tecnologia, mas principalmente de um futuro a curto e médio prazo que temos com os avanços tecnológicos que são exponenciais.”

Ainda de acordo com Márcio, o texto tem como principal ponto positivo o estabelecimento de obrigações, que na legislação de hoje ainda são vistos mais como recomendações e boas práticas. “De seguir princípios para o uso seguro e ético da inteligência artificial, avaliando e documentando previamente ao desenvolvimento e ao uso da inteligência artificial, de agir de forma preventiva, pois o remediar pode não ser possível ou suficiente. Mas carece de adequações, como por exemplo a inclusão dentre as hipóteses de limitação da responsabilidade civil por danos causados, para desenvolvedores e utilizadores de inteligência artificial que seguirem as obrigações trazidas pela regulamentação, pois sua ausência poderá desestimular o cumprimento da lei”, conclui Marcio.

By Luiz Gustavo Pacete via Forbes Brasil

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Santander espera fechar R$ 2 bilhões em negócios na Agrishow

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Banco vê queda de juros ainda tímida, mas aposta em modelo de crédito com taxas pré-fixadas e consórcio

O banco Santander espera fechar negócios da ordem de R$ 2 bilhões durante a Agrishow, que acontece em Ribeirão Preto (SP), a maior feira de tecnologia para o agro do país. No ano passado, o montante foi de US$ 1,4 bilhão. “A estratégia é trazer o produtor para a tomada de crédito antes dele ir às compras”, disse o economista Ricardo França, superintendente regional de agronegócios do Santander. Em março, a carteira do banco para o setor era de R$ 40 bilhões, com meta de alcançar R$ 50 bilhões até o fim do ano.

De olho na queda da taxa de juros, ainda que tímida para o segundo semestre do ano, de acordo com França, o principal dos negócios fechados na Agrishow será garantido por uma linha de taxa pós-fixada, espelhada ao que pratica o BNDES (Banco Nacional de Desenvolvimento Econômico e Social).

By Vera Ondei via Forbes Brasil

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Transição energética no Brasil

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Os avanços da Conferência das Nações Unidas sobre as Mudanças Climáticas de 2022 (COP27) ainda não são suficientes para que o mundo consiga limitar o aquecimento global a apenas 1,5 °C acima dos níveis pré-industriais. Diante do grande desafio de coordenação que a agenda climática impõe, é preciso ir além e pensar nas questões relacionadas à energia em quatro dimensões (4Ds): descarbonização, descentralização, digitalização e disrupção da demanda.

Essas tendências se aceleram e ganham mais relevância a cada ano, e o Brasil tem vantagens competitivas para figurar como protagonista. No processo de transição energética, o país pode contribuir de diferentes formas, gerando valor global e localmente, se souber investir em tecnologias e infraestrutura para atender a demandas internas e internacionais.

Via PwC

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O que é importante para os CFOs em 2023

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Seis tópicos para a agenda do líder financeiro

Apesar da imprevisibilidade dos últimos anos, pelo menos algo permaneceu inalterado: executivos, consumidores e funcionários concordam que a confiança nos negócios é imperativa. Para a maioria das empresas, no entanto, conseguir estabelecer essa relação não é tão fácil. Nossa Trust Survey 2023 revelou que lacunas de confiança, principalmente com os consumidores, continuam a atormentar muitas empresas.

Via PwC

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Embrapa devolveu à sociedade R$ 34,70 para cada R$ 1 investido em 2022

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Principal instituição pública de pesquisa de alimentos, fibras e bioenergia chegou a lucro social de R$ 125,9 bilhões no ano passado

Em 2022, a Embrapa (Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária), apresentou um lucro social de R$ 125,88 bilhões, gerados a partir do impacto econômico no setor agropecuário de 172 tecnologias e 110 cultivares desenvolvidas pelas pesquisas. Para cada R$ 1 aplicado na Embrapa, no ano passado, foram devolvidos R$ 34,70 para a sociedade. Em 2021, para cada R$ 1 aplicado na instituição, foram devolvidos R$ 23,38.

Nesta quarta-feira (26), ela, a mais importante instituição pública na área de produção de alimentos, fibras e energia, completa 50 anos. O Brasil, provavelmente, não teria chegado até aqui como um dos maiores produtores de alimentos do mundo sem a Embrapa. Esse ganho é de toda a sociedade e seu lucro social dá a dimensão da sua existência. O Balanço Social publica, anualmente, os resultados da avaliação de impactos econômicos, sociais, ambientais e, no desenvolvimento institucional, de uma amostra de soluções tecnológicas. A metodologia utilizada nesses estudos é a soma dos impactos econômicos dessa amostra de tecnologias.

Via Forbes Brasil

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Spain will try to persuade reluctant EU partners to approve Mercosur deal

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Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Wednesday said some European Union partners were reluctant to approve a trade agreement with South American bloc Mercosur, but he would try to persuade them to greenlight the deal.

The bloc comprising Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay Brazil is discussing concluding the agreement with the European Union after a political deal hammered out in 2019 was put on hold due to concerns, particularly in France, about Amazon deforestation and Brazil’s commitment to climate change action.

Via Reuters

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Rio de Janeiro: The “Marvellous City” welcomes digital nomads

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Launched in January 2022, Brazil’s new Digital Nomad Visa is enticing a new type of traveller to the South American country. And Rio is one of the most alluring spots to settle.

Rio de Janeiro, a colourful urban sprawl divided by forest-covered mountains and edged by golden coastlines, has long seduced international tourists with its samba-fuelled nights and spectacular landscapes. Now, the “Marvellous City”, as it’s known by Brazilians, is enticing a new type of traveller with its Digital Nomad Visa, which was launched across the country last year.

The local government has been pushing ahead with investments to make the city increasingly suitable for remote workers, including improving connectivity with citywide 5G coverage. An emerging coffeehouse scene also brings new working spots and a digital nomad vibe to Rio’s popular beachside areas, with modern cafes equipped with fast internet, contemporary brunch options and a variety of decent coffee.

By Sarah Brown via BBC

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An Indigenous woman from the Amazon wins the Goldman Environment Prize

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Alessandra Korap’s defense of her ancestral Munduruku territory recognized how she and others overturned the traditionally all-male leadership to organize, helping to halt mining.

When Alessandra Korap was born in the mid-1980s, her Indigenous village nestled in the Amazon rainforest in Brazil was a haven of seclusion. But as she grew up, the nearby city of Itaituba, with its bustling streets and commercial activity, crept closer and closer.

It wasn’t just her village feeling the encroachment of non-Indigenous outsiders. Two major federal highways paved the way for tens of thousands of settlers, illegal gold miners and loggers into the region’s vast Indigenous territories, which cover a forested area roughly the size of Belgium.

By Associated Press via BBC News

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Are Brazilians Hispanic? Many say ‘yes,’ report says

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A coding error in an annual survey by the U.S. Census Bureau has offered unprecedented insight into how large numbers of Brazilians in the U.S. identify as Hispanic or Latino.

An analysis by Pew Research Center shows that the coding mistake revealed at least 416,000 Brazilians, or more than two-thirds of Brazilians in the U.S., identifying as Hispanic in the 2020 American Community Survey. By comparison, only 14,000 Brazilians identified that way in 2019, and only 16,000 Brazilians did so in 2021 — years when the coding error wasn’t made.

Since 2000, the Census Bureau hasn’t classified Brazilians and other people from non-Spanish speaking countries in Latin America and the Caribbean as Hispanic because of federal government definitions that were last revised in 1997 but are being reconsidered for an update next year. Because of this, if someone marks that they are Hispanic but Brazilian on the survey, they are recoded as “not Hispanic” when the numbers are crunched.

By Mike Schneider via Scientific American

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EU lawmakers back ban on goods linked to deforestation

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The European Parliament approved a landmark deforestation law on Wednesday to ban imports into the EU of coffee, beef, soy and other commodities if they are linked to the destruction of the world’s forests.

The law will require companies that sell goods into the European Union to produce a due diligence statement and “verifiable” information proving their goods were not grown on land deforested after 2020, or risk hefty fines.

The rules aim to eliminate deforestation from the supply chains of a range of everyday items sold in Europe. It will apply to soy, beef, palm oil, wood, cocoa, coffee, rubber, charcoal, and derived products including leather, chocolate and furniture.

By Kate Abnett via Reuters

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Arcabouço fiscal: entenda os principais pontos do texto divulgado pelo governo

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O Ministério da Fazenda divulgou nesta terça-feira, 18, o texto final do novo arcabouço fiscal, proposto pelo governo do presidente Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PR). O projeto apresenta um conjunto de regras e parâmetros para o controle das contas públicas. A expectativa é que o texto seja protocolado no Congresso Nacional ainda hoje.

A nova regra fiscal substituirá o teto de gastos implementado no governo do ex-presidente Michel Temer (MDB), em 2016, e que limitava o crescimento das despesas ao ano anterior, corrigido pela inflação.

Entenda os principais pontos da nova âncora fiscal apresentada pelo governo:

By Izael Pereira via Exame

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Novas Perspectivas | Principais tendências de inovação no Agronegócio

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Wed, Apr 19, 2023 9:00 AM BRT (8:00 AM ET)

Programação:

09:00 – 09:20 Abertura/Avisos/Pesquisa
09:20 – 09:50 Palestrante: José Tomé
09:50 – 10:20 Palestrante: Patrícia Amélia
10:20 – 10:50 Palestrante: Thiago Mendes
10:50 – 11:00 Perguntas e Respostas (Q&A)
11:00 – 11:15 Prova de Conhecimento/Encerramento


Speakers:

Patrícia Amélia, EasyHub
José Tomé, Barn Investimentos
Thiago Mendes, AGTech Garage
Maurício Moraes, PwC Brasil
Kieran McManus, PwC Brasil

REGISTER HERE

OPEC+ cuts risk oil supply deficit, threaten economic recovery -IEA

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Output cuts announced by OPEC+ producers risk exacerbating an oil supply deficit expected in the second half of the year and could hurt consumers and global economic recovery, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Friday.

OPEC+ and the IEA have jousted in recent months over their outlooks for global oil supply and demand.

Consumer countries represented by the IEA have argued that tightening supplies drive up prices and could threaten a recession, while OPEC+ blames Western monetary policy for market volatility and inflation which undercuts the value of its oil.

By Noah Browning via Reuters

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Brazil treasury says foreign investors pouring back into public debt

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Foreign investors are returning in numbers to Brazil’s public debt market, Treasury Secretary Rogerio Ceron told Reuters, just after local financial assets rallied since the government proposed new fiscal rules two weeks ago.

In a late Tuesday interview, Ceron said the government expects to double the foreign share of domestic public debt to around 20% by 2026. He cited demand at four times last week’s offering of a $2.25 billion sovereign bond issue, Brazil’s first since 2021, as evidence of renewed foreign interest.

“The external issuance proves this clearly. We feel the presence of non-residents more strongly in our auctions,” he said

By Marcela Ayres and Bernardo Caram via Reuters

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2023 Brazil Summit: Líderes discutem o futuro da energia no Brasil e no mundo

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O Brazil Summit é um evento anual que tem sido organizado pela Câmara de Comércio Brasil-Estados Unidos há mais de 20 anos. O programa é especialmente relevante para a comunidade empresarial de Nova York, já que permite que eles conheçam as questões econômicas e políticas mais importantes do Brasil, apresentadas por seus principais representantes.

A edição de 2023 do Brazil Summit promete ser ainda mais especial, reunindo líderes e especialistas dos setores de petróleo e gás, energias renováveis, jurídico e financeiro para discutir desafios e apresentar propostas sobre as perspectivas do Brasil. O evento também contará com discussões importantes, oferecendo insights críticos sobre as perspectivas econômicas, políticas e de investimento do país.

Via Bloomberg Línea

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Quais profissões serão substituídas pela IA? Veja as áreas

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Desde o lançamento do ChatGPT, da Open AI, e do Bard, do Google, as discussões sobre se as IAs (inteligências artificiais) substituirão os humanos aumentaram e estudos mostram que alguns empregos – surpreendentemente, alguns tradicionalmente ocupados por executivos – podem ser fortemente impactados.

Quais serão as profissões mais impactadas pelas IAs
1. Finanças e bancos
2. Mídia e marketing
3. Serviços jurídicos

Os empregos que serão menos impactados pelas IAs
1. Trabalhadores de manufaturas e fábricas
2. Agricultores
3. Profissionais da saúde

By Arianna Johnson via Forbes Brasil

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Latin American Countries Will Grow Less Than Expected: World Bank

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Latin America and the Caribbean will experience only modest growth this year as the region’s economies suffer from high interest rates and falling commodity prices, the World Bank said in a report released Tuesday.

The Washington-based organization projects that the regional economy as a whole will expand 1.4% through December, lagging all other regions. It had projected 1.6% growth for this year, but consensus growth forecasts in Chile, Argentina and Colombia have worsened since the bank’s last report in October 2022. Activity is seen expanding 2.4% in each of the following two years.

“The forecasts going forward predict the same lackluster pace of the past two decades, which remains insufficient to reduce poverty, promote inclusion, and defuse social tensions,” bank analysts wrote. Fiscal imbalances remain high and will erode the equivalent of 2.7% of regional growth this year, while debt levels are seen at 64.7%, they said.

By Maria Eloisa Capurro via Bloomberg Línea

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Cinquenta anos depois, celular se mantém como hub de utilidades

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Em 3 de abril de 1973, Martin Cooper, atualmente com 94 anos, inventou aquele que é considerado o primeiro celular: Motorola_DynaTC8000X. À época, o executivo liderava a equipe de designers e engenheiros da Motorola. Das diversas entrevistas que deu sobre o tema, Martin ressaltou que o celular surgiu da necessidade de que existisse um aparelho que as pessoas pudessem utilizar em qualquer lugar. Em 2007, 34 anos depois, uma nova revolução surgiria dentre esses equipamentos com a apresentação do iPhone ao mundo.

Ao relembrar os 50 anos do celular, fica um questionamento: até quando o principal meio de comunicação da humanidade seguirá tão relevante? De acordo com a Comscore, somente o Brasil possui 121 milhões de usuários de smartphones, o equivalente a 93% da população. “Eles estão gastando mais tempo em seus dispositivos, com um aumento de 3% no tempo gasto em aplicativos móveis em relação ao primeiro trimestre de 2022; maioritariamente nas redes sociais e serviços”, explica Alejandro Fosk, vice-presidente da Comscore para América Latina.

By Luiz Gustavo Pacete via Forbes Brasil

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Brazil’s BTG Pactual launches own dollar-backed stablecoin

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Brazil’s BTG Pactual said on Tuesday it will launch a stablecoin priced in U.S. dollars at a parity of one to one, as it seeks to position itself in the digital assets market.

The stablecoin, called BTG Dol, will be available on Mynt, the bank’s crypto-asset platform, and through BTG Pactual’s own investment system.

A stablecoin is a type of cryptocurrency that is pegged to a stable asset as a way to reduce volatility.

By Paula Arend Laier and Paul Simao via Reuters

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Brasil fica em 7º em ranking de investimentos estrangeiros

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O Brasil é o sétimo destino mais procurado pelos estrangeiros que querem investir em países emergentes, conforme aponta o Índice de Confiança para Investimento Direto Estrangeiro, da consultoria internacional Kearney. O País ficou atrás de China, Índia, Emirados Árabes Unidos, Catar, Tailândia e Arábia Saudita. Ao todo, o levantamento avaliou o desempenho de 25 nações.

Esta é a primeira vez, em 25 anos, que a Kearney compilou dados sobre o apetite dos investidores em relação aos mercados emergentes. Anualmente, a consultoria divulga um ranking geral de desempenho das nações mais buscadas pelos investidores estrangeiros em todo o mundo.

Conforme divulgado pela consultoria, o índice é produzido com base em uma pesquisa realizada com executivos de empresas de diversos setores econômicos, em cerca de 30 países. Para participar da pesquisa, as empresas precisam ter faturamento anual igual ou superior a US$ 500 milhões. O estudo avalia, seguindo as respostas dos executivos, quais os mercados com maior potencial para atrair investimentos nos próximos três anos.

By Estadão Conteúdo via Exame

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Arcabouço fiscal terá piso e teto para crescimento dos gastos

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Finalmente, após semanas de adiamentos, o governo apresentou a proposta do novo arcabouço fiscal, que será enviado ao Congresso na próxima semana como um projeto de Lei Complementar (LC). A proposta foi apresentada na manhã de hoje em uma entrevista coletiva concedida pelos ministros da Fazenda, Fernando Haddad, e do Planejamento, Simone Tebet, no Ministério da Fazenda. A nova regra para as contas públicas vai substituir o teto de gastos, aprovado em dezembro de 2016 e que vinha valendo desde 2017.

O teto de gastos limitava a expansão das despesas públicas ao valor do ano anterior, corrigido pelo IPCA. Agora, o novo arcabouço fiscal terá pisos e tetos para o crescimento dos gastos. As despesas poderão crescer apenas 70% do avanço das receitas. Se essa regra for descumprida, o teto cai para 50% do crescimento. O objetivo das novas regras fiscais é permitir que o governo gaste mais com saúde, educação e segurança pública e possibilitar mais investimentos públicos sem descontrolar as contas.

A nova regra estabelece uma banda de flutuação para a meta do resultado primário (diferença entre despesas e receitas sem contar os juros. Essa banda vai funcionar como a meta de inflação, com um objetivo e limites de tolerância para mais e para menos. A primeira meta é de crescimento real da despesa primária entre 0,6% e 2,5% ao ano. Caso o resultado primário do governo fique acima do teto da banda, o excedente poderá ser utilizado para investimentos.

By Cláudio Gradilone via Forbes Brasil

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Brazilian National Data Protection Agency (ANPD) Discloses List of Companies Being Investigated

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In the wake of the Brazilian National Data Protection Agency (ANPD) issuing further regulations1 on the determination of penalties for violations of the Data Protection Law (LGPD),2 on March 23, 2023 the ANPD launched a new webpage with the list of companies and government agencies currently under investigation in a punitive administrative process.

The list currently includes only eight entities: one private company and seven government agencies. The list includes their names, date the investigation started, the process number, current status, and a brief description of the alleged violations. The main alleged violations include:

  • Not complying with an ANPD request;
  • Lack of notice of data breach incident to data subjects; and
  • Lack of security measures.

By Renata Neeser via Littler News

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Brasil e China avançam em acordo para comércio sem o uso do dólar

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Os governos do Brasil e da China avançaram nas últimas semanas na negociação para que o comércio e os investimentos entre os dois países sejam feitos diretamente entre o real e o yuan (RMB) o que excluiria o dólar dos Estados Unidos como moeda de referência nas transações.

Reduzir a dependência do dólar, aumentando a circulação do yuan, é uma das linhas de atuação da política externa e financeira da China, num contexto de disputas comerciais e geopolíticas com os Estados Unidos. Recentemente, o governo do presidente Xi Jinping firmou acordos com Arábia Saudita e Rússia para o uso do yuan no comércio. O RMB tem cerca de 2% de participação nos pagamentos globais, em crescimento principalmente no entorno do gigante asiático.

No fim de janeiro, os bancos centrais dos dois países assinaram um memorando para estabelecer uma “clearing house” no Brasil. Na prática, trata-se de um banco escolhido pelo governo chinês – o ICBC – com liquidez na moeda chinesa para fazer a compensação das divisas diretamente. O empresário no Brasil receberia em yuan e faria, nesse mesmo banco, a troca pelo real.

By Estadão via Exame

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Mattos Filho recognized by leading international legal publications

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Our firm has featured in two important international legal publications in the last few days.

Mattos Filho received the main award at The Legal 500 Brazil Awards last week, being recognized as ‘Law Firm of the Year’. The awards are based on an assessment of law firm structure and the importance and complexity of the candidates’ cases.

We were also the firm with the highest number of recognized practice areas. Our Capital Markets practice was recognized in the ‘Capital Markets Law Firm of the Year’, ‘Deal of the Year’ (for Nubank’s IPO), and ‘Capital Markets Lawyer of the Year’ categories, while our Litigation and Arbitration practice also won the award for ‘Litigation Law Firm of the Year’.

Furthermore, we were ranked in nine different categories in the Chambers Brazil: Contentious 2023 guide, which recognizes the performance of the best firms and lawyers:

  • Bankruptcy/Restructuring
  • Competition/Antitrust
  • Compliance
  • Consumer Law
  • Dispute Resolution: Arbitration
  • Dispute Resolution: Litigation
  • Dispute Resolution: White-Collar Crime
  • Labour & Employment: The Elite
  • Tax: Litigation: The Elite

27 of our professionals appeared in the rankings, receiving a total of 29 recognitions.

We would like to thank both institutions for these recognitions, which reinforce our commitment to providing outstanding service and strengthening our strategic partnerships with clients.

Via Mattos Filho

80% dos empregadores brasileiros têm dificuldade de encontrar talentos

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Uma pesquisa do ManPowerGroup sobre escassez de talentos descobriu que 80% dos empregadores do Brasil encontram dificuldades para recrutar os funcionários que precisam em 2023. A taxa, que aumentou desde 2018, ficou estável em relação ao ano anterior e varia de acordo com a indústria.

Enquanto as empresas das áreas de bens de consumo e serviços e de finanças e imobiliário registraram a taxa de 82% de dificuldade de encontrar talentos, as indústrias de transporte, logística e automotiva, de serviços de comunicação e de assistência médica e ciências da vida divulgaram 81% de dificuldades para encontrar funcionários.

As habilidades mais procuradas
O estudo destacou as principais competências buscadas pelos empregadores brasileiros, com as habilidades humanas se destacando em uma era dominada pelo digital. Veja as 5 soft skills mais buscadas no Brasil:

Bia Gabriela Guido via Brasil Forbes

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BTG Pactual Bridges Business Between Brazilians And Saudis

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Brazilian investment bank BTG Pactual set up an office in Riyadh , the capital of Saudi Arabia. The biggest investment bank in Latin America is the only one from Brazil with a presence in the largest Arab country in the Gulf region. It serves the six countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC); Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, and Bahrain.

BTG Pactual partner and head of BTG Middle East , Mario Cavalieri, spoke about the bank’s activities in the region in a seminar at the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) headquarters this Tuesday (28).“We set up an office in Riyadh to raise capital from [Saudi] Arabia and other GCC countries for investments in Latin America and attract Latin American investment to the Middle East,” said Cavalieri.

In addition, the bank carries out mergers and acquisitions in the region. The sectors attracting interest to Arab companies seeking to buy companies in Brazil and Latin America are animal protein, infrastructure, aviation, and hospitality , informed Cavalieri. On the other hand, the Arabs have sizeable operations in the energy sector, both in oil and gas and in renewable energies.

By Brazil-Arab News Agency (ANBA) via MENAFN

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Brasil pode se tornar centro de ciência quântica aplicada ao agro

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Interessados em abrir espaço de pesquisa, por meio de laboratórios de estudo e de parcerias com instituições, o Lanaf (Laboratório Nacional de Agro-Fotônica), que pertence à Embrapa Instrumentação, unidade localizada em São Carlos (SP), reuniu na sexta (24), pela primeira vez, um grupo de pesquisadores para traçar o potencial das tecnologias quânticas no desenvolvimento do agro. As tecnologias quânticas estão presentes em diversos desenvolvimentos, como GPS, LED, câmeras digitais, computadores e laser.

“Precisamos ser o centro do mundo da ciência quântica aplicada ao agro, ter uma visão estratégica”, disse Paulo Nussenzveig, pró-reitor de pesquisa e inovação da USP (Universidade de São Paulo), durante o 1º Workshop de Tecnologias Quânticas no Agro. “Há uma nova revolução quântica em curso, que depende de um conhecimento profundo, temos uma comunidade acadêmica forte que domina esse conhecimento. É urgente um projeto de inovação a longo prazo no país”. O encontro teve por objetivo conectar universidades, instituições de pesquisa e a iniciativa privada em torno do tema.

By Redação via Forbes Brasil

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Littler: Webinars for the week of March 27

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WEBINARS FOR THE WEEK OF MARCH 27

March 29

The NLRB Today: What Every Employer Should Know

After President Biden pledged to be the most union-friendly president the country had ever seen, and appointed two new board members and NLRB General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo to that end, the NLRB began an aggressive pursuit of employers.
In this session, Littler’s traditional labor law professionals discuss the state of union organizing and what employers should be doing about it, major NLRB decisions issued, and precedents under consideration. Attendees will leave this session with a
deeper understanding of the current union environment and the impact of NLRB decisions. This training is beneficial for both nonunionized and unionized employers in a wide range of industries.

Additionally, Stephanie Zielinski, ComplianceHR Marketing Director, will discuss the benefits of having an updated employee handbook and introduce you to PolicySmart. This all-in-one employee handbook tool can help you simplify the complexity of employment law and make your compliance strategy proactive instead of reactive.

March 30

Pregnancy and Lactation in the Workplace: An Update on Laws Affecting Pregnant Workers

In December 2022, Congress enacted two measures that expand rights for pregnant and nursing workers: the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) and the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers Act (PUMP Act).

In this webinar, Mark Phillis and Jessica Craft will discuss the changes these new measures will bring to the workplace, from changes in accommodations to policies. This webinar will help you understand how these new laws impact employers, what steps you can take now to ensure compliance, and how to update your procedures before the upcoming enforcement deadlines.

Via Littler

Research: The Pros and Cons of Soliciting Customer Reviews

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Many companies chase customers for online reviews by sending them solicitation emails. These emails aren’t always a good idea, according to new research. Solicitation will push your ratings from the extremes to the average. This could be good or bad. Email prompts disproportionally triggers moderate reviews as the passionate reviewers are more likely to leave reviews of their own accord. Thus, for those products with generally-high average ratings, reminders will lower the average rating. In contrast, products with generally-low average ratings might benefit from reminders. The exception is platform companies such as Amazon or Booking.com–they should always send out reminders as all that matters to them is volume. Also, the research found that companies that do solicit reviews don’t need to offer financial rewards–a reminder email is equally effective.

Online reviews have substantial value for businesses. Ninety-eight-percent of customers read reviews before they shop, making it one of the most important sources of information about products and services; for 2021, online reviews were predicted to affect $3.8 trillion revenues worldwide.

By Leif Brandes, David Godes, and Dina Mayzlin via Harvard Business Review

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Brazil central bank holds rates, flags increased inflation expectations

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Brazil’s central bank cited rising inflation expectations as it kept interest rates unchanged for the fifth consecutive policy meeting on Wednesday, drawing concern from the government and weakening bets of imminent monetary easing.

The bank’s rate-setting committee, known as Copom, maintained its Selic benchmark interest rate at 13.75%.

The decision, which defied intense pressure from the new government of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to reduce borrowing costs, matched the expectations of all 30 respondents in a Reuters poll.

By Marcela Ayres via Reuters

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Digital skills: você tem as habilidades do futuro?

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Todo mundo vai precisar ter habilidades digitais, não importa a área. Elas aumentam – e muito – a sua chance de continuar empregado. Veja quais são

Mais de 80% dos diretores admitem que a falta de habilidades digitais tem impacto negativo sobre sua empresa. O dado é resultado de um estudo feito no ano passado pela AND Digital, empresa europeia de capacitação em digital skills com mais de 40 mil pessoas já treinadas em diversos países. O dado reforça que o desejo de lideranças em promover a transformação digital em suas companhias nem sempre vem acompanhado de mudanças no perfil profissional dos funcionários.

Ganhar habilidades digitais – isto é, ter competências técnicas que envolvem tecnologias para aplicar no cotidiano do trabalho –, significa acompanhar o ritmo das mudanças que vai mudar a cara das empresas nos próximos anos. “Com aceleradores e chips que estão sendo construídos, podemos ter sistemas de IA mil vezes mais poderosos do que são hoje até 2030. Não é exagero”, disse a futurista Amy Webb em sua palestra na conferência SXSW no início do mês.

By Gabriela Guido via Forbes Brasil

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Brazil Is Not for Beginners

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The depth of innovation required to solve tough regional challenges, combined with Brazil’s high talent density, will increasingly create opportunities to invest in companies that aren’t just local winners, but global powerhouses.

“Brazil is not for beginners,” commented Bruno Balduccini, lead fintech partner of law firm Pinheiro Neto. The “Godfather of Fintech”, as he is known in the Brazilian venture ecosystem, was not referring to historical critiques of excessive bureaucracy that gave birth to this local expression. Rather, Balduccini was acknowledging the evolution of Brazil’s fintech ecosystem: the sophistication of the capital markets, the advances of its regulatory regime, and the companies that have transformed the financial services landscape, including Nubank (one of the most valuable challenger banks in the world).

Brazil is Latin America’s most developed ecosystem for technology-enabled financial services, and it’s hard to overstate the importance of Brazilian government bodies in boosting financial inclusion by promoting reforms across all areas of financial services. From the unbundling of the banking scheme that started in 2013—which allowed newcomers such as Creditas and Neon to apply for tiered licenses that are quicker and less costly than a full banking framework—Brazil is one of the leaders of the world when it comes to regulation-promoting financial services innovation. More than half of the country’s adult population, a staggering 64 million people, made their first digital payments transaction with PIX, Brazil’s instant payment system designed by the Central Bank. Moreover, more than 18 million accounts consent to share their data in the context of open finance, a 95 percent growth from September to December 2022. And after piloting projects last year, Brazil is in the advanced stages of launching its central bank digital currency, Real Digital, which aspires to leverage tokenization and smart contracts on the blockchain for enabling programmable money. For innovators, change means opportunity.

By Monica Brand Engel, Jonathan Whittle and Michel Zaidler via Observer

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Brazil looks to regulate monetized content on Internet

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The Brazilian government is studying whether to regulate Internet platforms with content that earns revenue such as advertising, its secretary for digital policies, Joao Brant, said on Friday.

The idea would be for a regulator to hold such platforms, not consumers, accountable for monetized content, Brant told Reuters.

Another goal is “to prevent the networks from being used for the dissemination and promotion of crimes and illegal content” especially after the riots by supporters of former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro in Brasilia in January, fueled by misinformation about the election he lost in October.

By Victor Pinheiro via Reuters

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Brazil’s Lula to go to China with 240 business representatives, says official

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Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will visit China this month accompanied by a delegation of 240 business representatives, including 90 from agriculture sector, a senior Foreign Ministry official said on Friday.

Trade promotion secretary Daniel Fernandes said at a press briefing that all the government’s ministries will be represented on the March 26-30 visit to Beijing and Shanghai.

The ministry’s Secretary for Asia, Pacific and Russia, Eduardo Saboia, said Brazil is hoping to diversify its trade relationship with China, the largest customer for Brazilian exports, mainly soy beans and iron ore.

By Anthony Boadle via Reuters

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Brazil to pay debt to multilateral organizations in 2023

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Brazil’s government will pay outstanding debts of 2.6 billion reais ($490.6 million) to multilateral organizations in 2023, reinforcing its commitment to global forums, the Planning Ministry said on Thursday.

The amount corresponds to debts to “various organizations” inherited from former President Jair Bolsonaro’s administration, which leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will settle.

Lula has sought to restore Brazil’s international presence and reposition the country to attract investments, most notably resuming an active role in fighting climate change and addressing human rights.

By Marcela Ayres Editing by Chris Reese via Reuters

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Com SXSW, Itaú pretende acelerar transformação cultural e digital do banco

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O Itaú Unibanco estreou como a primeira marca brasileira a patrocinar oficialmente o South by Southwest (SXSW), evento de tecnologia e inovação que ocorre em Austin, no Texas, nesta semana. O apoio marca a criação da plataforma de inovação do banco que envolve a participação em outros eventos, inclusive no Brasil. O objetivo, segundo Renato Haramura, superintendente de Marketing Institucional do Itaú, é, em primeiro lugar, democratizar o acesso à inovação para empreendedores e todo o ecossistema do banco e, internamente, contribuir com conhecimento para as principais mudanças culturais, comportamentais e tecnológicas que a companhia vive atualmente.

“O Itaú vive um contexto de transformação que não envolve apenas a digitalização, mas também uma mudança refletida em suas marcas, o reposicionamento recente de Personalitté é um exemplo disso. São transformações que envolvem formato, investimento, cultura. Estamos falando de um contexto de 100 mil funcionários. E trazer para dentro dos nossos ecossistemas todas as provocações que ocorrem aqui no SXSW é um desafio, ao mesmo tempo que reflete a oportunidade e o momento que vivenciamos”, destaca Haramura. Sobre os próximos passos da presença do Itaú no festival, Haramura reforça que o objetivo, agora, é estimular o pensamento de inovação em toda a companhia e independentemente de áreas.

By Luiz Gustavo Pacete via Forbes Brasil

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Has Your Organization Acted on What It’s Learned in the Pandemic?

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As the pandemic marks a third anniversary, business leaders around the world are eager to move on. But few companies have systematically institutionalized what they’ve learned from their Covid-19 experience to build resilience. The authors suggest a three-step approach to do so: 1) Evaluate how you — and your competitors — performed during the pandemic; 2) Extract the stories of what worked and what didn’t through an after-action review; and 3) Implement the needed capabilities identified in the after-action review.

BCG research has found that 15% of companies outperform their industry in more than 80% of crises. Berkshire Hathaway, for example, outperformed its peers in 15 out of the last 17 turbulent periods.

by Martin Reeves, Robert van der Veeken, and Adam Job via Harvard Business Review

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Brazil development bank aims to pay out sums totaling 2% of GDP by 2026

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An executive at Brazilian state development bank BNDES said on Tuesday the bank aims to pay out the equivalent of 2% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2026.

BNDES did not specify the exact figure. According to Brazil’s government statistics agency, the country’s 2022 GDP amounted to 9.9 trillion reais ($1.88 trillion).

Speaking at a news conference, BNDES planning executive Nelson Barbosa also said there is more credit supply to the bank coming from abroad and that this could unlock more credit for South America’s largest nation.

By Rodrigo Viga; Writing by Carolina Pulice; Editing by Sarah Morland via Reuters

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Littler – webinars for the weeks of March 13 & March 20

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Webinars for the weeks of March 13 & March 20

 

March 14

Conducting Effective Workplace Investigations


Conducting an effective workplace investigation can be a daunting task. It’s critical to maintain objectivity, uncover important facts, and follow compliance and confidentiality procedures. Despite their complex nature, these investigations continue to be increasingly important in today’s highly litigious workplace. Organizations must not only protect workers’ rights to proper investigation, but they must also show concern for workers’ wellbeing in the event of an accident. In this 60-minute webinar,
Rocio Blanco Garcia will walk you through a basic training on conducting effective workplace investigations.

Additionally, Stephanie Zielinski, Marketing Director of ComplianceHR will walk you through PolicySmart™. This all-in-one employee handbook tool can help you simplify the complexity of employment law and make your compliance strategy become proactive instead of reactive

March 15

Yet More Major New Changes in NY State and City Employment Law?!?


Littler’s New York office will review recent New York State and New York City employment law developments and identify the practical steps that businesses should take to maintain their employment compliance in 2023 and beyond. This discussion will cover multiple recent developments, including:

New Statutes

·        NYS additional protected categories under the NYS Human Rights Law

·        NYS pay transparency in job postings

·        NYS expanded lactation accommodation requirements

·        NYS new Lawful Absence Law

·        NYS regulation of work-related quotas for warehouse workers

Updates

·        NYC artificial intelligence enforcement

·        NYS expanded whistleblowers protection

·        NYS pay frequency litigation

·        NYS freelancers aren’t free

·        NYS Wage Transparency Law

·        NYS Adult Survivors Act

March 21

Where Have All the Workers Gone? – Tackling the Chronic Labor Shortage


In this webinar, Littler Shareholder Bruce Sarchet will discuss the scope of the current shortage of workers in the U.S., and

review some of the more popular options for attracting and retaining talent. Oftentimes, the more creative “bells and whistles” approaches to employee compensation and benefits come with a host of labor and employment law challenges. We will explore those challenges and discuss how human resources professionals, in-house legal counsel and business owners can implement solutions.

Additionally, Kimball Norup, CEO of ComplianceHR, will discuss the cultural and employee benefits of having a comprehensive
and up-to-date compliance strategy. He will also introduce you to the Navigator Suite of solutions, which can help you simplify the complexity of employment law and make your compliance strategy proactive instead of reactive.

March 22

Compliance Training Plus: Fresh Perspectives and Guidance on Compliance Training That Make Sense


Littler’s Training Group Principal Marissa Dragoo and Shareholder Demery Ryan will discuss the nuts and bolts of common workplace training challenges with Kantola Training Solutions’ CEO, Sarah Rowell.

This session will provide insights on training challenges and how to best address them, and will also provide attendees with a reminder and proposed game plans for addressing their many state and local jurisdiction compliance requirements, which now include Chicago’s new Bystander Intervention training.

Get an insider’s view on how to train hybrid workplaces, remote workplaces and multistate workplaces. This webinar will also provide techniques and advice for overcoming the challenges created by workplace operations, structure and dynamics,
including staff diversity from corporate employees, to manufacturing, traveling and even multilingual employees.

March 23

A Littler Virtual Roundtable | New York Retail Industry


Littler attorneys and in-house counsel from some of the nation’s top retailers present a highly engaging virtual roundtable discussion. This interactive forum will allow industry colleagues to share how businesses are handling current legal challenges. Participants will explore practical and out-of-the-box approaches to address challenges they have faced, sharing ideas and strategies that have proven successful.

Topics to be discussed at this roundtable include:

·        NLRB update including Board decision on severance agreements

·        Predictive scheduling laws

·        Pay transparency in job posting statutes

·        NYS legal updates including additional protected categories under NYS Human Rights Law, expanded lactation accommodation requirements, Lawful Absence Law, and enforcement of Artificial Intelligence Law

·        The worker protection unit/wage theft task force from DA Bragg

This roundtable discussion is designed for contacts within the retail industry.

 

VPB de R$ 1,249 trilhão caminha para ser o maior da história do agro

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O VBP (Valor Bruto da Produção Agropecuária) de 2023 está estimado em R$ 1,249 trilhão, valor 5 % maior do que o obtido no ano passado. O resultado é o maior de uma série com início há 34 anos. A revisão que ocorre mensalmente foi apresentada hoje (13), pelo Mapa (Ministério da Agricultura e Pecuária).

O VBP é calculado com base nas informações de safras de fevereiro,  é organizado pela Companhia Nacional de Abastecimento (Conab) e Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE). O valor das lavouras está previsto em R$ 887,7 bilhões (crescimento de 8,9%) e a pecuária, 361,9 bilhões (retração de 3,4%).

Preços acima da média de anos anteriores e expectativas de boa safra em 2023 trazem contribuição positiva para um grupo amplo de lavouras, com destaque para laranja, cana-de-açúcar, milho e soja. Milho e soja representam 62% do VBP das lavouras, e têm participação decisiva nesses resultados. Sua influência também têm sido importante na produtividade de grãos que está sendo prevista com acréscimo de 10%.

By Redação via Forbes Brasil

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Os brasileiros do Brex estão socorrendo as startups do Vale do Silício

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A fintech de cartão de crédito corporativo, está entrando no mundo dos empréstimos para ajudar as startups prejudicadas pelo colapso

Enquanto as empresas que mantinham seu dinheiro no Silicon Valley Bank correm para encontrar soluções para a folha de pagamento desta semana, o CEO da Brex, Henrique Dubugras, passou os últimos dois dias no telefone para entrar no negócio de empréstimos, pelo menos temporariamente.

A fintech com sede em San Francisco anunciou no sábado (11) que já havia recebido mais de US$ 1 bilhão em pedidos de uma linha de crédito de emergência anunciada na sexta-feira (10).

Em uma entrevista, Dubugras disse à Forbes que a Brex ainda estava no processo de garantir os credores e definir as taxas, mas planejava fazê-lo até a segunda-feira. “Estamos aqui 24 horas por dia, 7 dias por semana, negociando as condições para começarmos a financiar”, disse ele.

By Alex Konrad via Forbes Brasil

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EU warms to unlocking stalled Mercosur trade deal

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The European Union is warming to the idea of concluding a major free trade deal with Brazil and its Mercosur neighbours, with “decisive progress” possible by July, a senior EU official and Sweden’s trade minister said on Friday.

The EU and the Mercosur bloc of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay completed negotiations 2019 but the deal has been on hold due to concerns, particularly in France, about Amazon deforestation and Brazil’s commitment to climate change action.

The European Commission has proposed Mercosur accept clear sustainability commitments, on which European Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis said it was already consulting EU members and lawmakers and Mercosur countries.

By Philip Blenkinsop via Reuters

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Executives Need to Invest in Understanding the Customer Experience

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Delivering superior customer experience (CX) is a mandate that now extends well beyond the bounds of customer service, support, sales, or IT departments. It requires a cultural shift that emphasizes pervasive information sharing and intent analysis across the enterprise. Executives not fully immersed in CX leave their organizations open to churn and reduced market presence. Executives across all domains need to step up and lead their organizations’ CX efforts in order to survive.

Call it a sixth sense on the part of consumers. When connecting with a company to make a purchase or get a question answered — be it on a sales floor, over the phone, or online — one can intuitively sense the environment of that company. They can tell whether it’s an inspiring and innovative place to work and cares about its customers and community, or is a terrible place to work that doesn’t respect customers and has a stagnant corporate culture. Of course, there are cases where no intuition is even required, and the state of an organization’s corporate culture is obvious through encounters with seemingly apathetic employees lacking the right information, or through confusing online interfaces. This is the crux of the current state of customer experience, or CX.

CX has long been seen as the primary duty of customer service personnel, and, more recently, technology staff charged with designing well-functioning digital and virtual interfaces. However, missing from the equation have been higher-level executives and decision-makers who haven’t paid enough attention to CX efforts and have taken things for granted. A lot of leaders have never experienced how good (or bad) their company’s customer experience is, and they assume it is always good, or at least passable.

By Joe McKendrick and Andy Thurai via Harvard Business Review

Red full article

Brazil announces pilot for digital currency seeking to leverage financial services

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Brazil’s central bank announced the start of a digital currency pilot project on Monday, aiming to replicate the success of its instant payment system Pix to popularize financial services in the country.

According to Fabio Araujo, coordinator of the initiative at the bank, the public use of the digital currency should begin at the end of 2024, after the completion of the testing phase – which will include buying and selling of federal public bonds among individuals – and its subsequent evaluation.

Araujo said the “digital real” will be built as a means of payment executed on distributed ledger technology (DLT), to support the provision of retail financial services settled through tokenized deposits in institutions of the financial and payment systems in Brazil.

Reporting by Marcela Ayres; Editing by Leslie Adler via Reuters

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CERAWEEK-Petrobras, Equinor to evaluate 7 wind projects offshore brazil

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Brazil’s state-run oil firm Petrobras (PETR4.SA) and Norwegian energy provider Equinor (EQNR.OL) on Monday said they signed an agreement to evaluate development of seven wind projects offshore Brazil.

The proposed projects would deliver a combined capacity of 14.5 gigawatts of power if confirmed, Petrobras CEO Jean Paul Prates said at the CERAWeek energy conference in Houston.

The project could cost $70 billion if confirmed in its entirety, with production starting in six to 10 years. The study phase of the project will last until 2028, the companies said.

By Sabrina Valle via Reuters

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Brazil to Double Lending Capacity of Its Development Bank

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Brazil’s development bank plans to issue tax-free bonds to double credit operations to nearly $40 billion without the Treasury’s help, according to its planning and project structuring director.

Nelson Barbosa, who served as finance minister under Dilma Rousseff and has now joined the ranks of the bank known as BNDES, said the bonds will be linked to development projects in areas where the institution wants to invest, such as energy transition, innovation and infrastructure. They will also be available to individual investors, sweetened by the exemption of income tax.

“One of our goals is to restore BNDES’s historical size, which means doubling the size of the bank,” Barbosa said in an interview in his office in Brasilia. “Instead of the Treasury borrowing and transferring funds to BNDES, the bank itself will raise the money.”

By Martha Beck via Reuters

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UNITED – MileagePlus

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O MileagePlus® é sua passagem para o mundo, com mais possibilidades de ganhar e usar milhas. Tenha à sua disposição mais destinos para viagens-prêmio do que qualquer outro programa de fidelidade de uma companhia aérea dos E.U.A.

Atualize seu perfil e tenha acesso aos benefícios do seu status MileagePlus:

• Nome completo (igual está no seu passaporte/bilhete emitido)
• Endereço completo com CEP
• Telefone para contato
• Data de nascimento
• E-mail
• Senha
• Perguntas de segurança (anotar as respostas e guardar em local seguro sempre)

ATUALIZAR AGORA

 

—

 

MileagePlus® is your ticket to the world, with the most ways to earn and use miles. Have at your disposal the most awarded destinations of any U.S. airline loyalty program.

Update your profile and get access to the benefits of your MileagePlus status:

• Full name (same as on your passport/issued ticket)
• Complete address with zip code
• Phone number
• Date of birth
• Email
• Password
• Security questions (keep them in a safe place always)

UPDATE NOW

Secretary Raimondo Appoints U.S. Members to the U.S.-Brazil CEO Forum

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Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo today announced the appointment of 12 U.S. CEOs who will serve in the U.S. Section of the U.S.-Brazil CEO Forum (Forum) during the 2023-2026 term. The newly-appointed members will coordinate, organize and plan the activities of the U.S. Section in preparation for the first in-person Forum meeting under the Biden-Harris Administration.

Additionally, Secretary Raimondo has appointed Mauro Gregorio, CEO of the Dow Silicones Corporation, to serve as the U.S. Section Private Sector Co-chair. In this role, Mr. Gregorio will organize members of the U.S. Section and coordinate with his Brazilian counterpart on Forum activities.

“The U.S. – Brazil CEO Forum is a critical vehicle in deepening our trade and investment relationship with Brazil, and I am proud to appoint these twelve United States CEOs from a cross-section of vital industries,” said Secretary Raimondo. “Their unmatched business knowledge and experience will be essential to advancing the objectives of the Forum.”

By U.S. Department of Commerce

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Brazil – Outlook and Opportunities for Investment in 2023

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Despite the turbulence this year, private equity and venture capital investments in Brazil grew by more than 13% in the first half of 2022 alone. With a stable political and economic outlook, along with a devalued currency and investors moving away from other emerging markets, Brazil is a prime target for investments in 2023.

New Government in 2023

On October 30, 2022, former president Luis Inácio Lula da Silva (Lula) was elected as Brazil’s next president. Despite receiving the largest number of votes ever for any candidate in Brazil’s democratic history, Lula beat the incumbent president Jair Messias Bolsonaro by the smallest margin ever in a Brazilian presidential election; 50.9% to 49.1%.1 Lula will be sworn in on January 1, 2023 for his third time, after having served as president from 2003 to 2010. A founding member of the Workers’ Party (PT), Lula is seen as a left-wing politician, which is diametrically opposed to Bolsonaro, who is the leader of Brazil’s far right political movement.

President Lula will be checked by a newly elected Congress and Senate that are among the most conservative ever. President Bolsonaro was able to elect numerous supporters to both houses, who will work actively to oppose any radical policies that Lula could propose. While this will create some difficulty for Lula to approve much needed reforms, such as simplifying the country’s tax code, it should create some stability, which generally favors investment. President Lula’s team has started providing glimpses into what his future cabinet will look like. His economic team is expected to include well-known economists with successful track records in fostering growth and stability, which will help ease tensions in the market. In the first week after his election, the Brazilian stock exchange climbed 3%2 and the Brazilian Real increased by 4.5% compared to the U.S. Dollar,3 showing that there is some optimism now that the elections are over.

By Carlos Flávio Lopes, Managing Director via StoneTurn

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DHS to Streamline Adjudication of Extension of Status, Change of Status, and Work Authorization Applications for Spouses and Children of Certain Visa Holders

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On January 19, 2023, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reached a settlement in Edakunni v. Mayorkas. As a result of the settlement, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has agreed to resume its policy of adjudicating extension of status, change of status, and employment authorization applications filed by spouses and children of L-1 and H-1B nonimmigrant visa holders along with the petition filed on behalf of the principal applicant so long as they are concurrently and properly filed.  Specifically, USCIS will review Form I-539, Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status, and Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, for H-4 and L-2 dependent spouses and children at the same time it considers the underlying Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, for the corresponding principal applicant when they are all concurrently and properly filed.

Prior to 2019, USCIS routinely adjudicated I-539 and I-765 applications concurrently with a principal applicant’s I-129 petition as a courtesy when the applications were properly filed at the same time. As a result of ongoing policy changes at the time, USCIS stopped bundling adjudication and each petition and application was adjudicated independently. The unbundling of adjudication added significant processing delays as it required additional biometrics from the I-539 and I-765 applicants, making it difficult for these applicants to be able to maintain their employment as the lengthy delays caused a lapse in work authorization.

By Deepti S. Orekondy via Littler

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Itamaraty confirma Maria Luiza Viotti como embaixadora do Brasil nos EUA

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Itamaraty confirma Maria Luiza Viotti como embaixadora do Brasil nos EUA

Indicação de Viotti ainda terá que passar pelo crivo do Senado.

O Ministério das Relações Exteriores confirmou hoje o nome da diplomata Maria Luiza Viotti como a nova embaixadora do Brasil nos Estados Unidos. A indicação já recebeu aval do governo americano.

Viotti foi representante do Brasil na Organização das Nações Unidas (ONU), em Nova York, entre 2007 e 2013. Também foi chefe de gabinete do secretário-geral da ONU entre 2017 e 2021. Antes, serviu como embaixadora do Brasil na Alemanha (2013-2016) e Subsecretária-Geral da região da Ásia e do Pacífico (2016-2017). Ela substituirá em Washington o embaixador Nestor Foster, conhecido pelo alinhamento com o ex-presidente Jair Bolsonaro. A indicação de Viotti ainda terá que passar pelo crivo do Senado.


Por Murillo Camarotto via Valor

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CONVITE WEBINAR: O que esperar da nova lei de criptomoedas no Brasil?

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Acontecimentos globais recentes alavancaram a aprovação da Lei nº 14.478/2022 (“Lei das Criptomoedas”) no Brasil. Com ela, a criptoeconomia ganha um marco legal mínimo, que deve promover um ambiente de crescimento e inovação financeira nos países sul-americanos. 
Entre as inovações trazidas pela nova lei destaca-se a criação dos chamados provedores de serviços de ativos virtuais (VASP), empresas que devem ter licença prévia para negociar, intermediar e fazer custódia de ativos virtuais no Brasil.

Nossas sócias Juliana Abrusio, head da área de Direito Digital e Proteção de Dados, Alessandra Carolina Rossi Martins, sócia na área de Bancário, Seguros e Financeiro, e o advogado Marcelo de Castro Cunha Filho, especialista nas áreas de criptoativos, blockchain e tokenização, receberão Bárbara Espir, vice-presidente jurídica da Bitso, para debater esse e outros tópicos em nosso webinar.

7 de fevereiro  |  10h – 11h30 (Hora de Brasília)

 

Moderadora:

JULIANA ABRUSIO
Head da área de Direito Digital
e Proteção de Dados do Machado Meyer

Palestrantes:

ALESSANDRA CAROLINA ROSSI MARTINS 
Sócia na área de
Bancário, Seguros e Financeiro do Machado Meyer		 MARCELO DE CASTRO CUNHA FILHO 
Advogado ​​​​​especialista
nas áreas de criptoativos, blockchain e tokenização do Machado Meyer		 BÁRBARA
ESPIR
Vice-presidente
jurídica da Bitso

INSCREVA-SE

Copa Airlines announces new routes to Baltimore (U.S.) and Manta (Ecuador)

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Copa Airlines announced Thursday the start of operations in June of this year to the cities of Baltimore in the United States and Manta in Ecuador. With these two new destinations, the airline reinforces its leadership in Latin America and strengthens the position of Panama and the Hub of the Americas as the main hub in the region.

“We are pleased to start the year by announcing the opening of two destinations full of history and with great tourist appeal in markets as important to Copa as Ecuador and the United States. In this way, we remain steadfast in our goal to increase connectivity through Panama between the countries where we operate, and contribute to the growth of tourism, investment and economic and social development in our region,” said Pedro Heilbron, CEO of Copa Airlines.

With the opening of Baltimore, Copa continues to consolidate its route network in the U.S., adding the historic and cultural “Charm City” known for having more statues and public monuments per capita than any other U.S. city. This coastal destination joins the thirteen already operated by the airline in the United States: Tampa, Miami, Orlando, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, New York, Denver, Washington, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Fort Lauderdale.

By Dergan Mousa via Aviacion al dia 

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Marco Legal de Criptoativos

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​Em 21 de dezembro de 2022, foi sancionada pelo Presidente da República a Lei nº 14.478/2022 (“Marco Legal de Criptoativos” ou “MLC”), que dispõe sobre diretrizes a serem observadas na prestação de serviços de ativos virtuais e na regulamentação das prestadoras de serviços de ativos virtuais.

A norma teve origem no Projeto de Lei nº 2.303/2015, apresentado pelo Deputado Federal Aureo Ribeiro em 8 de julho de 2015. Mais de 6 anos após a sua apresentação, em 8 de dezembro de 2021, o projeto foi aprovado pela Câmara dos Deputados e remetido ao Senado Federal, onde foi renumerado como Projeto de Lei nº 4.401/2021 (“PL 4.401”). O PL 4.401 foi aprovado em abril de 2022 pelo Senado Federal, e em
novembro pela Câmara dos Deputados. Ao longo do processo legislativo, o Senado Federal aprovou um substitutivo ao texto original do projeto (“Substitutivo”) com algumas alterações que, posteriormente, foram rejeitadas pela Câmara dos Deputados, resultando na sua não incorporação no texto final do Marco Legal de Criptoativos. O MLC entrará em vigor 180 dias após sua publicação no Diário Oficial da União, que ocorreu em 22 de dezembro de 2022.

Via BMA Advogados

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Profissionais:

Fernanda Villela
São Paulo
Languages: Portuguese, English, Italian, Spanish
fvi@bmalaw.com.br

 

 

New Perspectives – FPI Year End Update

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New Perspectives – FPI Year End Update

Tue, Jan 24, 2023  at 10:30 AM BRT (8:30 AM ET)

Program:

10:30- 10:50 Initial survey
10:50-11:10 Speaker: Guilaine Saroul (US)
11:10-11:20 Speaker: Emily Kirsch (US)
11:20-11:30 Speaker: Dianna Taylor (UK)
11:30-12:30 Q&A (20 min each for the questions below)
12:30-12:45 Final test (for Brazilians only)

Speakers:

Guilaine Saroul , PwC US
Emily Kirsch, PwC US
Dianna Taylor, PwC UK
Kieran McManus, PwC BR

Brazil exports to Arab nations hit 33-year high, agro products prevail

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Exports from Brazil to the 22 countries of the Arab League of nations generated record revenue of $17.7 billion in 2022, the highest since 1989, the Arab-Brazil Chamber of Commerce said on Thursday.The figure represents a 23.06% rise over the previous year and puts the Arab world as a key trade partner of the South American nation, which also does a lot of business with China and Europe.Arab countries of the Middle East and North Africa predominately buy agro products like meat and grains from Brazil. Sales of such goods represented 71% of the total exported by Brazil to the region, the Chamber said.

As in previous years, exports of Brazilian poultry to League countries stood out, rising by 26.35% in value as deals were not deterred by attempts to grow national production in the Middle East.Arab nations paid an average around $2,172 per tonne of Brazilian chicken in 2022, higher than $2,022 Brazil’s other clients disbursed, the Chamber said.

Reporting by Ana Mano; Editing by Aurora Ellis via Reuters

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Que venha 2023! Investimentos e atividades de Fusões e Aquisições

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Atividades de Fusões e Aquisições (Mergers & Acquisitions – M&A, em inglês) tiveram uma forte redução no ano de 2022 com números preliminares refletindo queda de mais de 19% em número de transações e aproximadamente 39% em volume transacionado. Transações de grande porte (big tickets) foram mais ocasionais e impactaram fortemente na redução de valor transacionado.

Os motivos são conhecidos. Incertezas econômicas com temas relacionados a inflação, taxas de juros e recuperação (ou recessão) das principais economias, a guerra da Rússia com Ucrânia, as quebras nas cadeias de fornecimento, as perspectivas do mercado chinês e, não menos importante, neste contexto todo, como se comportarão globalmente as curvas de oferta e demanda. Adicionam-se a estes temas, alterações em ambientes políticos e relações geopolíticas em vários países (EUA, América Latina, China, dentre outros) e a crescente relevância, e provocação junto a governos, reguladores, investidores e a sociedade aos temas ESG (Enviromental, Social and Governance), principalmente no ângulo de Enviromental.

E uma rápida guinada não pode ser esperada para 2023. Os fatores mencionados, embora não possam ser classificados como estruturais, são um grande desafio e não devem se resolver em curto prazo. A consequente volatilidade dos mercados de capitais, com recordes negativos de abertura de capital de empresas (IPO – Initial Public Offerreing), follow-ons ou mesmo o questionamento, ou baixa performance, dos modelos de investimentos estruturados como SPACs (Special Purpose Acquisition Companies), o aumento das taxas de juros e a incerteza econômica impactam diretamente as atividades de Fusões e Aquisições. Aumentos de taxas de juros geram consequências, não somente nos investimentos em expansão de capacidade produtiva, mas também no aumento da aversão dos investidores ao mercado de riscos e imediata alocação de recursos na categoria de renda fixa, onde maior estabilidade e previsibilidade, bem como garantia de retorno, estão presentes. Além disto, referida falta de previsibilidade e maior instabilidade, causaram a re-precificação dos ativos (empresas) – além e afetar o poder de compra de investidores, estratégicos ou financeiros, que, com o aumento do custo de financiamento (maior taxas de juros), aumenta o custo de fazer aquisições.

Por Alexandre Pierantoni via Kroll

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Medida Provisória altera regras de preços de transferência

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Norma dispõe sobre adoção de métodos e definições de partes relacionadas para alinhar as regras brasileiras aos padrões internacionais

A edição publicada em 29 de dezembro de 2022 do Diário Oficial da União tornou pública a Medida Provisória nº1.152 (MP 1152), que introduz alterações na legislação do Imposto sobre a Renda das Pessoa Jurídicas (IRPJ) e da Contribuição Social sobre o Lucro Líquido (CSLL) para dispor sobre as regras de preços de transferência.

A MP 1152 visa a alinhar as regras do país com os padrões internacionais. Trata-se do resultado de um processo amplo de tentativa de aproximação e adequação das normas brasileiras com o preconizado pela Organização para a Cooperação e Desenvolvimento Econômico (OCDE). Para tanto, houve a adequação ao princípio arm’s length e alterações em regras de preço de transferência que eram exclusivas ao Brasil.

Confira abaixo as principais previsões da MP 1152:

Novidades e disposições gerais

Arm’s Length

A MP 1152 adota o princípio do Arm’s Length para fins de determinação da base de cálculo dos tributos de que trata as operações sujeitas às normas de Preço de Transferência. De acordo com este princípio, os termos e as condições de uma transação controlada serão estabelecidos com base naqueles que seriam estabelecidos entre partes não relacionadas em transações comparáveis.

Neste sentido, sua aplicação exige a delimitação da transação controlada (ou seja, a transação sujeita as regras de Preço de Transferência) e a análise de comparabilidade da transação controlada com as operações com partes não relacionadas (i.e., transações não controladas).

Via Mattos Filho

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Brazil to play lead role on climate change policy -environment minister

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Brazil will not shy away from playing a leading role in addressing climate change and the impending emergency the world is facing, new environment minister Marina Silva said on Wednesday.

Silva announced the creation of an extraordinary secretary to end deforestation and plans to set up a climate authority within the administration of President Lula da Silva.

Lula took office on Sunday pledging to stop deforestation in the Amazon, a vital biome to curb climate change. He quickly revoked policies of his far-right predecessor Jair Bolsonaro who eased environmental protection and allowed the rate of deforestation to surge to a 15-year-high on his watch.

Reporting by Lisandra Paraguassu; Writing by Peter Frontini; editing by Grant McCool via Reuters

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Bank floats $10 bln Brazilian bond plan to halt Amazon deforestation

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Strategists at a UK bank have proposed the idea of a super-sized $10 billion Brazilian government bond that would be specifically designed to help halt the destruction of the Amazon rainforest.

Stopping deforestation of the Amazon, which absorbs vast amounts of planet-warming greenhouse gas, is part of Brazilian President-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s sweeping plan to reclaim leadership on climate change measures.

He has recently asked the United States, Britain, France, Switzerland and Canada to join an international Amazon protection fund set up during his first 2003-10 administration and has made a firm commitment to zero deforestation by 2030.

To help stick to that pledge, strategists at NatWest have proposed what would be the world’s biggest ever ‘sustainability-linked bond’ – a special type of government debt that would have an explicit promise to protect the rainforest.

By Marc Jones via Reuters

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“PROPRIEDADE INTELECTUAL”: E-BOOK TRAZ ARTIGOS SOBRE PATENTES, METAVERSO, DIREITO AUTORAL E MAIS

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Nosso time de Propriedade Intelectual preparou um e-book com artigos sobre questões atuais que dizem respeito a patentes, direitos autorais, marcas e mais. Confira abaixo os textos dos nossos profissionais ou clique aqui para fazer download do material completo.

Roadmap de Propriedade Intelectual para Empresas Estrangeiras no Brasil

Por Antonella Carminatti, André de Moura Reis e Fernanda Quental

Muitas empresas estrangeiras, ao vislumbrarem sua expansão para outros mercados, negligenciam aspectos que podem afetar significativamente seus negócios, entre eles a proteção de seus ativos de propriedade intelectual diante das legislações locais. É comum que, durante a definição de territórios de interesse para proteção, não sejam levadas em conta especificidades legais de cada um, frustrando expectativas de posicionamento de mercado e retorno sobre investimentos realizados.

A importância dos Segredos de Negócio em Operações de Fusão e Aquisição

Por Pedro Barroso e Tathyana Candu

Apesar de não ser objeto de definição legal, o segredo de negócio é amplamente reconhecido pela doutrina e jurisprudência.

Direito Autoral em obras arquitetônicas: investigação de plágio

Por Pedro Barroso e José Humberto Deveza Assola

A Lei de Direitos Autorais (Lei n. 9.610/1998) protege, como obras intelectuais, “criações do espírito, expressas por qualquer meio ou fixadas em qualquer suporte, tangível ou intangível, conhecido ou que se invente no futuro”, dedicando especificamente o inciso X do art. 7º aos projetos, esboços e obras plásticas concernentes à arquitetura.

Exceções aos Direitos Autorais: Quais são os limites para as citações?

Por Raysa Vital Brazil e Tathyana Candu

São consideradas obras autorais as criações do espírito, desde que sejam expressas por qualquer meio ou fixadas em qualquer suporte. A proteção da obra autoral nasce no momento de sua criação, independe de registro e perdura por 70 anos contados a partir de 1° de janeiro do ano  subsequente ao falecimento de seu autor ou ao de sua divulgação, dependendo da modalidade da obra.

Direito de imagem de coadjuvantes em obras biográficas

Por Pedro Barroso e José Humberto Deveza Assola

O Supremo Tribunal Federal, ao julgar em 2015 a Ação Declaratória de Inconstitucionalidade nº 4.815, que dizia respeito a interpretação dos arts. 20 e 21 do Código Civil no contexto de publicações  biográficas, entendeu pela priorização da liberdade de informação e da criação artística, ressaltando a inexigibilidade de consentimento da pessoa biografada e, ainda, a desnecessidade de autorização de pessoas retratadas na obra como coadjuvantes.

O peso das características técnico-funcionais no exame de desenhos industriais

Por Ana Cristina Müller e André de Moura Reis

No Brasil, desenhos industriais têm certas limitações para sua proteção, conforme definido pela Lei de Propriedade Industrial. Por exemplo, objetos ou padrões ornamentais contrários à moral e aos bons costumes ou contrários à liberdade de consciência ou de crença não são registráveis como desenhos industriais.

Interpretação atual do Artigo 32 da Lei de Propriedade Industrial e suas consequências

Por Ana Cristina Müller e Lilian Ghitnick Arcalji

Quando um pedido de patente é depositado, a data de depósito estabelece o marco temporal para definição da matéria inicialmente revelada, ou seja, aquela que indica a invenção que se deseja proteger via patente.

Alterações do Novo Marco Cambial (Lei nº 14.286/21) e seus Impactos em Contratos de Tecnologia

Por Jana Fraccaroli e Roberta de Melo Doyle Maia

O Novo Marco Cambial evidencia a intenção do legislador de desburocratizar a remessa de royalties ao exterior e facilitar a transferência de tecnologia entre o Brasil e outros países.

Marcas de Luxo no Ambiente Digital

Por Fernanda Quental e Jana Fraccaroli

O mercado global de produtos e serviços de luxo continua ganhando destaque e apresentando crescimento, mesmo com os impactos econômicos causados pela pandemia de Covid-19. A procura pelo luxo segue forte e com grande projeção de crescimento global graças à sua grande capacidade de adaptação e inovação.

Patentes e o Metaverso – Tecnologias para o Desenvolvimento de Plataformas

Por Ana Cristina Müller e Valter Silva Couto

Em 13 de setembro de 2022, a Justiça Federal da Paraíba (JFPB) estabeleceu interessante precedente em uma audiência de conciliação: foi a primeira vez no Brasil que uma audiência foi realizada “dentro do Metaverso”.

Inteligência Artificial no Setor de Saúde e Propriedade Intelectual

Por Gustavo Vieiralves, Letícia Viana e Lilian Ghitnick Arcalji

No campo do “machine learning”, a participação do ser humano ocorre, por exemplo, na determinação da qualidade de dados escolhidos ou na forma de programar um algoritmo.

Patentes de interesse de Defesa Nacional – Perspectiva Brasil e França

Por Antonella Carminatti e Gabriel Viana Souza

O artigo 75 da Lei de Propriedade Industrial (Lei 9.279/96) assegura ao Estado o direito de intervir no processamento de pedidos de patentes e/ou na exploração de patentes que envolvam invenções que possam afetar a Segurança Nacional, desde que tais pedidos tenham sido depositados prioritariamente no Brasil. Invenções na área da indústria bélica ou nuclear, entre outras, podem ser citadas como exemplos de casos que podem ser incluídos neste dispositivo.

Via BMA Advogados

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Brazilian Startup Program Elevates Innovative Entrepreneurs and Forges Exciting Investment Opportunities with U.S. Venture Capitalists

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The recently refreshed Startup Outreach Brasil program kicked off in Chicago, with more cities to come in 2023 and beyond

ApexBrasil, The Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency, together with the Brazilian Ministry of Economy, Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sebrae (Brazilian Micro and Small Enterprises’ Support Service), and Anprotec (National Association of Entities Promoting Innovative Enterprises), recently announced the debut of the newly branded Startup Outreach Brasil Program. Over the past six years, Startup Outreach Brasil has selected high-growth Brazilian startups to receive personalized internationalization support. The program has successfully introduced Brazilian startups to several innovation ecosystems around the world that are growing in importance and prominence. Introduced during the program’s latest session in Chicago, the brand refresh represents Startup Outreach Brasil’s mission to educate the venture capital community about the innovative young companies coming out of Brazil, while also providing participating entrepreneurs with training and support to better understand conducting business ventures abroad.

Over the past decade, Brazil’s startup sector has earned the attention of the global investment community and experienced incredible growth. Specifically, more than 22,300 startups have launched in Brazil since 2015, and 30 startups have earned “unicorn” status since 2018, which represents companies that are valued above USD $1 billion. As a result, Brazil has become the largest startup economy in Latin America and attracted USD $9.43 billion in funding rounds in 2021 alone.

Via Yahoo!

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Latham Named Law Firm Corporate Practice of the Year by the American Lawyer

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Latham topped seven finalist firms and earned recognition across categories, including in the Energy and Technology/Telecommunications sectors and Corporate Attorney of the Year.

The American Lawyer (AmLaw) named Latham & Watkins the 2022 Law Firm Corporate Practice of the Year at the publication’s annual Industry Awards. AmLaw selected Latham as the best among seven leading law firm finalists. The awards honor “those lawyers, business professionals, law firms, and organizations that are elevating the profession to new heights” and “shine a light on the best of the best—those firms that clients should call with their critical corporate work.”

In a feature article, AmLaw said: “Latham & Watkins’ evolution into a corporate leviathan was a deliberate, drawn-out path built on scope and scale, strong talent acquisition and the ability to work on matters for clients small and large in a variety of capacities. That investment culminated, over the second half of 2020 and through 2021, in perhaps one of the greatest runs a Big Law corporate department has ever seen.”

Latham was a finalist in four of AmLaw’s corporate practice categories, the most of any law firm, including:

  • General/Overall achievement across a firm’s transactional work
  • Corporate Attorney of the Year, which featured Bay Area Office Managing Partner Tad Freese as a finalist

Via Latham & Watkins

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United Airlines makes big Boeing order, includes 100 787 Dreamliners

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United Airlines (UAL.O) said Tuesday it is ordering 100 Boeing (BA.N) 787 Dreamliners and 100 737 MAXs as it pushes for post-pandemic growth and replaces older, less-efficient aircraft.

The Chicago-based airline’s order for 200 airplanes is worth about $43 billion at list prices and represents a big boost to the U.S. planemaker after political and production issues for the two planes this year.

United said its new order of 100 737 MAX airplanes includes exercising options to purchase 44 737 MAX aircraft for delivery between 2024 and 2026 and had ordered 56 more MAX aircraft for delivery between 2027 and 2028 and now 443 MAXs on order.

United’s big bet on the 787 reflects expectations for continued rising demand for long-haul travel and a desire to replace older airplanes. Boeing said it was the biggest Dreamliner order, while United said it represents the largest widebody order by a U.S. carrier.

By David Shepardson via Reuters

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PwC anuncia aquisição do AgTech Garage, maior hub de inovação aberta do agronegócio no Brasil

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Compra reforça estratégia global, que prevê investimentos superiores a R$ 1 bilhão ao longo de 5 anos no Brasil 

A PwC, gigante mundial em serviços profissionais, anuncia hoje a aquisição do AgTech Garage, maior hub de inovação aberta do agronegócio no Brasil e um dos maiores do mundo. Fundado em 2017, o hub conta com mais de mil startups conectadas a centenas de clientes de toda cadeia do agronegócio, atuando como protagonista de inovação aberta do setor. A aquisição reforça a importância do Brasil no agronegócio global e reafirma o foco da PwC no setor, onde já é líder inconteste.

“Tecnologia e inovação são fundamentais para apoiar nossos clientes em diversas oportunidades e desafios que se apresentam diariamente no setor, sendo o principal deles, o de alimentar um mundo em constante mudança e crescimento populacional, de forma sustentável”, diz Marco Castro, CEO da PwC Brasil. “Temas como biotecnologia, rastreabilidade, eficiência operacional, data analytics, conectividade no campo, foodtechs, agro fintechs, descarbonização, proteínas alternativas, transição energética, ESG,  entre outros, estão na agenda dos principais tomadores de decisão das empresas do Agro”, reforça.

Via PwC

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Five Lessons From Brazil For Implementing FedNow

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The Federal Reserve has just entered the testing phase of its new instant payment service, FedNow. Inspired by the Brazilian system, Pix, FedNow aims to revolutionize how North Americans send and receive money, and it places all eyes on the world’s largest economy on the subject of payment innovation.

Banks will have less than a year to prepare for the launch of the long-awaited FedNow. While it’s not yet clear exactly how it works, the Federal Reserve’s vice president, Lael Brainard, said that the success of the system will depend on industry stakeholders—financial institutions, core service providers, software companies and application developers—devoting the appropriate resources to making the system viable for consumers before its launch, which should take place next summer.

These stakeholders must devote effort, time and money into innovation and technology. Through a robust and reliable software development framework, financial institutions should be able to offer a quality service that meets the needs of today’s world, especially in terms of digital processes, automation and digital wallets.

Lessons From The Brazilian System

As stated, Pix is the basic model for FedNow. Launched in 2020, Pix is now operated by more than 770 institutions, according to Bacen (Central Bank of Brazil). Adjustments happened quickly with its implementation, meaning that institutions had to use agile and specialized methods with clearly defined scopes and assertive planning that maximized value.

By Mateus Hernandes Rodrigues via Forbes

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Maratona Amazônica: como o Brasil pode liderar a economia de baixo carbono, segundo novo relatório

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Documento desenvolvido pela Systemiq Brasil com organizações multilaterais, setor privado, cientistas e comunidades originárias indica formas de impulsionar desenvolvimento da região

O Brasil pode se tornar a primeira grande economia – de média ou alta renda – a alcançar a neutralidade de carbono nos próximos 8 anos e, ao mesmo tempo, acelerar o seu crescimento econômico em US$ 100 bilhões a US$ 150 bilhões anuais ao PIB adicionais ao ritmo de crescimento atual (2,5%/ano). Com isso, o país seria um exemplo concreto ao mundo de prosperidade econômica sustentável para as próximas décadas, modelo que pode inspirar todo o Sul Global.

É o que mostra um relatório apresentado nesta quarta-feira (9) na Conferência das Nações Unidas sobre as Mudanças Climáticas – a COP27, no Egito. Chamado “The Amazon’s Marathon: Brazil to lead a low-carbon economy from the Amazon to the world” (A Maratona Amazônica: Brasil pode liderar economia de baixo carbono da Amazônia para o mundo), o documento é um plano de desenvolvimento econômico que apresenta análises sobre o potencial da região ao calcular a oportunidade financeira por trás das estratégias de mitigação de emissões de gases efeito estufa (GEE) e destacar projetos escaláveis que promovem uma nova abordagem baseada na natureza, centrada em pessoas e positiva para o meio ambiente.

Por Guilherme Justino, via Um Só Planeta

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China certifies Embraer jet that could take on homegrown model

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Brazilian planemaker Embraer SA (EMBR3.SA) said on Thursday that China’s aviation regulator had certified its E190-E2 regional jet for operations in the country, a move that would allow it to compete against China’s homegrown ARJ21 regional jet.

China had been slow to certify the latest generation of Western jets and turboprops that compete against domestic-made equivalents, though this week the ATR42-600 turboprop also was granted certification during Airshow China in the southern city of Zhuhai.

The E190-E2, a more fuel-efficient of the older E190 that already operates in China, can seat up to 114 passengers and was certified in Brazil, the United States and Europe in 2018.

The capacity compares with the 90-seat ARJ21 regional jet and 168-seat C919 narrowbody jet produced by Commercial Aviation Corp of China (COMAC).

Embraer said in a statement that the E190-E2 and the larger E195-E2 that can seat up to 146 passengers complemented the ARJ21 and C919 in terms of capacity.

Reporting by Sophie Yu in Beijing and Jamie Freed in Sydney; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Christian Schmollinger via Reuters

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Agritalks – Green Finance in Brazil: New Developments and Opportunities

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The in-person event “AgriTalks – Green Finance in Brazil: New Developments and Opportunities”, where Brazilian government officials and representatives of the private sector from both Brazil and the U.S. will discuss the current state, perspectives and opportunities for the green finance market in Brazil.

The seminar will take place at the Consulate General of Brazil, on November 17th,from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. There will be a Q&A session, in addition to a coffee break and reception at the end of the event.

Agritalks – New York

Green Finance in Brazil: New Developments and Opportunities

New York, November 17th, 2022

Program:

Registration (9:00-9:30)

Welcome Speech (9:30-9:35)

• Ambassador Maria Nazareth Farani Azevêdo, Consul General of Brazil in Nova York

Keynote Speech (09:35 – 09:55)

• Fernando Sardenberg Zelner Gonçalves – Deputy Secretary for Trade and International Relations, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply – MAPA

Panel 1 – New Instruments and Regulations in the Brazilian Green Finance Market (09:55-10:45)

• José Angelo Mazzillo Junior – Secretary for Agriculture Policy. Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply – MAPA

• Thatyanne Gasparotto – Director, Green & Sustainable Financing Solutions, Natixis CIB Americas

• Lucio Feijó Lopes – Senior Partner, Feijó Lopes Advogados

• Leisa Souza – Head LatAm, CBI

• Moderator: Professor Sidney Nakahodo – Columbia University, School of International and Public Affairs

Coffee Break (10:45-11:00)

Panel 2 – Opportunities for Investment in Green Finance in Brazil (11:00 – 11:50)

• Marcela Porto Costa – Sustainability Expert, Santa Brígida Farm

• Eliza G. Pepper – Head of Advisory & Wealth Planning LatAm, UBS

• Maurício Bauer – Director of Sustainability, JBS

• Leticia Phillips – Representative for North America, Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association – UNICA

• Moderator: Amy Wu, Journalist, Columbia University

Questions and Answers (11:50-12:15)

Reception (12:15- 13:00)

REGSITER NOW

“DAOS: DESAFIOS JURÍDICOS DAS ORGANIZAÇÕES AUTÔNOMAS DESCENTRALIZADAS”: CONFIRA OS ARTIGOS DO E-BOOK

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​DAOs: uma introdução

Por Felipe Palhares

DAOs permitem a participação de um número expressivo de indivíduos, localizados em qualquer lugar ao redor do mundo, superando barreiras geográficas e complicações organizacionais, garantindo que qualquer participante possa ter voz e orientar as atividades que serão realizadas pela organização

O que são DAOs?

Por Felipe Palhares

De partida, vale frisar que uma DAO, na prática, nada mais é do que um algoritmo

Modelos de governança para DAOs

Por Felipe Palhares e Fernanda Villela Viana

Existem diversos modelos de governança que podem ser adotados de acordo com as definições que forem estabelecidas nos smart contracts

Estruturação societária de DAOs no Brasil

Por Christopher Zibordi e Daniel Falcão de Paula Soares

Será preciso evoluir e aprofundar as discussões de forma a conceder às DAOs certa legitimidade de que precisam para melhor se estabelecerem e evoluírem como estruturas alternativas

Estruturação Societária de DAOs no exterior

Por Felipe Palhares e Arthur Pichelli Ueda

Em algumas jurisdições, já existem frameworks que têm sido comumente utilizados por fundadores de DAOs para a sua estruturação jurídica

Tokens de DAOs, contratos de investimento coletivo e valores mobiliários

Por Camila Goldberg, Felipe Palhares e Luis Eduardo Al-Contar

Antes de iniciar uma DAO, é fundamental que seus fundadores avaliem se os tokens de governança a serem emitidos podem vir a ser considerados valores mobiliários de acordo com a legislação

Tokens de DAOs e as possíveis penalidades aplicáveis pela CVM

Por Daniella Fragoso e Fernanda Pereira Carneiro

Atualmente não existe norma específica tratando do regime legal aplicável às emissões de tokens de DAOs, o que não implica dizer que não há regulamentação que contemple o tema

Qual país tem competência para tributar as transações das DAOs?

Por Thais de Barros Meira e Ana Carolina P. de Mello

A tributação deve recair sobre as DAOs ou diretamente sobre os rendimentos e ganhos de capital dos associados?

Os desafios na aplicação das leis trabalhistas brasileiras em Organizações Autônomas Descentralizadas

Por Cibelle Linero e Larissa Medeiros Rocha

Essa forma de trabalho se aproxima a outro conceito já previsto na legislação trabalhista brasileira: as cooperativas

Financiamento e geração de ativos de Propriedade Intelectual por meio das DAOs

Por Ana Cristina Müller e Valter Silva Couto

Um grande desafio destas novas possibilidades são as dúvidas que certamente suscitam. Por exemplo, a quem pertencem os direitos de PI em criações que se originarem nas DAOs?

As DAOs e alguns desafios para a solução de conflitos

Por Felipe Galea, Iara Conrado, Milena Arbízu e Marcos Salgado

A descentralização e a autonomia desse tipo de organização diminuem esforços individuais e tornam o processo de decisão mais célere. Sob outra perspectiva, geram dúvidas e incertezas

DAOs no mercado brasileiro e boas práticas de Compliance e PLD

Por Anna Carolina Malta Spilborghs e Jean Daniel Demattio Jaldin

É justamente deste contrato inteligente da DAO que surge a vantagem de as execuções não necessitarem uma ação humana ou um intermediário

Diligência Legal em operações de M&A envolvendo DAOs

Por Adriana Dib Fuzinato, Ellen Juste Nuñez e Thaís Xavier

Além da diligência legal, em se tratando de um ativo digital, é recomendável conduzir diligência técnica, pois em muitos casos os termos de criação das DAOs preveem que o código é a lei

DAOs e Proteção de Dados Pessoais

Por Felipe Palhares e Bárbara Iszlaji

É importante discutirmos se as DAOs tratam dados pessoais e, portanto, estão sujeitas às legislações de proteção de dados pessoais

Smart Contracts e a problemática frente às relações complexas das DAOs

Por Fernanda Villela Viana

De forma geral, nas DAOs, os smart contracts são utilizados para definir regras, estruturar operações e gerenciar relações. A execução das DAOs, portanto, não é pautada em sistemas jurídicos

DAOs e cybersecurity

Por Felipe Palhares

Uma falha no código pode colocar em risco todos os recursos mantidos na tesouraria da DAO, assim como expor seus membros

O futuro das organizações

Por Felipe Palhares

Na ausência de respectiva regulamentação, os imbróglios precisarão ser solucionados com base nas especificidades dos casos concretos que sejam apresentados

Via BMA Advogados

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Meet our New Member Matera

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For more than 30 years, Matera has been providing state-of-the-art technology to financial institutions. The largest global banks use Matera’s proven core banking and payments solutions as well as 50 of 150 banks in Brazil. Their Pix instant payments solution processes nearly 2 billion transactions per month and is being adapted for the U.S. market in support of FedNow. Their innovative Digital Twin software enables banks to offer 24X7 real-time transaction processing without replacing their core banking solution.

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Brazil Producing 3,967 Million Barrels Of Oil And Gas Per Day

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Brazil’s oil and natural gas production in August reached 3.967 million barrels of oil equivalent per day (Mmboe/d), which corresponds to 3.087 million barrels per day (MMbbl/d) of oil and 139.96 million cubic meters per day (MMm3/d) of natural gas.

The preliminary figures were released earlier this week, in Rio de Janeiro, by the National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP), in the Dynamic Panel of Oil and Natural Gas Production.

In the pre-salt area, production stood at 2.966 Mmboe/d. The volume corresponds to 74.8 percent of the country´s total production. A good part of it was obtained in the Tupi field, namely 1.046 MMboe/d, equivalent to 26.4 percent of the total production in the country.

By Cristina Índio do Brasil via Eurasia Review

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Latham & Watkins Honored With Seven LatinFinance Project & Infrastructure Finance Awards

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The deal and legal advisor of the year awards recognize Latham’s extensive services and prowess in Latin America.

Latham & Watkins was recognized as the Infrastructure Law Firm of the Year for the Southern Cone region of South America in the 2022 LatinFinance Project & Infrastructure Finance awards, highlighting the firm’s groundbreaking and innovative work in the countries of Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay. Since launching in 2013, the awards have celebrated the most impressive transactions and institutions in fields critical to Latin America’s economic progress.

LatinFinance also recognized Latham’s work in six individual categories:

  • Infrastructure Financing of the Year, Southern Cone – Chacao Plus: advised Chilean energy company GM Holdings S.A. on a US$980 million concurrent bank and bond project financing for a portfolio of existing and new-build electricity generation assets in Chile
  • Renewable Energy Financing of the Year – GIP Patagonia/Chile Renewables: advised on GIP Patagonia project financing in connection with the acquisition of Chile Renovables SpA, a portfolio of renewable wind and solar generation projects located in Chile
  • Digital Infrastructure/Telecoms Financing of the Year – KKR’s Telefónica Acquisition: advised Telefónica on its approximately US$1 billion sale of its fiber optic network in Chile to KKR
  • Road Financing of the Year – Rio Magdalena 2: advised multiple parties in the multi-source financing for the 4G toll road in Colombia, which will be used to develop 153 km of roll roads
  • Infrastructure Financing of the Year, Andes – Rumichaca Pasto 4G Toll Road: advised multiple parties on the approximately US$906 million multi-source financing for the construction, operation, and maintenance of approximately 83 km of toll roads in the Department of Nariño under Colombia’s 4G program
  • Infrastructure Financing of the Year, Brazil – Smart Luz Financing: advised Goldman Sachs on a DFC-guaranteed sustainability bond for Brazilian public lighting and “Smart Luz” smart city services project

“These recognitions demonstrate the high-quality counsel we continually provide our clients and the depth and diversity of our services focused on Latin America,” said Tony Del Pino, Global Chair of Latham’s Latin America Practice.

Latham’s work in Latin America was also recently recognized in the Latin Lawyer 250 as a leading business law firm contributing to the region’s economic growth.

Via Latham & Watkins

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Brazil’s Azul aims to increase flight routes by 30% in 2023, CEO says

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Brazilian airline Azul expects to expand its routes by 30% next year, with plans to add new slots at Sao Paulo’s Congonhas airport, one of the busiest in the country, Chief Executive Officer John Rodgerson said.

In an interview on Thursday at the company’s headquarters on the outskirts of Sao Paulo, Rodgerson said Azul currently has only 26 slots in Congonhas, whereas its rivals Gol (GOLL4.SA) and LATAM Airlines (LTM.SN) each have around 250.

“The new rules are fairer,” he said, referencing national aviation regulator ANAC’s decision in July to distribute 86 slots at Congonhas to increase competition, with 45 new slots and 41 previously used by bankrupt Avianca Brasil.

Bradesco BBI analysts estimated last month that nearly all the new slots – 84 of 86 – would go to Azul, allowing the company’s presence in the airport to grow fourfold.

Rodgerson expects to start selling tickets for flights from the new slots beginning in March.

By Aluisio Alves via Reuters

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Brazilian Environmentalist Professor Paulo de Bessa Antunes Named Recipient of the 2022 Elisabeth Haub Award for Environmental Law and Diplomacy

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Paulo BessaThe Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University has announced that the 2022 Elisabeth Haub Award for Environmental Law and Diplomacy will be awarded to Professor Paulo de Bessa Antunes, an environmental scholar and leading professor of environmental law at Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, and head of the Environmental Practice of Campos Mello Advogados (Brazil). Professor de Bessa Antunes was also a Haub Visiting Scholar at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law in the spring of 2019.

Professor Bessa will receive the 2022 Award in recognition of his tireless advocacy to support the development and implementation of laws protecting the environment in Brazil, including filing several successful lawsuits to protect the environment over the three decades he worked in the Federal Public Prosecution Service. These lawsuits resulted in the establishment of the Reserva Beach protected area in Rio de Janeiro; the destruction of highly toxic PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), so that they were not released into the environment; and the abandonment of plans to construct a bridge in indigenous territory over the objection of the indigenous Xerente. In gratitude, the Xerente presented him with an honorary citizenship.

Professor Bessa is a leading contributor to, proponent, and defender of the environmental rule of law in Brazil. He is the author of several books, including the seminal text Direito Ambiental, and articles and his work is regularly cited by Brazilian courts, including the Supremo Tribunal Federal (Federal Supreme Court). He is also influential in influencing public environmental policy, exhibiting courage and leadership by co-authoring an open letter critiquing political rollbacks in Brazilian environmental policy. He has taught, mentored, and inspired generations of students and young lawyers to care for their country’s environmental heritage through law.

The prestigious Elisabeth Haub Award for Environmental Law and Diplomacy was established in 1997 by the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University, in cooperation with the Haub Family, to honor the legacy of Elisabeth Haub (1899–1977), a noted philanthropist and advocate for strong laws for the conservation of nature. The award is chosen yearly by an esteemed jury of individuals and was first established to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the United Nations Stockholm Conference and the 5th anniversary of the United Nations Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit.

“The Elisabeth Haub School of Law’s No. 1 ranked environmental law program continues to train lawyers to understand the intersection between climate justice, the environment and the law,” said Haub Law Dean Horace E. Anderson Jr. “We are honored this year to recognize Professor Paulo de Bessa Antunes for his pioneering work in the protection of the environment in Brazil, especially at such a critical moment with rising levels of illegal deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest.”

“We are honored to present Professor Bessa with the Elisabeth Haub Award for Environmental Law and Diplomacy. His exemplary contributions as an innovator, author, leader, and fearless champion of environmental and indigenous rights issues embodies the very spirit of Elisabeth Haub’s advocacy,” said Jason Czarnezki, Associate Dean of Environmental Law Programs and Strategic Initiatives, and Gilbert and Sarah Kerlin Distinguished Professor of Environmental Law. “His achievements in the field are unparalleled.”

“The Elisabeth Haub Award for Environmental Law and Diplomacy recognizes the innovation, skill, and accomplishments of lawyers, diplomats, international civil servants and other advocates who work to create the world environmental order,” said Pace University Trustee Liliane A. Haub. “It is our hope that with this award, we are making a statement in support of those individuals and communities who are fighting to create a more sustainable planet.”

The ceremony for the 2022 Elisabeth Haub Award for Environmental Law and Diplomacy honoring Professor Paulo de Bessa Antunes will take place on Tuesday, November 8th, from 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. EST at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University, and be broadcast virtually to accommodate a global audience. Attendees may choose whether to attend in person or virtually.  REGISTER HERE.

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Cosan adquire fatia de 4,9% de ações da Vale e quer mais

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Companhia afirma que a participação na mineradora faz parte de uma estratégia de diversificação de portfólio

O conglomerado Cosan anunciou nesta sexta-feira (7) que adquiriu participação de aproximadamente 4,9% do total de ações ordinárias de mineradora Vale, em movimento que busca diversificar a atuação da empresa em setores nos quais o Brasil tem vantagem competitiva.

O valor da fatia adquirida na Vale, com base no preço de fechamento da ação da mineradora de quinta-feira (6), gira em torno de R$ 17 bilhões.

A companhia acrescentou que ainda pretende aumentar sua participação acima do percentual já adquirido e buscará imediatamente a aprovação do Conselho Administrativo de Defesa Econômica (Cade).

REUTERS/Amanda Perobelli via Forbes Brasil

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Principais economias vivem ciclo de alta de juros, enquanto Brasil discute queda

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Conforme ciclos de aperto monetário se aproximam do que se espera ser metade do caminho, bancos centrais de todo mundo ensaiam movimento de calibragem

Galopante mundo afora, a inflação impacta diretamente um dos fatores mais determinantes no desempenho do mercado acionário: a taxa de juros.

Conforme os ciclos de aperto monetário se aproximam do que se espera ser a metade do caminho, bancos centrais de todo o mundo ensaiam um movimento de calibragem sobre o nível de agressividade dos ajustes daqui para frente para domar a inflação.

O Banco da Reserva da Austrália (RBA, na sigla em inglês), por exemplo, moderou a alta na taxa de juros na última terça-feira (4): ao invés de optar por um aumento de 50 pontos-base, como esperava boa parte dos analistas de mercado, abrandou a subida a 25 pontos-base, a 2,60%.

A justificativa para a decisão do banco central australiano reside na estratégia de avaliar o impacto que as últimas quatro altas tiveram sobre a economia e, sobretudo, na inflação, que atingiu o patamar de 6,8% em agosto.

O Brasil, por outro lado, já não vive mais esse cenário. Embora a taxa Selic seja a maior do mundo em termos de juros reais, a 13,75% ao ano, ela já atingiu seu pico — e, agora, a dúvida paira sobre quando é que ela começará a cair.

By Tamara Nassif do CNN Brasil Business, Thais Herédia e Priscila Yazbekda CNN em São Paulo via CNN Brasil

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Fundação Dom Cabral lança Índice de Confiança das Médias Empresas – ICME

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O indicador analisa variáveis como o custo do negócio e a dinâmica setorial e se torna uma importante ferramenta para orientar a adoção de estratégias que influenciam a performance do negócio e, consequentemente, a geração de empregos e renda.

Apesar das incertezas e dos desafios econômicos, políticos e sociais, os empresários das empresas de médio porte do país mantêm um bom nível de confiança em relação ao futuro de seus negócios. O otimismo foi aferido pela Fundação Dom Cabral (FDC) em levantamento realizado entre junho e julho deste ano, que contou com a participação de 1.133 empresários de médias empresas e foi divulgado no final de setembro.

Para traçar esse panorama, a FDC criou o Índice de Confiança das Médias Empresas (ICME), que considera a média da avaliação da condição atual (ICA) e, também, a expectativa futura (IEF) do ambiente de negócio. Nesta primeira apuração, o índice atingiu uma média de 46 pontos, dentro de uma escala de 0 a 100, com o ICA em 42 pontos e o IEF em 50.

Entre os fatores que reduziram a confiança do empresariado, tanto em relação às condições atuais (ICA) quanto às expectativas futuras (IEF) estão a instabilidade econômica do país, a turbulência no ambiente político e social e os custos do negócio. Ainda assim, os empresários avaliam bem o cenário atual e estão otimistas com relação às condições da empresa, aos volumes de venda (demanda), ao ambiente competitivo e aos impactos que as transformações tecnológicas devem provocar nos próximos meses.

Via CNN Brasil

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João Carlos Martins – Visiting Presenter at Carnegie Hall

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Presented by MUSICA CODETTA

João Carlos Martins, Piano and Conductor, with NOVUS NY

60 years after making his Carnegie Hall debut, Brazilian pianist and conductor João Carlos Martins, a 20th century Bach interpreter, returns to Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage. He leads NOVUS NY in a program focusing on the music of Bach, the late pioneering 20th century Brazilian modernist Heitor Villa-Lobos, and Brazilian composer André Mehmari.

Via Carnegie Hall. Click here to learn more and get tickets

PROGRAM

Brandenburgo Concerto # 3 in D major
BWV 1048 (J.S. Bach)

Brandenburgo Concerto # 1 in F Major
BWV 1046 (J.S. Bach)

Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring
Cantata BWV 147
(J.S. Bach / Heitor Fujinami)

Bachianas Brasileiras No. 4
W264 – 424 (Heitor Villa-Lobos)
Prelúdio

Portais Brasileiros No. 2
(André Mehmari)
Cirandas

Saturday, November 19, 2022 7 PM
Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall
Tickets: $75 / $50 / $30 and $10 for students (with I.D.)
João Carlos Martins, Piano and Conductor, with NOVUS NY
carnegiehall.org | CarnegieCharge 212-247-7800 | Box Office at 57th and Seventh

Brazilian farmers planting soybeans at faster pace, consultancies say

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Brazilian farmers are sowing soybeans at a faster pace this season, according to estimates from two agribusiness consultancies on Monday.

They cited significant advances in the state of Parana and progress in the pace of sowing in the state of Mato Grosso, the largest producer of soybeans in Brazil, as driving the trend.

Safras & Mercado estimates 2% of the national soybean area has been planted so far for the 2022/2023 cycle, more than twice as much as last year’s 0.8% of the area and above the historical average of 0.8% for this point in the season.

Consultancy AgRural estimates farmers had planted 1.5% of the soybean area in Brazil, compared with 1.3% for the same period last year.

Reporting by Ana Mano; Editing by Paul Simao via Reuters / Yahoo! Finance

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O Brasil e as oportunidades da economia verde

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A realidade imposta pelo aquecimento global tem mexido com o tabuleiro da economia e da geopolítica internacionais. A mudança climática, maior desafio a ser enfrentado pelas atuais gerações, tem exigido uma verdadeira reinvenção de hábitos. Se não mudarmos o modo como agimos e/ou fazemos negócios, estaremos fadados a entregar um Planeta Terra esgotado para nossos netos e bisnetos.

Assim, andar sobre os trilhos da economia verde deixou de ser uma opção e se tornou uma exigência para mitigarmos os impactos climáticos. E estamos correndo contra o relógio.

Aprendemos com a história que as crises, por mais graves e sofridas que sejam, ainda assim trazem aprendizados e oportunidades. E esta nova era, que nos inquieta com preocupações acerca da sociedade do hoje e do amanhã, também é capaz de impulsionar o desenvolvimento por meio da sustentabilidade.

Inspirado nas palavras de Pedro Passos, fundador da Natura, o Brasil, que já desperdiçou grandes oportunidades ao longo das décadas, não pode deixar mais este bonde passar.

By Paulo Hartung via CNN Brasil

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Brazil National Day

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PRESS STATEMENT

ANTONY J. BLINKEN, SECRETARY OF STATE

SEPTEMBER 7, 2022

On behalf of the United States of America, I congratulate the people of Brazil on the 200th anniversary of your independence on September 7th.

As the two largest democracies in the Western Hemisphere, the United States and Brazil share a commitment to support democracy throughout the region and demonstrate its benefits for all people. The United States and Brazil continue to work on deepening our vital strategic and economic relationship. Together, our countries can ensure regional peace and security, advance human rights and racial justice, and build a safe, healthy, sustainable, and prosperous future for coming generations.

The United States offers its best wishes to the people of Brazil as they celebrate the bicentennial of their independence.

Via U.S. DEPARTMENT of STATE

See statement here

Brazil Jobless Rate Falls to 9.1% in 3-Month Period Through July

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Brazil’s unemployment rate declined in the three months through July to the lowest level since 2015 as hiring rose in every category measured.

The jobless rate reached 9.1% in the three months through July, from 9.3% in the three months through June and 13.7% in the year-earlier period, the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, or IBGE said Wednesday.

The number of people with jobs rose to 98.7 million in the three months through July from 98.3 million in the three months through June, while the number of people seeking employment fell to 9.9 million from 10.1 million during the same period.

The strength of Brazil’s labor market has surprised economists repeatedly in recent months, helping boost expectations for economic growth as well. The services sector has been especially strong amid an ongoing post-lockdowns recovery and government programs that have boosted spending power among Brazil’s poorest residents.

By Jeffrey T. Lewis via MarketWatch

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Indústria da moda aposta em produtos de menos impacto ao meio ambiente

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Com investimento em tecnologia e inteligência, setor aposta em produtos têxteis que circulam mais e são mais sustentáveis

Em sua primeira “loja circular”, inaugurada no fim de 2021 no Rio de Janeiro, a Renner montou uma espécie de vitrine de suas iniciativas de sustentabilidade. Ali, amostras da pauta de sustentabilidade da empresa estão presentes desde a arquitetura – com uso de materiais reciclados e recicláveis e reaproveitamento de 97% de resíduos – até o abastecimento com energia originada de fonte eólica.

Estão também na seleção de peças com Selo Re (indicativo de que geram menor impacto ambiental na produção), no coletor do serviço de logística reversa e no espaço dedicado ao Repassa, plataforma de revenda de vestuário, calçados e acessórios adquirida ano passado. Hoje, a Renner conta com mais uma loja circular. E recebeu, por essas e outras estratégias, a maior pontuação entre as empresas de varejo no S&P Global Sustainability Yearbook 2022.

Leia mais: “Tudo é ESG”: CEO da Vivo detalha iniciativas da empresa

“É um reconhecimento importante de que estamos em um bom caminho”, diz o diretor presidente da Lojas Renner, Fabio Faccio. “O S&P integra as empresas de capital aberto com as melhores práticas de sustentabilidade no mundo, e já estamos pelo quinto ano consecutivo no índice, sendo que neste último atingimos a classificação máxima. Mas sabemos que ainda temos bastante coisa para fazer, por isso lançamos metas para continuar evoluindo no tema.”

Por Mariana Weber e Maria Rita Alonso via Forbes Brasil

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DATAGRO Crop Opening – Soybean, Corn, and Cotton 2022/2023 Focuses on Biologicals Market in Panel on Inputs

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In-person meeting of the Brazilian grain and cotton chain will highlight, in panels, analyzes and projections by specialists from the public and private sectors for the short, medium and long term

The DATAGRO Grain Harvest Opening – Soy, Corn and Cotton event brings, for the third consecutive year, information and data on the 2022/23 harvest and prospects for the coming years with topics such as world and Brazilian economy, input market, biofuels, complex of meat and trends for the production, consumption and commercialization of grains and fibers for the next 10 years. The meeting will take place on August 29, at the Renaissance Hotel, in São Paulo (SP). The Harvest Opening will feature the presentation of Koppert, leader in Brazil and in the world in biological control. The company’s commercial director, Gustavo Herrmann, will be one of the speakers on the panel “Input market for the 2022/23 crop — soybeans, corn and cotton — seeds, limestone, fertilizers, pesticides and agricultural machinery”, with representatives from CropLife Brasil, Anda (National Association for the Diffusion of Fertilizers) and Abracal (Brazilian Association of Agricultural Limestone Producers).

Via DATAGRO

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Brazil brokerage giant with 3.6M clients launches BTC and ETH trading

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XP Inc has become the latest Brazilian fintech player to offer crypto trading services, following Nubank and MercadoLibre.

Brazilian brokerage giant XP Inc has officially launched its crypto trading platform XTAGE in Brazil, bringing a potential 3.6 million users to the crypto markets.

The news was broke in a Monday post by the Nasdaq Exchange Twitter account, noting that XP had rung the exchange’s “Opening Bell” to celebrate the launch of the XTAGE digital assets trading platform.

Initially, XP Inc’s 3.6 million clients will have access to Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) trading, but the broker told Cointelegraph back in May that there were plans to “support other digital assets and investment products based on crypto assets in the future.”

By STEPHEN KATTE via Cointelegraph

Read full article here

Bradesco Creates ESG Unit to Help Clients Meet Growing Demand

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Banco Bradesco SA, Brazil’s second-biggest bank by market value, created a unit in its investment-banking operation focused on advising clients on environmental, social and governance standards.

“We want to help companies achieve ESG standards so they can reach a broader base of investors in a bond sale,” said Felipe Thut, who runs Bradesco BBI, the firm’s investment-banking arm. “We see demand for those products growing each day, and firms need to adapt.”

By Cristiane Lucchesi and Vinicius Andrade via Bloomberg

Global M&A Industry Trends: 2022 Mid-Year Update

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M&A reset: As market headwinds pick up speed, the second half of 2022 is providing an opportunity for dealmakers to reassess strategy and act boldly.

What a difference six months makes. At the start of 2022, dealmakers were riding high from the best year on record for global M&A, with more than 60,000 publicly disclosed deals breaking US$5tn in value for the first time. We predicted that this year wasn’t likely to top 2021 in the face of growing headwinds—but the market expected M&A to continue to prosper. Fast-forward to mid-year. Not only have the headwinds grown stronger, but new ones have emerged, including rapidly accelerating inflation and interest rates, lower stock prices, and an energy crisis deepened by the Russia–Ukraine conflict.

By PwC

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Brazil’s FIAGRO promotes agribusiness: key points about this new form of investment

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With favorable climate conditions, extensive arable land, and advanced methods of cultivation, Brazil is one of largest food producers in the world.

According to data from the Center for Advanced Studies in Applied Economics (CEPEA),[1] in 2021 Brazil’s agribusiness sector accounted for 27.4 percent of the country’s GDP – the highest rate since 2004.

Now, to reduce agricultural dependency on public subsidies and forge closer ties between the financial and capital markets and the agribusiness sector, Brazil has created an alternative form of investment via Federal Law n° 14,130/2021: Investment Funds in Agro-industrial Production Chains, popularly nicknamed FIAGRO.

What is FIAGRO?

As the Brazilian government notes, “FIAGRO is built on the model of popular real estate investment funds.”  It will allow investors “to have agro bonds in their portfolio, similar to what happens today in real estate funds, opening the possibility for small, medium and large investors to operate in the sector, democratizing investment.”

FIAGROs subsidize interest rates for agriculture production by encouraging private investors, insurers, lenders, fintechs and others to structure loans, collateral, investments and tax plans in Brazil’s agricultural sector.

Why FIAGRO?

By creating the FIAGRO structure, the Brazilian government is aiming to move financing of agricultural production from public subsidies into private hands. The goal is to encourage broad investment in agriculture. FIAGRO was created to:

  1. reduce dependence on public subsidies – transitioning to a financing model based on private credit rather than public coffers
  2. offer a safe and flexible instrument of investment to forge ties between the financial and capital markets and the agribusiness sector, with the goal of increasing the amount of credit and resources flowing to agrobusiness, including to small producers
  3. attract both domestic and foreign investments to Brazilian agribusiness and
  4. mitigate the barriers that foreign investors face so they can participate in the land market– in Brazil.

By Renato Lopes da Rocha via DLA Piper

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Tribute to José Luis Cutrale (1946-2022)

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Tribute to José Luis Cutrale

(September 17, 1946 – August 17, 2022)

1988 Person of the Year

On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce, we regretfully inform you of the passing, on August 17, 2022 at age of 75, of José Luis Cutrale, in London.  Mr. Cutrale was the 1988 Brazilian Person of the Year honoree and a lifelong member of the Chamber.  A friend to many members and Directors, Mr. Cutrale was always willing to assist the Chamber.  His participation in joint projects elevated the quality of Chamber programs and strengthened ties between Brazil and the United States.

Born in São Paulo on September 17, 1946, Mr. Cutrale started working as a young boy for his father at Cantareira Municipal Market in São Paulo and began growing oranges.  Twenty years later, in 1967, they founded Cutrale, which catapulted the family name to become synonymous with orange juice worldwide.  Mr. Cutrale lived his life with kindness, respect, honesty, and a strong work ethic.

Mr. Cutrale is survived by his wife, Rosana Falcioni Cutrale, and their three children – Junior, Henrique, and Graziela.

The Brazilian Scientists Inventing An mRNA Vaccine — And Sharing The Recipe

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When Moderna and Pfizer first came out with their mRNA vaccines for COVID-19, supply was limited to rich countries and they did not share the details of how to create it.

That left middle income countries like Brazil in the lurch. But for Brazilian scientists Patricia Neves and Ana Paula Ano Bom, that wasn’t the end. They decided to invent their own mRNA vaccine.

Their story, today: Aaron talks to global health correspondent Nurith Aizenman about the effort and how it has helped launch a wider global project to revolutionize access to mRNA vaccine technology.

Further reading:

This episode was produced for Short Wave by Margaret Cirino and edited by Rebecca Ramirez. It was edited for broadcast by Vikki Valentine. Fact-checking by Rachel Carlson and audio engineering by Brian Jarboe via NPR

Full article/podcast

Brazil’s BTG Pactual reports record net income, revenue in Q2

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Brazilian lender Banco BTG Pactual SA BPAC3.SA on Tuesday reported a 23.2% rise in second-quarter net income to a record 2.07 billion reais ($405.01 million), citing an “especially strong” performance in its fee-based business units.

The company’s total revenue also reached a record for a quarter at 4.51 billion reais, up 19.7% from a year earlier, despite what it called volatile international markets and a challenging local macroeconomic scenario.

Both metrics came in slightly ahead of expectations from analysts polled by Refinitiv, which were at 1.98 billion reais for net income and 4.3 billion reais for revenue.

Reporting by Gabriel Araujo, Editing by Louise Heavens, Kirsten Donovan – Reuters via Nasdaq

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Ponte aérea SP-RJ é a primeira do mundo com acesso biométrico do check-in ao embarque

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Congonhas (SP) e Santos Dumont (RJ) são os primeiros aeroportos brasileiros a implantar de forma definitiva o embarque facial biométrico 100% digital para passageiros e tripulantes.

O Embarque + Seguro é um programa conduzido pelo Ministério da Infraestrutura (Minfra), com tecnologia Serpro e parceria do Ministério da Economia. A solução, que combina análise de dados e validação por biometria, dispensa a apresentação de cartões de embarque e documentos de identificação dos viajantes de voos domésticos partindo desses terminais.

Na manhã desta terça-feira, 9 de agosto, o ministro da Infraestrutura, Marcelo Sampaio, acompanhado dos ministros da Cidadania, Ronaldo Bento, e do Turismo, Carlos Brito, liderou uma comitiva governamental para vistoriar o funcionamento de todo o acesso biométrico. As autoridades acompanharam diversos embarques diretamente do aeroporto de Congonhas. O presidente Gileno Barreto, o diretor de Relacionamento com Clientes, André de Cesero, os superintendentes Brenno Sampaio, Rafael Soto e Giordanni de Paiva e o chefe de Divisão, Luciano Cunha, foram os representantes do Serpro no marco de inauguração do sistema.

Com o Embarque + Seguro operando nos aeroportos que formam a rota de maior movimento do país, o Brasil tem agora a primeira ponte área biométrica de ponta a ponta do mundo.

Via Comunicação do Serpro

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Global Entry: available for Brazilian citizens

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The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced the resumption of Global Entry arrangement with the Government of Brazil for Brazilian Citizens.

The agreement includes those entering the United States for tourism and certain business purposes.

The application is available through Global Entry website: Click here to learn how to apply

Global Entry allows an expedited clearance for pre-approved, low-risk travelers upon arrival at United States airports. Members enter the United States through automatic kiosks at numerous airports located within the U.S. and at Preclearance locations around the world. Brazil now joins a growing list of 13 Global Entry partner countries with full arrangements, including Argentina, Colombia, Germany, India, Mexico, the Netherlands, Panama, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Switzerland, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom. Learn more

Brazil’s Itau Unibanco beats profit expectations, raises loan forecast

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Itau Unibanco (ITUB4.SA) on Monday beat profit expectations and substantially raised its loan growth forecast for this year even as it boosted provisioning for bad credits, reflecting higher Brazilian interest rates.

Brazil’s largest lender said second-quarter recurring net profit rose 17.4% from the previous year to 7.67 billion reais ($1.50 billion), beating analyst expectations of 7.48 billion reais, as compiled by Refinitiv.

The bank also said its loan book is likely to grow between 15.5% and 17.5% this year, above a previous estimate of 9%-12%.

Its 2022 cost of credit, which is mainly composed of cash set aside for loans likely to default, is now seen in the range of 28 billion-31 billion reais, up from the previous forecast of between 25 billion and 29 billion reais.

In the three months ending June 30, Itau’s loan-loss provisions reached 7.81 billion reais, up 61.7% from last year, while its loan book rose 19.3% on a year-on-year basis to 1.08 trillion reais.

By Peter Frontini via Reuters

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26TH INFFINITO BRAZILIAN FILM FESTIVAL

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HERE COMES THE INFFINITO FILM FESTIVAL

From September 10 to 25th, the 26th edition, in a hybrid format, is bringing 70 US premieres, a tribute to producer Debora Ivanov and Adriana Calcanhotto’s Concert in Miami.

Click here for PRESS KIT/PHOTOS 

The Inffinito Film Festival, the largest and most relevant Brazilian film festival held abroad, reached its 26th edition. From September 10 to 25th, 70 Brazilian productions will be shown in hybrid format, all premieres in the United States (full lineup below). The festival starts with an outdoor event in Miami, marking the return of the in-person competitive screenings, now at MDC’s Tower Theater Miami and Adriana Calcanhotto’s concert at the Miami Beach Bandshell. In addition, the traditional virtual screenings, available to the American public, bring 57 films, 10 of which are documentaries, 19 short films in competition, and 28 in parallel exhibitions. Furthermore, the audience can watch the movies from Puerto Rico to Alaska at www.inff.online – the first international streaming platform dedicated exclusively to Brazilian audiovisual.

Invited by the Festival, Brazilian actors, directors, and producers will attend the event. Including actors Eduardo Moscovis and Bárbara Paz, directors Denise Saraceni, Lô Politti, and Gustavo Rosa, producers Debora Ivanov, Laís Bodanzky, Tiago Rezende and Carlos Moletta, singer Adriana Calcanhotto, in addition to journalists, sponsors, and guests.

The Inffinito Film Festival began in 1997 when Adriana L. Dutra, Cláudia Dutra, and Viviane Spinelli conceived the Brazilian Film Festival in Miami, in a year in which the Audiovisual Law was enacted in Brazil, which took Brazilian productions out of stagnation and boosted the retake movement. Since then, they have held 88 festivals in 13 cities worldwide: New York, Vancouver, London, Rome, Madrid, Barcelona, Frascati, Milan, Buenos Aires, Montevideo, Bogotá, Canudos, and Miami, and screened more than 2000 Brazilian films for over 2 million people.

MUSIC AND CINEMA IN MIAMI – Opening night in Miami on September 10 at the New World Center (NWC Soundscape Park – 400 17th St, Miami Beach, FL 33139), with free admission and musical performance by the Magic Flute Institute that has been teaching ballet, singing and sweet flute to children from the outskirts of Cuiabá/MT for 24 years (www.flautamagica.org.br). After the presentation, the public will watch the renowned film Pixinguinha, um Homem Carinhoso, directed by Denise Saraceni and Allan Fiterman, starring Seu Jorge and Taís Araújo. See the movie’s official trailer at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUqSZ8J3XJg).

CURATORS – The Inffinito Film Festival’s feature films curatorship is composed of filmmaker, documentary filmmaker, and director of Circuito Inffinito Adriana L. Dutra, by film critic Ricardo Cota. Audiovisual producer Malu de Martino curates the documentaries and producer Laura Fernandes and Adriana Dutra curate short films.

COMPETITIVE FEATURE SCREENINGS – From September 11 to 16, the Competitive Feature Film Screenings will take place at Tower Theater Miami (Tower Theater Miami – 1508 SW 8th St, Miami, FL 33135). The diversity of themes and styles gives the selection of feature films in competition a panorama of contemporary Brazil. The country is experiencing a moment of immersion in its own problems, which range from existential crises (Why don’t you cry?) and family crises (Sol) to the struggles of women (Mar de Dentro) and blacks (Provisional Measure). The genres also range from ripped comedy (Welcome to Quixeramobim) to portraits of personalities as distinct as those of musician Pixinguinha (Pixinguinha, Um Homem Carinhoso) and businessman Eike Batista (Eike – Tudo ou Nada). In the parallel exhibition, the five selected films maintain the tone of plurality, especially aesthetics, showing works that dialogue with theater (Antígona 442 B.C.), memory (Doctor Gama), literature (O Auto da Boa Mentira), and the constant struggle for ancestral recognition of indigenous peoples (Rama Pankararu). These films offer the viewer a unique opportunity to get to know the problems, but above all, the cultural wealth of Brazil, a country that finds its most complete translation in art.

AWARDS AND ADRIANA CALCANHOTTO CONCERT – The closing ceremony with the Crystal Lens Award for the Best Film chosen by the public will take place on September 17, at the Miami Beach Bandshell (7275 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33141), with a performance of the band Johnny’s at 6:00 pm, followed by the film Amazon/Amazônia, by Thierry Ragobert, at 7:00 pm and Adriana Calcanhotto in Concert, at 8:30 pm.

VIRTUAL SHOW – From September 10 to 25th, the program for the entire American territory will take place on http://www.inff.online. 57 film screenings in 8 virtual rooms (10 films are part of the documentary competitions, 19 of the short film competitions, and 28 film screenings)

TRIBUTE TO DEBORA IVANOV – The 26th Inffinito Brazilian Film Festival pays tribute to the producer Debora Ivanov with a special exhibition. Debora is responsible for the production of more than 60 Brazilian films. A lawyer by education and training, she was director of the Audiovisual Industry Union of the State of São Paulo and was a member of the SPCine Advisory Board. She founded the Querô Institute in Santos, an NGO aimed at low-income young people in the port region of Santos that promotes training in the audiovisual industry. In 2000, she became a partner at the production company Gullane Filmes, producing dozens of films, among them Que Horas Ela Volta?, Até Que a Sorte Nos Separe, Uma História de Amor e Fúria, among many others. She was appointed director of ANCINE in 2015. In 2017, she assumed the presidency of the Agency until 2020.

DOCUMENTARIES – The size of Brazil is proportional to the diversity of themes that permeate the stories that documentarists submitted to this selection. The variety was so great that the curatorship decided to propose clippings to bring a broader panorama of what makes up Brazilian filmmakers’ recent crop of documentaries. Others were added to the consolidated Competitive Screenings: “Ritmos do Brasil,” which travels through the plurality of Brazilian music, and “Brasil Urgente,” which highlights the most current topics these days.

TICKETS

– Opening night at New World Center Soundscape Park – Free event

– In-person Show Ticket at Tower Theater Miami – $15.00 – https://www.towertheatermiami.com/

– Ticket Award Night and show by Adriana Calcanhotto

https://www.northbeachbandshell.com/events#/events?event_id=44964

– Ticket for Virtual Exhibition at Inff.online – $8.88 – www.inff.online

The following companies and governments support the 26th Inffinito Brazilian Film Festival:

SPONSORSHIPS 2022

This program is sponsored by the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners, Miami-Dade County Tourist Development Council, City of Miami Beach Cultural Affairs Program and Cultural Arts Council, Garcia Family Foundation and Titanio Films.

Inffinito Ambassadors: Laura Fernandes, Liliana Kawase and Renata Garcia

Official Hotel: Palihouse – Miami Beach

Support: MDC’s Tower Theater Miami, Miami Beach Bandshell, Little Brazil Restaurant, and ATC Cargo

Media Support: AcheiUSA Newspaper, Happens Magazine, Radio Florida Brazil

Promotion: GloboPlay

Festival Friends: BACC – Brazilian American Chamber of Commerce of Florida, Centro Cultural Brazil USA, Downtown Doral Charter Upper School, Ronald W. Regan Doral Senior High, Gulliver Prep, Morningside K8 Academy, Miami Be Happy, NExperience, Talita Pinheiro PA, Sfihas Brazil, Rejuvchip, One Concept Clinic, Florida International University, and New World Center.

Directed and Produced by Inffinito

The São Paulo Symphony Presents The Amazon Concert Sights & Sounds of Brazil

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Saturday, October 15 • 8:00pm
Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall

São Paulo Symphony Orchestra
Marin Alsop, conductor
Marcello Dantas, visual director

Dazzling images of the Amazon, seen through the eyes of its myriad species, ash above the stage of Carnegie Hall as Marin Alsop and the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra perform music of Villa-Lobos, Clarice Assad, Philip Glass, Tom Jobim, and others. Conceived by Visual Director Marcello Dantas, renowned for his fusion of art and technology.

 

ORDER NOW! CarnegieHall.org
CarnegieCharge: 212.247.7800
Box Oce: 57th St. & 7th Ave.

TICKETS START AT $30

Brazil crypto exchange Mercado Bitcoin to expand into Mexico this year, says CEO

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SoftBank-backed Brazilian crypto exchange Mercado Bitcoin is set to enter the Mexican market by the end of the year, as part of a plan to expand elsewhere in Latin America, its chief executive told Reuters.

“Certainly, in the second half of the year we start operating in Mexico,” Mercado Bitcoin’s CEO, Reinaldo Rabelo, said in an interview, adding that talks for regulatory approval in the country are in their final stages.

Rabelo said the move will be done through an acquisition, mirroring the way Mercado Bitcoin’s holding company 2TM entered Portugal earlier this year when it bought Lisbon-based exchange CriptoLoja.

Reporting by Paula Arend Laier; Writing by Peter Frontini; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama via Reuters

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Meet our New Member Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP

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From the Rio Grande to Tierra del Fuego, Simpson Thacher has built a powerful practice serving clients throughout Latin America, starting in the 1970s and ’80s, when they advised clients on sovereign lending and restructurings. Over time, they solidified their position as a market leader in corporate transactions that involved both Latin American companies and sovereigns, as well as their traditional multinational client base.

Already an acknowledged legal pacesetter in Brazil and Latin America, the Firm opened an office in São Paulo in 2009 to build on their commitment to the region and enhance their ability to support their clients.  Their local presence in São Paulo, together with their multilingual team’s deep transactional experience and familiarity with local culture and practices, enable them to optimize representation of their clients in the region on their most important and complex matters.

Learn more

Market Report – Fusões e Aquisições / M&A Brasil

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Foram anunciadas 735 transações no período de Janeiro a Junho de 2022, com uma redução de 2,3% em relação ao mesmo período do ano passado. Incertezas globais, combinadas com cenário desafiador interno, afetaram o volume de operações. Mercado de Capitais também ficou restrito e observou-se follow-ons de operações maduras em setores mais resilientes.

Em Junho de 2022 foram anunciadas 94 transações, número 19,6% inferior ao mesmo mês de 2021 (117) e, somando-se as 641 anunciadas entre Janeiro e Maio, registraram-se 735 transações acumuladas no ano, com redução de 2,3% no período em relação ao mesmo período em 2021 (752 transações). É o quarto mês consecutivo onde observamos redução no número de operações de M&A.

Os setores de maior atividade continuam sendo associados, direta ou indiretamente, a tecnologia, serviços financeiros (onde tecnologia também está fortemente presente), serviços (B2B e B2C), logística, energia e produtos de consumo. Destaque também a ser dado aos setores de educação e saúde, que continua apresentando movimento de consolidação. Observamos uma retração das atividades de M&A no setor de varejo.

By Kroll

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Trade between Brazil and the United States hit a record high in the first half, fueled by fuel

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The exchange of goods between Brazil and the United States reached a new record in the first half of 2022, the American Chamber of Commerce (Amsam Brazil) revealed today (15). According to the organization, trade between the two countries during the period totaled 42.7 billion US dollars, an increase of 43.2% compared to the first half of last year. The full report is available at this link.

“Bilateral trade continued to heat up in the first half of the year. The increase in international prices and, to a lesser extent, demand for products important to the bilateral agenda led to unprecedented values ​​in Brazilian imports and exports relative to the United States.”, said the Executive Vice President of Aspect Brazil. Abram Neto.

On the side of Brazilian imports from the United States, the volume handled reached US$25 billion in the first half, an increase of 52.4%. This result was particularly influenced by the purchase of fuels and energy products such as oil products, natural gas, crude oil and coal. In total, these products account for 43.7% of total Brazilian imports.

By Wallace Holt via SIV Telegram Media 

MercadoLibre Receives $233 Million From Goldman Sachs to Expand Loans in Brazil, Mexico

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Argentine online marketplace MercadoLibre Inc said on Monday it received a private financing line of $233 million from Goldman Sachs to expand its credit offer in Brazil and Mexico.

The company intends to, through its lending unit Mercado Credito, increase its loan offers to individuals and small and medium-sized companies in both countries.

Of the total figure, $106 million will be destined for Brazil and $127 million for Mexico, MercadoLibre said in a statement.

Reporting by Alberto Alerigi Jr.; Writing by Peter Frontini; Editing by Sam Holmes by Reuters via U.S. News & World Report

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Euro And Dollar Are Equal For First Time In 20 Years – Here’s What It Means For Americans

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The euro and the U.S. dollar are equal for the first time in 20 years, as Russia threatens to cut off gas to the west and inflation rates soar, sparking fears of a European recession.

The euro slipped as low as around $1.00005 Tuesday morning, but has since inched up to $1.0061.

Greg McBride, chief financial analyst with the New York financial company Bankrate, told Forbes the effect on imports and exports will be relative, increasing the cost of American goods sold in Europe while making European goods cheaper in the U.S., helping to ease the effect of rising inflation.
“Going to Europe looks a lot cheaper to Americans compared to last summer,” Moody’s Analytics chief economist Mark Zandi told USA Today on Tuesday, noting a stronger dollar can offset the cost of rising airfare by 10% to 20%.
By Brian Bushard via Forbes

Shell invests $40 million in carbon credit projects in Brazil

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Shell said on Monday it has invested $40 million into a Brazilian preservation-focused company.

Carbon credit developer Carbonext runs preservation projects across more than 2 million hectares (4.9 million acres) of the Amazon Forest that are owned by companies seeking to capitalize on the carbon market.

Carbonext then generates carbon credits that can be sold. Shell will now have preferential access to the company’s carbon market, although will not receive discounted prices.

Reporting by Rafaella Barros; Writing by Carolina Pulice; Editing by Christian Schmollinger via Reuters

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Balança comercial tem superávit de US$ 8,8 bilhões em junho

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Corrente de comércio, que serve como termômetro para a atividade econômica, avançou 22,6% ante junho de 2021

A balança comercial brasileira registrou superávit de US$ 8,813 bilhões em junho. O número é 15,4% menor que o saldo do mesmo mês do ano passado.

Os números foram divulgados pelo Ministério da Economia apenas nesta sexta-feira (1º). A corrente de comércio, que serve como termômetro para a atividade econômica, avançou 22,6% ante junho de 2021. No total, a soma das exportações e importações brasileiros foi US$ 56,536 bilhões.

As exportações brasileiras avançaram 15,6%, totalizando US$ 32,675 bilhões em junho. Esse resultado foi puxado, principalmente, por uma alta de 38,5% na exportação de produtos da Indústria de Transformação brasileira. O setor da Agropecuária avançou 30,4%. Já a venda de produtos da Indústrias Extrativa recuou 24,3% no mês.

Por Anna Russida, via CNN

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Brazil’s Petrobras elects new CEO as fuel price pressures mount

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The board of directors of Brazil’s Petrobras (PETR4.SA) elected Caio Paes de Andrade as its new chief executive on Monday, as a messy management transition at the state-run oil company inches toward conclusion.

Andrade, a former economy ministry official, was also voted onto the company’s board ahead of his election as CEO, the company said in a securities filing, a move required under Petrobras bylaws.

Andrade had been tapped by Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro last month to run the firm and is set to replace Chief Exploration and Production Officer Fernando Borges, who took over as interim CEO after Jose Mauro Coelho resigned earlier this month. read more

Coelho, as well as his two predecessors, were brought down after clashes with Bolsonaro over the company’s fuel pricing policy. The far-right president’s popularity has taken a beating due to rising diesel and gasoline prices and high inflation.

By Rodrigo Viga Gaier and Rafaella Barros via Reuters

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Mattos Filho opens new office in Brazil’s capital

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With the highest number of partners among full-service law firms in Brazil’s capital, Mattos Filho provides leading legal assistance for demands with government agencies and higher courts

As Mattos Filho approaches its thirtieth anniversary, it has started a new chapter in Brasília. The firm has opened a bigger, more modern office located in the city’s South Commercial Sector (Setor Comercial Sul), its primary business district. The new address will accommodate a higher number of professionals – the headcount at the office has grown by 130% in the last six years alone – strengthening Mattos Filho’s commitment to being a strategic partner for clients, especially in litigations with regulatory bodies, the higher courts, and Brazil’s legislative and executive branches.

With six partners based in Brasília – the highest number among all full-service firms in the region – Mattos Filho’s structure makes the firm a benchmark for handling legal matters in the Brazilian capital. “The expansion of our operations in Brasília strengthens our firm’s position and unites our professionals’ expertise to provide innovative, high-performance legal services, in line with our clients’ needs,” highlighted Mattos Filho’s managing partner, Roberto Quiroga.

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Google outlines infrastructure investment in Brazil, announces new office

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Alphabet Inc’s (GOOGL.O) Google Cloud announced on Tuesday it has invested 1.6 billion reais ($312.65 million) in technical infrastructure since 2017 in Brazil, as well as the opening of a new office and engineering center in the country.

Google Cloud investments have been aimed at “helping the company’s customers diversify their service portfolios, extend their digital capabilities, and drive new business,” the company said at the Google for Brazil event in Sao Paulo, the country’s financial capital.

“During this (five-year) period, an amount of 1.6 billion reais was allocated to improve Google Cloud’s technical infrastructure in Brazil.”

Google also announced the opening of a new engineering center in Sao Paulo and a new Google Cloud office in 2023.

In January, Google said it was set to hire 200 engineers in Brazil this year, as it seeks to bolster its privacy, security, and anti-abusive content technologies.

Reporting by Steven Grattan Editing by Bernadette Baum via Reuters

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Proskauer Receives Top Rankings across 56 Practice Areas in 2022 Chambers USA

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Proskauer, a leading international law firm, is pleased to announce that it has received top-tier rankings across 56 practice areas, and 100 lawyers were recognized as leaders in their field, including seven newly ranked attorneys, in the 2022 edition of Chambers USA.

This year, Chambers USA ranked 19 lawyers and 11 of the Firm’s practice areas in Band 1, including Banking & Finance, Employee Benefits and Compensation, Healthcare, Labor & Employment, Litigation, Private Equity and Sports Law. Four of the Firm’s lawyers also earned recognition in the Eminent Practitioner, Star Individual or Senior States people categories.

Five of Proskauer’s practice areas received a first-time ranking, including Bankruptcy/Restructuring (Massachusetts), Litigation: General Commercial (Massachusetts), International Arbitration: Enforcement (Nationwide), Investment Funds: Investor Representation (Nationwide), and Banking & Finance (New York).

View a complete list of the 2022 Chambers USA rankings

About Proskauer

We are 800+ lawyers serving clients from 12 offices located in the leading financial and business centers in the Americas, Europe and Asia. The world’s leading organizations, companies and corporations choose us to be their representatives in their most critical situations. But more, they consider Proskauer a strategic partner to drive their business forward. We work with asset managers, major sports leagues, Fortune 500 companies, entertainment industry legends and other industry-redefining companies.

Learn more here.

Destaque Especial 50 anos – Machado Meyer

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Após 50 anos, continuamos nos orgulhando da nossa história. Por isso, preparamos um hotsite especial para contarmos um pouco sobre a nossa trajetória, além de compartilharmos conteúdos inéditos e depoimentos de nossas pessoas.

Integrando as comemorações dos 50 anos do Machado Meyer, preparamos uma série especial de videocasts para relembrar nossa trajetória, revelar curiosidades e abordar as expectativas e anseios para o futuro. No episódio de estreia, o sócio-administrador, Tito Andrade, recebe os sócios-fundadores, Antonio Meyer, Moshe Sendacz e José Roberto Opice, para comentar o início da sociedade, o percurso de crescimento e outras histórias.

Assista agora!

Eleições 2022: 10 perguntas e respostas para empresas sobre o período eleitoral

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Neste ano de 2022 serão realizadas eleições para diversos cargos em nível federal, estadual e distrital. O início das campanhas eleitorais traz diversos pontos de atenção para as empresas, que devem ajustar suas políticas internas/programas de compliance a fim de mitigar riscos relacionados à matéria.

Com o objetivo de ajudar as empresas em sua adaptação ao período eleitoral, o BMA preparou uma série de perguntas e respostas sobre temas recorrentes. Com o objetivo de ajudar as empresas em sua adaptação ao período eleitoral, o BMA preparou uma série de perguntas e respostas sobre temas recorrentes.

>>> Confira mais detalhes no infográfico produzido pela nossa equipe.

Meet our New Member Dal Pozzo Advogados

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Dal Pozzo Advogados are specialists in Public Law in the areas of Infrastructure, Regulation, Public Services, Administrative Law, Litigation and National-International Arbitration. Offering personalized services, they treat each case with professionalism to maximize legal efficiency and facilitate understanding of the corporate landscape.

The broad range of experience and expertise of their staff offers a unique market position with the ability to solve complex legal problems and help their clients achieve results in an ever-evolving business environment.

Learn more here.

Mattos Filho’s pro bono work recognized for its positive impact on society

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We were recognized in the Social Responsibility and Pro Bono category of the Prêmio Lumen (Lumen Awards) in a ceremony held on Tuesday, May 31. The awards – an initiative of the Center for Studies of Law Firms and the Union of Law Firms for the States of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro – recognize good practices by law firms that make a positive impact on society.

We received the award for our work in cooperation with the São Paulo Public Defender’s Office, referring cases to provide individuals with comprehensive, free legal assistance, as well as preparing research and memoranda on human rights issues.

We would like to congratulate our professionals for their dedication and thank Prêmio Lumen for recognizing our efforts. This is how we drive transformation through the practice of law, giving back to society and contributing to its progress.

Mattos Filho

Learn more here.

Por que o Brasil atrai empresas globais de criptomoedas?

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Mercado de criptomoedas no país já atrai mais investidores do que a Bolsa.

O Brasil está entre os cinco países com o maior número de investidores em criptomoedas, algo que não passa despercebido pelas empresas globais do setor. Gigantes como Binance, Coinbase, FTX e Crypto.com já possuem presença local, e a tendência é que, com a chegada do marco regulatório das criptomoedas, mais delas venham para ficar.

Cerca de 10 milhões de brasileiros já investem em criptomoedas, segundo um estudo da Binance em parceria com a TripleA divulgado no ano passado. O número corresponde a 5% da população e é maior que o total de investidores pessoas físicas cadastrados na B3 – cerca de 4 milhões.

Acompanhe em primeira mão o conteúdo do Forbes Money no Telegram

O Brasil fica atrás apenas de Índia, Estados Unidos, Rússia e Nigéria em número de investidores em criptomoedas.

Sean Rach, ex-CMO da Crypto.com e cofundador da plataforma de serviços financeiros Hi, afirma que a desvalorização do real em relação ao dólar é um dos principais fatores que tornam as criptomoedas tão atrativas aos brasileiros. “Além da capacidade de inovação e de criação de soluções nesse ecossistema, o que abre diversas oportunidades”, acrescenta.

Por Isabella Velleda via Forbes

Leia o artigo na íntegra.

 

Brazilians are adopting digital payments faster than anyone else — what lessons can we learn?

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  • Digital payments are an essential tool of financial inclusion and enfranchisement.
  • Brazil is leading a Latin American boom in financial inclusion, with FinTech companies and Central Bank-led initiatives providing access to bank accounts for the first time to millions of people.
  • The World Economic Forum has partnered with the Inter-American Development Bank to launch an initiative aimed at further expanding financial inclusion and unlocking digital trade opportunities in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Digital payments are driving a profound change in Brazil’s banking sector. Over the past 10 years, a silent revolution in Brazil has led to increased competition, more financial inclusion and lower banking fees.

The explosion of digital payments in Brazil has created an innovative financial ecosystem that works for ordinary people.

This progress is the result of a combination of an overhaul in the payments regulatory framework, intensive use of technology, entrepreneurship and a focus on creating products that address the needs of Brazilian customers.

By David Vélez, Founder and CEO, Nubank via World Economic Forum – This article is part of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting

Read full article here.

Meet the Four Forces Shaping your Workforce Strategy

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Specialization. Scarcity. Rivalry. Humanity. Companies that understand—and harness—these forces will have an edge in creating vibrant workforces capable of achieving sustained, positive outcomes.

If you lead, manage, or plan a workforce, you’re familiar with disruption—and have seen a lot of it lately, including geopolitical and social crises and the biggest public health emergency in living memory. And you’ve spent time and energy on everything from designing remote and hybrid work experiences, to understanding the “great resignation,” to simply trying to keep your people safe.

Against this backdrop, you need to keep sight of the urgent, fast-moving workforce challenges you face—without losing sight of the long game. You need to inspire and support your people now, even as you help them redefine the nature of their jobs and roles so they can thrive in a highly uncertain future. Only by getting the balance right can you create the kinds of sustained outcomes that will benefit the company, your workforce, and even society.

A good place to start is by grounding your thinking in a better understanding of the dynamics that your workforce strategy arises from, and that it depends on. Four underlying forces—specialization, scarcity, rivalry, and humanity—have been shaping workforces at key points throughout human history, and they’re highly relevant again today. Taken together, the forces offer a framework to help companies understand the interplay between workforce strategy, business strategy, culture, and technology.

By Bhushan Sethi, Blair Sheppard, and Nicole Wakefield via PwC 

Read full article here.

Carteira Ibovespa: B3 anuncia entrada da SLC Agrícola (SLCE3)

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Vale e Petrobras seguem como as empresas de maior peso na composição do índice.

A B3 divulgou hoje (2) a nova carteira do índice Ibovespa, que irá vigorar até o dia 2 de setembro de 2022. A grande novidade é a entrada da SLC Agrícola (SLCE3), com peso de 0,241%. Com as alterações, o índice contemplará 92 ativos de 89 empresas.

Os cinco ativos de maior peso na composição do índice se mantiveram os mesmos, mas com novas participações: Vale ON (15,582%, ante 14,783% ), Petrobras PN (6,864%, estável), Itaú Unibanco PN (5,661%, ante 5,142%), Bradesco PN (4,606%, ante 4,556%) e Petrobras ON (4,492%, ante 4,205).

A SLC Agrícola foi fundada em 1977 e é produtora de soja, algodão e milho; criadora de gado e detentora da marca SLC Sementes, que produz e comercializa sementes de soja e algodão. Foi uma das primeiras empresas do setor a ter ações negociadas na Bolsa de Valores.

Por Isabella Velleda via Forbes

Leia mais em: https://forbes.com.br/forbes-money/2022/05/carteira-ibovespa-b3-anuncia-entrada-da-slc-agricola-slce3/

Leia mais aqui.

“Metalaw: Reflections on Law In The Metaverse”: Read Our E-Book

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No one yet knows precisely what the Metaverse is or how relevant it will become over the next few years. Even so, it is a frequent topic of discussion and has attracted the attention of various publics, including investors who are enthusiastic about the possibilities presented by the new technology.

It’s part of BMA‘s DNA to think creatively and to seek innovative solutions for our clients. That’s why we have asked practitioners from BMA’s various practice areas to contribute articles that share their views of how the law might apply in the Metaverse.

Click here to access the entire publication, or click here to go directly to the articles that interest you.

Next Generation of Lawyers organizes short-term exchange program to the U.S.

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Next Generation of Lawyers, a professional program dedicated to minority law school students in Brazil, is organizing a short term exchange program to the U.S., with the support of top tier law firms, United Airlines and the U.S. General Consulate in Brazil.

This exchange program, organized by Civics Education – founded by Felipe Neves (POY Fellow and Stanford Law School Class of 19, will bring 15 low income students to the U.S. for the first time in order to foster their knowledge about law and entrepreneurship, by visiting Universities and Tech Companies, and help them to build new dreams and new goals. This program will be tailored to participants’ interests in academic coursework, leadership training and networking. Our goal is to give them exposure to a variety of professional and academic contacts, leaders and innovators, so they can go back to Brazil and contribute to the development of our society.

Some facts about the selected students:

• 80% are black.
• 65% are female.
• 45% are LGBT.

Find out more about the program here.

Meet our New Member StoneTurn

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StoneTurn, a global advisory firm, assists companies, their counsel and government agencies on regulatory, risk and compliance issues, investigations and business disputes.

They serve their clients from offices across the U.S., U.K. and in Germany, Brazil, South Africa, and Singapore assisted by a network of senior advisers around the world.

Learn more

Brazil eases COVID-related restrictions on international travelers

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Brazilian health agency Anvisa on Saturday issued a new set of rules for incoming international travelers, easing restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic as the health crisis subsides in the South American nation.

Anvisa said vaccinated Brazilians and foreigners are now exempt from presenting proof of a COVID-19 test with a negative or non-detectable result. They are only required to present proof of vaccination, printed or electronically.

“In general, the new rules confirm vaccination as the basis for national border policy for all modes of transportation,” Anvisa said in a statement. “Complete immunization is mandatory for all individuals eligible for vaccination and who intend to enter Brazil.”

Under the rules, a traveler is considered fully vaccinated after taking two doses or a single dose of a anti-COVID vaccine, depending on the type of immunizer. The vaccination scheme must be complete at least 14 days before the date of departure, Anvisa said.

Reporting by Ana Mano Editing by Alistair Bell via Reuters.

Read full article.

ISO DATAGRO New York Sugar & Ethanol Conference 2022

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Also known as the official technical event of the New York Sugar Dinner, The ISO DATAGRO NY Sugar and Ethanol Conference was held in a digital format during its last edition and will return to its original format this year on May 11, 2022 from 7:30 AM to 4:10 PM EDT at 583 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10065.The event will gather experts and influential players in the global sugar-energy community. These world-renowned leaders will tackle topics related to the main issues of the global sugar and ethanol industries.Don’t miss the opportunity to learn from specialists and gain invaluable business insights on the following topics:▪️ What to Expect for Brazil & Other Main Fundamentals in 21/22 & 22/23

▪️ World S&D in 21/22 & 22/23 (Oct/Sep)

▪️ Perspectives for Sugar and Ethanol in India

▪️ Ethanol in Sustainable Mobility

▪️ Trade Flows & Market Perspectives

▪️ Technological Innovation & Trends

▪️ Investments & Financing Opportunities for the Agribusiness Sector Click here for more information and Registration.

Meet our New Member Wentworth Consulting Group

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At Wentworth Consulting Group, their team of experts works with companies to understand their goals and hurdles, and how to improve their business. They provide strategic management consulting and business operations support, including Procurement, Recruiting, HR and Financial Services.

Learn more

USD 5 million to transform Brazil | USD 5 milhões para transformar o Brasil

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Dear friends of BrazilFoundation, 

After three years of significant growth in fundraising in New York and Brazil, and record revenue in 2021 of USD 8.3 million, I am honored to announce that BrazilFoundation has received a grant of USD 5 million from writer, activist, and philanthropist MacKenzie Scott.

This generous gift of unrestricted resources will allow BrazilFoundation to deepen and substantially expand strategic investments in civil society innovations. With these funds we plan to provide multi-year grants in selected priority fields, generate public awareness of groundbreaking equity initiatives, contribute to building a deep bench of transformative social sector leaders and catalyze national dialogue around access, equity and participation.

In 2021, we invested in 155 civil society organizations in 24 states of the country, which work at the community level, with projects with the potential to influence local or national public policies, through creative methodologies developed to improve the lives of people in the community.

As president & CEO of BrazilFoundation, I am extremely happy to share this news with you!

I emphasize that this recognition is the result of the work that BrazilFoundation and its team have been developing over the last 22 years, with the valuable support of families, individuals, companies, and foundations that have always supported this project.

Thank you so much for being part of this story.

Best,

Rebecca R. Tavares, Ed.D
President & CEO, BrazilFoundation 

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Continue reading “USD 5 million to transform Brazil | USD 5 milhões para transformar o Brasil”

Novas regras para as publicações ordenadas pela lei das sociedades anônimas

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Com a entrada em vigor do artigo 1º da Lei 13.818/19 em 1º de janeiro deste ano, as publicações ordenadas pela Lei 6.404/76 (Lei das Sociedades Anônimas – LSA) ganharam novas regras.

As modificações alteraram o artigo 289 da LSA e criaram um procedimento mais simples e flexível, que atende, ao menos parcialmente, à expectativa das sociedades anônimas por um regime de publicidade modernizado e menos oneroso. A essas mudanças somam-se as recentes modificações na LSA promovidas em 2021 pelo Marco Legal das Startups (Lei Complementar 182/21).

A modificação mais relevante foi acabar com a obrigação das companhias de realizar essas publicações nos veículos oficiais de imprensa da União, dos estados ou do Distrito Federal. Pela nova redação do artigo 289, as publicações “deverão ser efetuadas em jornal de grande circulação editado[1] na localidade em que esteja situada a sede da companhia, de forma resumida e com divulgação simultânea da íntegra dos documentos na página do mesmo jornal na internet, que deverá providenciar certificação digital da autenticidade dos documentos mantidos na página própria, emitida por autoridade certificadora credenciada no âmbito da Infraestrutura de Chaves Públicas Brasileiras (ICP-Brasil)”.

A nova redação é aplicável às publicações obrigatórias realizadas a partir de 1º de janeiro de 2022, independentemente do período (exercício social ou trimestre) a que se refiram. Abrange, por exemplo, as demonstrações financeiras referentes ao período encerrado em 31 de dezembro de 2021.

AUTORES

Via MACHADO, MEYER, SENDACZ E OPICE ADVOGADOS

Saiba mais.

Meet our New Member BRQ Digital Solutions

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BRQ is one of the leading Digital Transformation companies in Brazil. The BRQ end-to-end service platform offers the most efficient and innovative solutions, technologies and methodologies, enabling a transformation journey for major brands, from different fields, in Brazil and overseas. With over 3,000 employees, the company stands out as one of the best places to work by GPTW and Glassdoor.

Learn more

REDD Insight: LatAm, too, is bracing for impact of Russia’s attack on Ukraine

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[The REDD Insight is a daily market comment produced by senior members of the REDD Intelligence Latin America newsroom. The views expressed in this report are solely those of the author(s) and are not necessarily either
shared or endorsed by REDD.]

“I told Putin that Brazil supports any country that seeks peace. And that’s his intention.” — Jair Bolsonaro, talking to reporters after meeting with the Russian leader Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has sent shock waves through financial
markets. For Latin American countries, there is an upside of this terrible conflict, but the potential downside could be very steep. As commodity prices surge ― especially oil, gas and wheat, which are mostly produced by the two countries in armed conflict — some countries will see higher revenues on oil sales. Ecuador serves as an example. In a recent interview broadcast on social media, President Guillermo Lasso said the recent increase in oil prices could imply USD 25 in additional revenue per barrel for Ecuador. So far this year, he added, oil price hikes have translated to USD 100m in extra revenues for the country.

Assuming prices stay constant, Ecuador could pull in additional revenues of USD 1.7bn this year, according to an analysis from local economists Walter Spurrier and Alberto Acosta Burneo. Still, Lasso pointed out during his interview that his government would “not create permanent expenditures with temporary revenues.” But for companies like state-owned Pemex and Petrobras, higher oil prices will translate into higher fuel prices, eating into some gains from the rally.

by Maria Fernanda Blaser, Carla Dager and Edgar Sigler via REDD

Read full article

BNDES Director Offers New Insights on Development of Brazilian Blockchain Network

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Gladstone Arantes, a director of the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES), gave new details about the progress of the Brazilian Blockchain Network, a project that has been in development since 2018. The network will be created on top of the Hyperledger Besu 2.0, which uses a proof-of-authority consensus mechanism. The final goal of this project is to move public spending to the network in order to increase the transparency of these fund movements.

Brazilian Blockchain Network Advances

The Brazilian Blockchain Network, a project that was conceived back in 2018, is now in its development phase. Gladstone Arantes, head of blockchain initiatives at the Development Bank of the country (BNDES), revealed new insights about the development and the technical data of the project. At the Ethereum.Rio event, Arantes stated the project had selected Hyperledger Besu 2.0 to be its base platform, and that the network would also be using a proof-of-authority consensus system.

Proof-of-authority means there will be no mining on top of the chain, and that state actors will maintain control of the network. This follows the premise of simplifying the operation of the blockchain, so it’s possible to be easily understood by anyone wanting to examine it.

by Sergio Goschenko via Bitcoin.com

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Fusões e Aquisições continuam em tendência de alta no Brasil, acumulam 253 transações até fevereiro de 2022 e crescem 38,2% em relação ao mesmo período de 2021

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M&A no Brasil. Análise da equipe de Corporate Finance da Kroll/ Kroll Brasil das atividades no primeiro bimestre de 2022

Em fevereiro de 2022 foram anunciadas 123 transações, número 15,0% superior ao mesmo mês de 2021 e, somando-se as 130 anunciadas em janeiro – 71,0% acima de janeiro de 2021, quando foram anunciadas 76 transações, registam-se 253 transações acumuladas no ano e crescimento de 38,2% no período em relação ao mesmo período em 2021.

Os setores de maior destaque continuam sendo associados, direta ou indiretamente, à tecnologia, e representaram aproximadamente 25% das transações anunciadas no período. Serviços financeiros (onde tecnologia também está fortemente presente), representaram cerca de 20%, sendo seguido por setores de serviços (B2B e ao consumidor), logística, mídia e entretenimento e produtos de consumo. Investidores estratégicos continuam liderando o número de transações anunciadas estando presentes em aproximadamente 61,0% das
operações.

Em relação a players destacaram-se no período de janeiro as transações da XP Inc. (aquisição do Banco Modal) por cerca de R$ 3,0 bilhões, do Pátria, adquirindo usinas hidroelétricas da Contour Global, a operação do Softbank adquirindo participação na Creditas e Gupy (rodada em que a Riverwood também participou), a Sinqia adquirindo a Lote45 e a Petz adquirindo a Petix. Principais 10 transações de janeiro somaram cerca de R$ 10,0 bilhões.

Ler análise na íntegra

Alexandre Pierantoni, Managing Director, Head of Brazil Kroll Corporate Finance
alexandre.pierantoni@kroll.com

 

Petrobras and EIG near deal for Bolivia-Brazil gas pipeline

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State-run Brazilian oil company Petrobras is close to reaching an agreement to sell to U.S. private equity firm EIG Energy Partners control of a natural gas pipeline that connects Bolivia and southern Brazil, three people with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.

Petróleo Brasileiro SA, as the company is formally known, is expected to receive more than $500 million for the 51% stake in TBG, added one of the sources, who requested anonymity to discuss private negotiations. The bid could reach up to $1 billion depending on details of the talks.

Under negotiation is Transportadora Brasileira Gasoduto Bolivia-Brasil (TBG), which operates the Brazilian section of the pipeline, called Gasbol.

The roughly 2,600 km (1,600 mile) pipeline system is the main transportation network for natural gas in the south of Brazil. It generated more than 900 million reais ($180 million) of operating profit for its owners in the first nine months of last year.

By Tatiana Bautzer and Gram Slattery via Reuters

Read full article.

Mattos Filho launches Venture Capital practice

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Venture Capital Practice

Dear clients and business partners,

In light of the startup market’s development both in Brazil and around the world, and with entrepreneurs and investors gaining increased experience in the industry, Mattos Filho announces the launch of its new Venture Capital practice.

The practice will benefit from our full-service and cross-practice expertise to efficiently attend clients that work across all aspects of this industry. Featuring specialists with significant experience in material transactions in Brazil, our services encompass legal and strategic support for highly scalable startups. This includes structuring and implementing their MVPs and business plans, as well as investment and strategic exits.

We have extensive experience designing and implementing domestic and international investment structures for investors. As such, we advise some of Brazil’s most active venture capital funds in different industries on regulatory concerns. We also advise companies from different sectors and industries in their corporate venturing projects, including, among others, structuring innovation hubs and acceleration programs.

Recently, venture capital investments surpassed private equity investments in Brazil, reaching a record BRL 46.5 billion, according to a survey by the Brazilian Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (ABVCAP), in partnership with KPMG. Brazil is already the largest venture capital market in Latin America; our specialists’ extensive expertise in the area makes them the ideal strategic partners for transactions within this innovative ecosystem.

Our new Venture Capital practice reinforces the importance we place on entrepreneurship for Brazil’s social and economic development. The formation of the practice coincides with efforts from the Legislative Branch – and certain regulators, such as the Brazilian Central Bank (BACEN) and the Brazilian Securities and Exchange Commission (CVM) – to improve and modernize the Brazilian regulatory framework.

The multidisciplinary team behind Mattos Filho’s Venture Capital practice focuses on serving both investors and investees with the dynamism and agility that this industry requires, providing creative solutions that drive transformation and foster entrepreneurship.

Learn more about our Venture Capital practice.

King & Spalding Opens Office in Miami

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King & Spalding opens its Miami office, with a particular focus on our Brazilian and wider LatAm practice.

We are thrilled to share the news of the opening of King & Spalding’s Miami office, which officially launched on February 28th. The office, our 23rd globally, will provide a diverse range of capabilities across many of our leading trial, transactional, and governmental practices, with a particular focus on further assisting the needs of our Brazilian clients, many of which have connections with the Sunshine State.

The office now serves as a base of operations for the more than 50 King & Spalding lawyers who are barred in Florida and regularly work on matters in the state. Given Florida’s rapidly expanding economy and strategic importance more broadly in the U.S., Brazil and across Latin America, as well as the firm’s many clients with business and legal interests in the state, the Miami office will be an important hub for the firm and our clients.

Market-Leading Capabilities in Florida

  • Top-ranked both globally and in Latin America, our international arbitration practice regularly represents multinationals in proceedings held in Miami, a growing global center for international arbitration and will continue to represent multinationals in arbitrations in other key global dispute venues, including Brazil and Latin America more broadly.
  • Our mass tort and consumer class action lawyers have represented clients in the consumer products, automotive, financial services, life sciences and technology sectors in hundreds of cases in Florida, with more than 100 jury trials in the past decade.
  • The healthcare team currently advises several of Florida’s largest hospital systems and other healthcare providers.
  • The firm’s government advocacy and public policy team will extend its reach into the state, led by two former Florida congressmen at the firm who already counsel clients in Florida.
  • The Miami office will become a client service center for the firm’s already leading private equity, fintech and healthcare technology capabilities.

Learn more

ABOUT KING & SPALDING

Celebrating more than 130 years of service, King & Spalding is an international law firm that represents a broad array of clients, including half of the Fortune Global 100, with 1,200 lawyers in 23 offices in the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. The firm has handled matters in over 160 countries on six continents and is consistently recognized for the results it obtains, uncompromising commitment to quality, and dedication to understanding the business and culture of its clients.

 

Biden to Sign Crypto Order as Firms Face Sanctions Pressure

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President Joe Biden is set to sign an executive order this week that will outline the U.S. government’s strategy for cryptocurrencies, according to people familiar with the administration’s plans.

The order will direct federal agencies to examine potential regulatory changes, as well as the national security and economic impact of digital assets, said the people, who asked not to be named discussing the deliberations. The White House’s approach to crypto has attracted fresh attention in recent weeks after the U.S. and its allies levied sanctions on Russia, prompting concerns that organizations and individuals could use crypto to evade the restrictions.

Inflation-Related Wage Changes Require Employers to Keep Their CP-Eye on the Prize

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During his State of the Union address, President Biden indicated that getting inflation under control was a top priority, and to businesses he said, “Lower your costs, not your wages.” For many employers throughout the country, however, lowering wages has not been their response to the recent health or economic crises. And in parts of the country, by law wages are heading in only one direction—up—as many local minimum wage statutes adjust their rates to changes in the consumer price index (CPI). Below we provide not an economic forecast, but a forecast of what employers might expect to experience during these turbulent economic times so they can budget accordingly in the coming months and prepare for near-term (July 1) and future (January 1, 2023) mandatory wage rate changes.

During COVID-19, running a business has been anything but easy. We’ve all read about the “Great Resignation” causing “wageflation” (“a precipitous, unexpected and immediate rise in wages based on unique market forces,” per Forbes). And now with inflation, some companies might find themselves in an even more precarious situation. Although mid-year (July 1, 2022) minimum wage increases are still about four months away, some jurisdictions have already revealed what their rates will be; the changes are notable and demonstrate the impact rising inflation can have on wages in jurisdictions that adjust their minimum wage due to changes in the CPI.

On March 1, 2022, in New Mexico the minimum rates in both the City of Santa Fe and County of Santa Fe were CPI-adjusted from $12.32 to $12.95 per hour, an increase just above five percent. The District of Columbia announced that on July 1, 2022, its minimum wage will increase from $15.20 to $16.10 per hour, which is almost a six percent increase. To date, the highest announced increase belongs to the City of Los Angeles, California, where the annually adjusted minimum wage will increase on July 1, 2022 from $15.00 to $16.04 per hour, a boost close to seven percent.

By Sebastian Chilco via Littler

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U.S.-Brazil CEO Forum Call for Applications 2022-2025 TERM

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The Department of Commerce is calling for applications for all 12 U.S. Section seats on the U.S.-Brazil CEO Forum for the 2022-2025 term

The Department seeks to appoint U.S. Section members who represent a diversity of business sectors and geographic locations, consist of a range of small, medium, and large firms, and are reflective of the diversity of the U.S. population. The Forum provides business leaders with the opportunity to impact the U.S.-Brazil trade relationship and improve conditions for doing business in Brazil. To qualify, a candidate must be a CEO or president (or have a comparable level of responsibility) of a U.S.-owned or -controlled company that is incorporated or otherwise organized in and has its main headquarters in the United States and that is currently doing business in both Brazil and the United States.

To apply, please visit the linked Federal Register Notice. The application period will close on April 1, 2022.

Attached is the application document, a new element in the application process. (Note: The requested information on the top portion (points 1-10) does not need to be filled out on the application itself, and can be supplied in the format most convenient for the applicant. However, the second part (point 11) will need to be completed, signed and included with any supporting documents).

Background: Launched in 2007, the U.S.-Brazil CEO Forum consists of up to 24 CEOs from the United States and Brazil, who provide joint recommendations to the two governments to strengthen the U.S.-Brazil economic and trade relationship. The forum has successfully opened discussions between the United States and Brazilian governments on several important issues, including visa and tax reform, customs procedures, education, energy, defense trade, and infrastructure.

For more information please visit:

Federal Register Notice: 87 FR 9313

U.S.-Brazil CEO Forum Website: www.trade.gov/us-brazil-ceo- forum

Department of Commerce Press
Press: Press Release
Social Media: Twitter & LinkedIn

Contact
For inquiries and to request an application, please contact:

Christopher Di Trolio
Office of Latin America and the Caribbean
International Trade Administration U.S. Department of Commerce
Christopher.DiTrolio@trade.gov

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Program Offers Foreign Entrepreneurs the Opportunity to Work in the United States to Develop a Startup

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The International Entrepreneur Parole program, which was relaunched in May 2021, provides foreign start-up entrepreneurs (founders/ C-Suite) the opportunity to work in the United States to develop a promising start-up entity with significant potential for rapid business growth and job creation.

The International Entrepreneur Parole program is specifically targeted for early-stage tech entrepreneurs as an alternative to immediately qualifying for employment-based visa categories based on personal achievements or investment that do not consider the dynamics of a promising start-up entity in its early stages.

Entrepreneurs applying for parole under the International Entrepreneur Parole program must demonstrate that:

• At the time of adjudication and grant of initial parole they possess at least 10% ownership in a U.S. start-up entity created within the past five years;
• They hold a central and active role in the operations such that their knowledge, skills and experience would assist the start-up entity to grow in the U.S.;
• The start-up entity will provide a significant public benefit to the United States based on their role as an entrepreneur of the start-up entity by showing either:
o Significant capital investment (currently at least $264,147) from “qualified” U.S. investors with established track records (e.g. venture capital funds, angel investors or start-up accelerators);
o Significant government grants (currently at least $105,659) from U.S. federal, state or local government entities with expertise in economic development, research and development, or job creation; OR
o Additional reliable and compelling evidence that the entrepreneur would provide significant public benefit to the U.S. and would create jobs (e.g. applicant’s academic background and experience developing successful ventures, patents for promising technology and/or cutting edge research in areas of national benefit, the performance and impact of the start-up entity etc.)

Via Drummond Advisors

Learn more

Brazil Government Appoints Rodolfo Landim to Chair Petrobras Board

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Brazil’s government has appointed former Petrobras executive Rodolfo Landim to chair the state-controlled oil producer’s board, the company said in a filing on Saturday night.

Earlier in the day, Admiral Eduardo Bacellar Leal Ferreira told Reuters he planned to step down as chairman of Petroleo Brasileiro SA , as the Rio de Janeiro firm is formally known.

“Petrobras chairman is a 24-hour job and I want to spend more time with my family,” Ferreira said, adding he has two grown children living outside of Brazil.

Ferreira will stay until the end of his term. A shareholder meeting to renew the company’s board is scheduled for April 13.

The replacement comes as Petrobras faces pressure from investors to raise fuel prices as oil approached $120 per barrel. The company controls gasoline and diesel prices in Brazil with more than 80% of the country’s refining capacity.

Ferreira declined to comment on Petrobras’ fuel price policy.

By Sabrina Valle via Reuters

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The Ukraine Conflict & Related Sanctions: What Is the Impact on Global Workforces?

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The Russian military’s recent invasion of Ukraine, and the related sanctions against Russia have many companies asking:  how does this chaos impact our workforces in those countries?  This broad question is answered below, with the caveat that these answers are subject to change, given the very fluid nature of the situation.

Background

As fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces continues, the United States, United Kingdom, European Union, and a host of other jurisdictions have imposed sanctions against certain Russian corporate entities and individuals, as well as against the Russian state as a whole.  Thousands of global employers, especially those with operations in Russia and Ukraine, are bracing for the inevitable economic impact, as workforces and supply chains are disrupted, just as the region was starting to recover from the crippling effect of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Indeed, it appears that the sanctions have already bitten into the Russian economy, with the S&P lowering its credit rating to “junk” status.

What are the sanctions imposed? 

  • U.S. Sanctions

Financial institutions:  The U.S. Department of the Treasury has targeted the “core infrastructure” of Russia’s financial system, sanctioning multiple financial institutions, including Sberbank, VTB Bank, and their subsidiaries.1  The sanctions against VTB Bank (Russia’s second-largest financial institution) and three other Russian financial institutions freeze any of these entities’ assets touching the U.S. financial system (as well as the assets of any entity owned 50% or more by the sanctioned institutions) and prohibit U.S. persons from dealing with them.  The sanctions against Sberbank, Russia’s largest financial institution, effectively cut off Sberbank’s ability to conduct transactions in the U.S. dollar. The United States is also taking measures to freeze Russian Central Bank transactions and prohibit the bank from deploying its international reserves.

By Lavanga Wijekoon, Stephan Swinkels, Elizabeth Lalik, Raoul Parekh, Darren Isaacs, and Uliana Kozeychuk via Littler

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Brazil trade balance posts biggest February surplus in five years

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Brazil posted a $4 billion trade surplus in February, the strongest performance for the month since 2017, official data showed on Thursday, amid higher volumes and prices of exported goods.

The monthly result topped the median forecast of a $3.55 billion surplus in a Reuters poll of economists, and was more than double the $1.8 billion surplus recorded in the same period a year ago.

According to the Economy Ministry, exports surged 32.6% from February 2021 to $22.9 billion, benefiting from a 22.6% expansion in volumes and a 13.5% increase in prices.

Imports rose 22.9% to $18.9 billion as a 30.9% rise in prices more than compensated for a decline of 2.5% in the volume of goods purchased by Brazil.

Reporting by Marcela Ayres Editing by Chris Reese, Kirsten Donovan via Reuters

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Henrique Meirelles defende a privatização da Caixa

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“O Brasil não precisa de dois grandes bancos públicos federais”, disse o ex-ministro

Em defesa da privatização completa da Caixa, o ex-ministro Henrique Meirelles, responsável por coordenar o plano econômico da candidatura do governador João Doria (PSDB) ao Palácio do Planalto, disse nesta quarta-feira, 2, que o Brasil não precisa de dois grandes bancos públicos federais.

Durante participação em webinar da Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce, Meirelles considerou a venda da Caixa ao capital privado, num processo em que seria transferido ao Banco do Brasil o papel de financiador do programa nacional de habitação, como a melhor solução.

Por Eduardo Laguna (Agência Estado) via Esbrasil

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Vivo e Google Fazem Parceria para Levar Ferramentas Digitais a Escolas

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Com a solução das duas empresas, as escolas públicas e privadas terão maior suporte e ferramentas para se digitalizar

A Vivo Empresas firmou parceria com o Google para criar um pacote de serviços voltado para pequenas e médias instituições de ensino pelo Brasil no setor público e privado. Com a solução em conjunto, as escolas terão maior suporte e ferramentas para se digitalizar.

A transformação digital ao longo da pandemia afetou todos os setores, mas houve perdas ao longo desse processo e alguns tiveram mais dificuldades na adaptação. É o caso para escolas de pequeno e médio porte pelo Brasil.

Entre 2020 e 2021, a rede privada teve queda de 8,8 milhões para 8,1 milhões de matriculados. Enquanto isso, a rede pública teve leve aumento de matrículas chegando a 38,5 milhões de alunos.

Segundo Rodrigo Pimentel, head de Google for Education, a parceria vai ajudar a democratizar o acesso à tecnologia e ajudar as escolas a se adaptar no momento de hibridismo.

Mesmo com a vacinação de crianças e o retorno às aulas presenciais, uma espécie de modelo híbrido também vai acontecer na educação.

Por Luísa Granato via Exame

 

 

Brazil central bank chief says higher interest rates, positive fiscal are supporting FX

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Brazil’s central bank chief Roberto Campos Neto said on Tuesday that higher interest rates to combat double-digit inflation are supporting financial inflows, strengthening the Brazilian currency.

Addressing a conference hosted by investment bank BTG Pactual, he also said positive fiscal figures are helping to attract investment to the country, among other reasons that explain the recent exchange rate behavior.

In the year, the real has already risen more than 10% against the dollar, the best global performance for the period, easing pressures on consumer prices after inflation reached 10.4% in the 12 months through January.

“In the exchange front, I think there are several variables. There is a variable that is the higher interest rate itself, which brings flows because of the interest rate differential,” said Campos Neto.

By Marcela Ayres via Reuters

Read full article here

Shareholders approve Brazil’s Eletrobras privatization -report

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Shareholders of Brazilian state-run power company Eletrobras (ELET6.SA) approved on Tuesday the terms for the privatization of the company, according to a Valor Economico report citing sources.

According to the report, the company’s shareholders approved 12 items at a general meeting, including its privatization.

Brazil’s government expects the privatization to happen through a share offering by mid-2022. Shares would be sold on Brazil’s Bovespa stock market and in the United States as American Depositary Receipts.

Reporting by Peter Frontini; editing by Richard Pullin via Reuters

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Meet our New Member Solstic Advisors

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Established in 2019, Solstic Advisors is an independent company specializing in M&A (Mergers and Acquisitions), Valuation (Company Valuations) and Capital Advisory (fundraising processes for growth).

They help shareholders, entrepreneurs and executives to take better alternatives and decisions of organic and inorganic growth for their companies.

Operating in Brazil and abroad, through a network of global partners, Solstic Advisors has experience in the most varied sectors of the economy, such as Transport and Logistics, Technology, Health, Education, Agribusiness, Commerce and Services and Industry.

Performance:

M&A

• Asset or companies sale
• Acquisitions
• Divestitures
• Mergers

Capital raising

• Structure debt to finance growth
• Credit lines for acquisition

Learn more

Global Entry is now available for Brazilian citizens

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The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced the launch of Global Entry arrangement with the Government of Brazil for Brazilian Citizens. The agreement includes those entering the United States for tourism and certain business purposes.

The application is available through Global Entry website:

Click here to learn how to apply

Global Entry allows an expedited clearance for pre approved, low risk travelers upon arrival at United States airports. Members enter the United States through automatic kiosks at numerous airports located within the U.S. and at Preclearance locations around the world. Brazil now joins a growing list of 13 Global Entry partner countries with full arrangements, including Argentina, Colombia, Germany, India, Mexico, the Netherlands, Panama, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Switzerland, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom. Learn more

Via United Airlines

Itaú salta quase 6% após resultado do 4º tri; assista à análise

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As ações do Itaú (ITUB4) registraram forte alta nesta sexta-feira, 11, após o banco superar as estimativas do mercado em resultado do quarto trimestre e apresentar suas projeções operacionais para este ano. Os papéis do banco chegaram a subir mais de 7% na máxima do dia, e encerraram o pregão com ganhos de 5,91%, liderando as altas do Ibovespa.

A forte valorização das ações do Itaú ocorrem dias após os resultados do Bradesco (BBDC4) e do Santander (SANB11) terem adicionado preocupações sobre o setor. Os papéis fecharam o dia negociados em firme alta, assim como os do Banco do Brasil (BBAS3), que irá reportar seus números na próxima semana.

Por Guilherme Guilherme via Exame invest

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Apesar de aversão ao risco no exterior, Ibovespa encerra com ganhos e dólar cai

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Principal índice da B3 subiu 0,29%, aos 113.899,19 pontos, enquanto a moeda norte-americana desvalorizou 0,44%, a R$ 5,219, no menor valor desde setembro

O Ibovespa teve ganhos de 0,29%, aos 113.899,19 pontos, nesta segunda-feira (14). Esse é o quinto avanço consecutivo, enquanto o índice resiste ao clima de aversão ao risco que tomou conta dos mercados globais em meio às tensões geopolíticas.

A bolsa operou estável ao longo do dia após um acirramento das tensões na Ucrânia na última sexta-feira (11), com os Estados Unidos afirmando que a Rússia já reuniu tropas suficientes para invadir o país.

O dólar também foi impactado com a notícia de que os Estados Unidos realocaram a embaixada na capital ucraniana para o oeste do país.

A moeda caiu 0,44%, a R$ 5,219 – o menor valor desde 6 de setembro do ano passado (R$ 5,176), com o real entre as divisas globais de melhor desempenho no dia, ainda embalado pelo atrativo juro oferecido pelo Brasil.

João Pedro Malar do CNN Brasil Business em São Paulo com informações de Priscila Yazbek e da Reuters

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No. 74 of BMA Review presents our professional analysis about current matters that can be related to your business.

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Click here to read the new issue or check out all BMA Review’s articles below. If you’re interested in any of them, click on the titles to read the whole content.

Have a nice reading!

ENVIRONMENTAL AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Park concessions in Brazil: States take the lead

By Ana Cândida de Mello Carvalho, Beatriz Paulo de Frontin and Débora Signorelli Carvalho

The main challenge is drafting strong, clear concession contracts that make an appropriate allocation of risks and responsibilities between the parties and provide the legal certainty needed to attract private investment.

INFRASTRUCTURE AND REGULATORY & GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS

The impacts of the reform of the Administrative Improbity Law

By Plínio Simões Barbosa and José Guilherme Berman

The reform of Brazil’s Administrative Improbity Law, in October 2021, is an opportunity to streamline the application of penalties on companies involved in illegal conduct involving the public administration. The changes have a direct impact on businesses that have contracts with the government.

TAX

A new position on assessment penalties in tax cases dealing with goodwill?

By Vivian Casanova and Carolina Carvalho de Andrade

The mere absence of a business purpose for a corporate transaction, without any allegation of illegality in the goodwill itself, does not constitute fraud for the purposes of the doubled assessment penalty.

LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT

Court-awarded attorneys’ fees in the Labor Courts

By Cibelle Linero and Cristiana Fernandes Barros

At the end of October 2021, Brazil’s constitutional court struck down provisions of the Consolidation of Labor Laws dealing with payment of expert witness fees and court-awarded attorneys’ fees by unsuccessful claimants who are entitled to free access to the courts.

CORPORATE AND M&A

CVM Resolution 44 and the new presumptions on inside trading

By Fernanda Pereira Carneiro, Ana Luiza Guimarães Mendonça and Bruno Massena.

The main changes introduced by Resolution 44 involve presumptions on the use, access to, and knowledge of the importance of inside information, along with prohibitions against insider trading prior to the disclosure of financial information.

BMA Review

BTG capta R$ 1,5 bilhão para projetos sociais e ambientais

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Banco completa a primeira rodada do Programa de Captação Sustentável, lançado em novembro do ano passado

O banco BTG Pactual, do mesmo grupo que controla a EXAME, concluiu sua primeira captação em depósitos sustentáveis. O total captado por de R$ 1,5 bilhão. Os recursos serão destinados a projetos com benefícios sociais e ambientais. “Esta primeira captação é um marco em nossa história e a primeira de muitas”, disse Roberto Sallouti, CEO da instituição financeira. “Iniciativas de ESG e de impacto não são mais escolhas, são compromissos que todas as companhias e a sociedade precisam assumir.”

Mais de 20 empresas participaram da captação como primeiros parceiros da iniciativa, entre elas Ambipar Group, Armac, Casa dos Ventos, Cogna Educação, Comerc Energia, Cosan, Cruzeiro do Sul Educacional, Echoenergia, Eurofarma, Globo, GPA, Grupo Energisa, Klabin, Light, Neoenergia, Porto Itapoá, Raízen, Rede D’Or, Rumo, Simpar, State Grid e WEG.

A operação é parte do Programa de Captação Sustentável, lançado pelo banco em novembro do ano passado. É a primeira iniciativa do tipo na América Latina e faz parte da estrutura criada para dívidas sustentáveis, que podem ser emitidas pela instituição para fomentar setores como energia renovável, eficiência energética, saneamento, transporte limpo, edifícios sustentáveis, habitação e infraestrutura básica acessíveis, manejo sustentável e agricultura de baixo carbono, transmissão de energia, controle da poluição e eficiência dos recursos e financiamento a pequenas e médias empresas.

Por Rodrigo Caetano via Exame invest

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Meet our New Member United Airlines

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Connecting People. Uniting the World.

United has the most comprehensive route network among North American carriers, including U.S. mainland hubs in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York/Newark, San Francisco and Washington, D.C.

United Airlines is more committed than ever to creating a more diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace, airline and world where we all thrive, besides pledging to be 100% green by reducing greenhouse gas emissions 100% by 2050 in its commitment in contributing to fight climate change.

United is proudly connecting the United States and Brazil for 30 years, currently operating daily nonstop flights from Sao Paulo to New York (Newark), Houston, Chicago and 3 weekly frequencies to Washington D.C. and from Rio de Janeiro to Houston daily.

Learn more.

Future of Health

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How to transform BioPharma for the upcoming LIFEcare system

In the past years, healthcare systems and the pharmaceutical industry have undergone tremendous changes given technological, regulatory and socioeconomic disruptions. Covid-19 has further intensified and catalyzed these changes in healthcare systems and healthcare delivery. Among others, regulators paved the way for more dynamic and faster decision-making, approved novel technologies including digital health solutions and created new reimbursement pathways. In parallel, medical and biological research has made breakthroughs with emerging technologies including in-silico protein folding prediction, novel cell therapies and other treatment platforms. With those trends materializing, borders between industries continue to blur. This convergence of healthcare, technology and retail and consumer industries will lead to what we call the LIFEcare system. The critical question for each player in that new normal will be: Are you prepared and what’s your right to be successful in this changing future?

Our 2021 global Future of Health study, based on interviews with and survey responses from 150 senior healthcare executives, confirms our belief that this acceleration has only just begun. Over the next decade, the transformation of healthcare will in turn shape the road to success for BioPharma companies in an unprecedented way.

Based on the survey findings and our engagement with clients and partners, we expect the emergence of what we call the LIFEcare system, characterized by a convergence of wellcare and disease care systems. Overall, more than 75% of healthcare executives agree that LIFEcare systems will be widespread by 2035, especially in cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, oncology and neurology.

This adjustment will involve significant disruption of the BioPharma value chain. At the same time, we forecast that the creation of new opportunities in areas such as preventative care and personalized nutrition will lead to a two to threefold increase in the global wellcare, creating a total value pool of 2.8 to 3.5 trillion USD by 2030.

By PwC 

Read full article here.

Brazil plans to unleash $707 mln in fresh agriculture subsidies

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Brazil’s government plans to unveil 3.7 billion reais ($706.73 million) in fresh agriculture subsidies after its initial allocation for the sector ran out amid sharp interest rate hikes, according to a source involved in the plan.

The source, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said the government will soon sign an executive order announcing 800 million reais that will be allocated as credit to climate-affected producers in the south of the country, as well as farmers in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul.

Another 2.9 billion reais will be earmarked for subsidized loans to producers after the Treasury announced the suspension of these operations this week.

However, the funds for the subsidized loans are reliant on a bill that has yet to be sent to Congress, said the source, adding that the government is still studying what it can cut from this year’s budget to accommodate the new spending.

By Marcela Ayres via Reuters

Read full article here.

Rubens Ometto: saiba o que pensa o bilionário do agro

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Fundador líder e presidente do conselho do Grupo Cosan fala do futuro do agronegócio brasileiro, do meio ambiente e das 40 mil pessoas que ele “carrega junto”.

A lista de bilionários brasileiros da Forbes, publicada no ano passado, traz 40 nomes ligados ao agronegócio, do total de 315 listados em todos os setores da economia. Entre eles está Ometto, um dos principais nomes do agronegócio brasileiro. Em 2020, a Cosan, um conglomerado que reúne Raízen e Rumo (duas companhias totalmente identificadas com o agro) e mais a Moove, a Compass e a Trizy, faturou R$ 68,6 bilhões.

A Raízen, que nasceu em 2011 como uma joint venture com a norte-americana Shell, faturou no ano passado R$ 120,6 bilhões. A companhia é uma das mais modernas do mundo na produção de etanol de primeira e de segunda geração (produzido a partir da palha, a biomassa que seria descartada no campo), mais biogás, bioenergia e hidrogênio verde a partir dos resíduos do biogás, que por sua vez é gerado pelos resíduos do etanol de segunda geração.

Por Vera Ondei via Forbes

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BTG Pactual Compra Carteira de Varejo da Planner Investimentos

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O BTG Pactual fechou a aquisição da carteira de varejo da Planner Investimentos, que assim deixa de atuar na corretagem e assessoria de investimentos para a pessoa física.

A transação não envolve o CNPJ da corretora, que prosseguirá atuando no atendimento ao público institucional, em serviços como administração fiduciária, fundos, câmbio e operações estruturadas.

Desde que lançou o projeto do BTG Pactual Digital, em 2017, o banco já fez mais de uma dezena de aquisições, movimento que incluiu nomes da velha guarda, como Ourinvest, Necton e Fator, e também novatas como a dobradinha Empiricus/Vitreo, além de participações em corretoras nascentes com escritórios de agentes autônomos vindos da rede XP – caso de EQI, Lifetime, Arton Advisors e Acqua Vero. Tudo para ampliar a sua capacidade de distribuição.

A saída da Planner do segmento de varejo deixa para trás mais um nome tradicional do mercado de valores mobiliários no Brasil. Souza Barros, Magliano, Spinelli e Concórdia (que se juntaram para formar a Necton) não conseguiram investir em tecnologia a contento para fazer frente à concorrência das plataformas que nasceram digitais.

Por Adriana Cotias, Valor

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Becker Glynn Wins $11.5 million judgment for Brazilian Telecommunications Company

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The Firm secured an $11.5 million judgment for the Delaware holding company of a Brazilian telecommunications company. Earlier in the case the New York court found the defendant liable for failing to make a multimillion-dollar investment. The case was scheduled for a damages trial. But when the COVID crisis postponed the trial, and the defendant resisted proceeding remotely, litigation partners Zeb Landsman and Jesse Conan devised a creative legal solution and asked the court to award damages in the amount of $7.5 million, without a trial, based on certain undisputed facts. The court agreed, assessed the damages submissions by the parties, and ruled the client was entitled to $7,499,900, plus interest.

Via Becker Glynn

Read full article here.

Brazilian bank BTG Pactual announces $177 mln share buyback program

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SAO PAULO, Jan 11 (Reuters) – Brazilian investment bank BTG Pactual BPAC11.SA announced on Tuesday a new share buyback program, under which it expects to repurchase up to 1 billion reais ($176.58 million) in stocks within 18 months.

BTG Pactual said in a securities filing it aims to use its cash in an efficient way with the buyback plan, looking to “maximize the company’s capital allocation”. The repurchased units will be kept in treasury, it added.

Brazilian investment bank BTG Pactual BPAC11.SA announced on Tuesday a new share buyback program, under which it expects to repurchase up to 1 billion reais ($176.58 million) in stocks within 18 months.

BTG Pactual said in a securities filing it aims to use its cash in an efficient way with the buyback plan, looking to “maximize the company’s capital allocation”. The repurchased units will be kept in treasury, it added.

Reporting by Gabriel Araujo, Editing by Louise Heavens – Reuters / Nasdaq

Read full article here.

Elizabeth Bagley Nominated as next U.S. Ambassador to Brazil

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President Biden Announces Nominees for Ambassadors and Key Roles

President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate the following leaders to serve as key leaders in his administration:

  • Elizabeth Bagley, Nominee for Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Federative Republic of Brazil
  • Jane Hartley, Nominee for Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
  • Alexander Laskaris, Nominee for Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Chad
  • Alan Leventhal, Nominee for Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Kingdom of Denmark
  • Kathryn Huff, Nominee for Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy, Department of Energy
  • Deborah Coen, Nominee for Member of the National Council on the Humanities
  • William Brodsky, Nominee for Member of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation

Elizabeth Bagley, Nominee for Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Federative Republic of Brazil

Elizabeth Bagley has worked in diplomacy and the law for over four decades. Her diplomatic experience includes service as Senior Advisor to Secretaries of State John Kerry, Hillary Clinton, and Madeline Albright. She has also served as Special Representative to the United Nations General Assembly, Special Representative for Global Partnerships, and United States Ambassador to Portugal.

Bagley is currently the owner and Board member of SBI., a cellular communications company in Show Low, AZ. Previously, Bagley served as Of Counsel to Manatt, Phelps law firm in Washington, D.C., specializing in international law. She also worked as Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University Law Center and as Associate Producer for ABC News in Paris, France and Washington, DC. Earlier in her career, Bagley served in the State Department as congressional liaison for the Panama Canal Treaties, Special Assistant for the Camp David Accords and Congressional liaison to the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (Helsinki Accords) in Madrid, Spain. Bagley earned a B.A. at Regis College, Weston, Massachusetts, and a J.D. at Georgetown University Law Center.

She is the recipient of numerous honors, including the Secretary of State’s Distinguished Honor Award, the Meridian International Public Diplomacy Award and the Grand Cross of Prince Henry the Navigator, Portugal’s highest civilian honor.

Via The White House

Read full article here.

Inaugural Social Bond Offering by Banco do Brasil

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Shearman & Sterling advised Banco do Brasil, acting through its Grand Cayman Branch, in connection with the offering of an aggregate principal amount of US$500 million 4.875 percent social bonds due 2029 issued under its Euro Medium Term Note Program.

Banco do Brasil’s Sustainable Financing Framework aligns with the International Capital Markets Association’s 2021 Green Bond Principles, 2021 Social Bonds Principles and 2021 Sustainability Bonds Guidelines, among other principles. Banco do Brasil intends to allocate an amount equal to the net proceeds from the issuance of the social bonds to finance or refinance existing or future social projects, including affordable housing, SME finance and microfinance, socioeconomic advancement and empowerment and access to essential services.

This transaction represents the continuation of the Firm’s long-standing relationship advising in connection with debt and equity securities offerings by Banco do Brasil.

Via Shearman & Sterling

Read full article here.

Fintech and Insurtech Innovation in Brazil Set to Take Off on Regulatory Tailwinds

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Startups and VCs see opportunities in open banking, finance and insurance

Brazilian instant payment system Pix ended 2021 having powered more than 8 billion transactions, according to statistics from the country’s Central Bank. This is quite an impressive figure for an offering only launched in November 2020 and goes to show how ubiquitous Pix has become in the country.

You could describe Pix as “a government-built version of Venmo,” as João Pedro Thompson, founder of fintech Z1, told TechCrunch. However, the analogy doesn’t fully capture the fact that Pix appeals to many more than just digitally savvy teenagers repaying friends for coffee. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be used by six of 10 Brazilians.

In a country where many people are still unbanked and queuing to pay bills is part of daily life, the impact of being able to pay anyone instantly can’t be understated. In addition, Pix now supports more services, such as letting you withdraw cash from businesses.

It’s interesting that Pix is an institutional initiative, part of a wider range of public efforts to transform Brazil’s financial landscape. “The Central Bank has been doing a tremendous job and Pix is one of the most relevant structural changes,” Brazilian VC Bruno Yoshimura told TechCrunch when we wrote about Latin America’s fintech boom.

By Anna Heim via TechCrunch

Read full article here.

This Brazilian Billionaire Should Be Your Role Model for Corporate Activism

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Luiza Helena Trajano, high-profile leader of Brazilian commerce giant Magazine Luiza, epitomizes how successful entrepreneurs can be great social activists.

Super-rich entrepreneurs love to explore brash endeavors outside the mainstream of their business—say, the high-profile space race between Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk, or Larry Ellison’s obsession with the America’s Cup. But it remains genuinely rare, and worthy of attention, when a billionaire entrepreneur takes a hard look at the society around their business and commits to brash endeavors to challenge inequality, racism, and the crisis fueled by COVID-19.

That’s precisely what’s happening in Brazil, where Luiza Helena Trajano, the longtime leader of one of the country’s most celebrated companies, is generating headlines for her outsized commitments to social justice and public health. Trajano is the high-profile face of a giant electronics-and-appliance retailer named Magazine Luiza (in Portuguese, a “magazine” is a small store that sells a wide range of merchandise). Trajano’s company has become a legendary growth story whose 1,400 stores transformed retailing in Brazil, made her a billionaire, and turned a 70-year-old, 4-foot-nine-inch woman into a homespun business celebrity.

By Bill Taylor via Fast Company

Read full article here.

Meet our New Member REDD Intelligence

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REDD is a leading provider of proprietary news on emerging market, event driven special situations. They deliver forward looking news and analytics on over 1,500 companies across the globe through an online platform and suite of mobile applications.

REDD’s recognized team of journalists and analysts report on material and impactful trading catalysts, allowing bankers, asset managers and advisors to capitalize on opportunities relevant to their unique needs.

Learn more here.

Tecnologia pelo Planeta: app “NHAM” leva agricultura familiar à merenda escolar em Sergipe

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O Instituto de Pesquisas em Tecnologia e Inovação (IPTI) utiliza dados e inteligência artificial para promover agricultura local e melhorar índices nutricionais de escolas

Quando o assunto são as tecnologias sociais, o Brasil tem um potencial imenso a explorar. Com uma criatividade invejável, pesquisadores têm construído pontes entre os setores público, privado e comunidades mais vulneráveis. É este o caso da NHAM, iniciativa que busca promover a agricultura familiar e combater as altas taxas de anemia nas crianças e adolescentes da rede pública de ensino em Santa Luzia do Itanhy, em Sergipe, um dos municípios com um dos menores Índices de Desenvolvimento Humano (IDH) do Brasil.

Quem está por trás dessa investida é o Instituto de Pesquisas em Tecnologia e Inovação (IPTI), que trabalha desde 2003 na promoção de tecnologias sociais nas áreas de educação básica, educação empreendedora e saúde básica, apoiados no que denominam The Human Project, um modelo de desenvolvimento pautado na educação, cultura, inovação e tecnologia.

“Foi em 2010 que decidimos sair de São Paulo e levar o nosso centro de pesquisa e de desenvolvimento para Santa Luzia do Itanhy, em Sergipe, uma região de extrema pobreza para que pudéssemos desenvolver tecnologias sociais que atendam às demandas da maioria dos municípios brasileiros e também de comunidades de outros países da América Latina e África”, afirma Saulo Barretto, cofundador do IPTI e responsável pelas atividades de relacionamento institucional e de novos negócios.

Por Nicole Wey Gasparini, do Um Só Planeta

 

JPMorgan’s Marko Kolanovic Says It’s Time to Buy the Dip in Stocks

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JPMorgan Chase & Co. strategists led by Marko Kolanovic say it’s time to start buying the dip in the U.S. stock market.

“The pullback in risk assets in reaction to the Fed minutes is arguably overdone,” Kolanovic wrote in a note to clients Monday. “Policy tightening is likely to be gradual and at a pace that risk assets should be able to handle, and is occurring in an environment of strong cyclical recovery.”

Stocks have tumbled, sending the S&P 500 to the worst start of a year since 2016. Richly valued technology shares have borne the brunt of the selling as traders ratcheted up their expectations for rate hikes from the Federal Reserve.

ByLu Wang via Bloomberg

Read full article here.

Billionaire’s Star Rises as She Takes Bold Stance on Racism in Brazil

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SÃO PAULO, Brazil — It was a casual conversation that led Luiza Trajano, one of Brazil’s wealthiest women, to ponder her country’s racism, to recognize her part in it — and to do something about it.

A few years back, she said, she had heard a young, accomplished Black businesswoman mention that she never attended happy hours with colleagues unless her boss explicitly asked her to join. Years of feeling the rejection that many Black Brazilians experience in predominantly white settings had taught her to seek clear invitations, the woman explained.

Ms. Trajano, who is white, felt a pang of sadness. Then an uncomfortable thought crossed her mind.

“At my birthday parties, there aren’t any Black women,” Ms. Trajano remembered thinking. “That’s structural racism that, in my case, is not born out of rejection, but out of failing to seek them out.”

That moment of introspection for Ms. Trajano, who had turned a small family business into a retail behemoth, helped plant the seeds for a bold corporate affirmative action initiative, which has drawn praise, outrage and plenty of soul searching in Brazil.

By Ernesto Londoño via The New York Times 

Read full article here.

Brazil’s Petrobras to start testing renewable diesel with customers in January

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Brazil’s state-run oil company Petrobras (PETR4.SA) will start testing new renewable diesel based on co-processed edible oils with customers in January, while awaiting regulatory approval to sell it commercially, the company’s refining director told Reuters.

The tests are expected to take about six months and will be backed by a fuel distributor and a bus fleet owner, whose names are yet to be revealed, Petrobras’ refining director, Rodrigo Costa, said.

The oil giant had successfully tested the renewable diesel production system at its Repar refinery in mid-2020, but it sees the new testing phase as important in confirming its effectiveness.

Repar is currently capable of producing 114,000 tonnes per year of renewable fuel based on co-processed soybean oil.

Reporting by Marta Nogueira in Rio de Janeiro Writing by Gabriel Araujo Editing by Matthew Lewis via Reuters

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Brazil’s BNDES postpones public hearing on Eletrobras privatization to January

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Brazilian state-run power company Eletrobras (ELET6.SA) said on Monday that a public hearing to be held by state development bank BNDES on its privatization process has been postponed to Jan. 5 from Dec. 22.

Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras SA, as the company is formally known, did not provide details on the delay. The Brazilian government expects to privatize the company by the second quarter of 2022, according to Mining and Energy Minister Bento Alburquerque.

Reporting by Gabriel Araujo. Editing by Jane Merriman via Reuters

See original article here.

Vax Up, Speak Up, or Stay Home: New York City Issues New Guidance on Vaccination Mandates for Private Workplaces and the Key to NYC Pass

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As previously reported, New York City’s vaccination mandate for private employers goes into effect on December 27, 2021. This measure, issued as an order from the New York City health commissioner in response to a public health emergency, mandates that all private employers require proof of vaccination from all workers entering the workplace. On December 15, 2021, New York City published its guidance on the mandate as well as Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). Separately, Mayor de Blasio issued a revised emergency order expanding the Key to NYC Pass for covered businesses to require employees and patrons, including children five years old and up, to be vaccinated to enter these indoor establishments. All this comes on the heels of New York State’s December 13, 2021 mask order, which requires that individuals wear masks in all indoor public places unless there is proof of vaccination as a condition of entry. This insight summarizes the takeaways for employers operating in NYC.

Private Employer Update

Step One: Understand the Mandate.

Businesses may not allow any unvaccinated workers to enter the workplace after December 27, 2021 for the duration of the mandate, unless a reasonable accommodation has been made. A “workplace” is “any location — including a vehicle — where you work in the presence of at least one other person.”

Importantly, the new mandate does not apply to workplaces already covered by other federal, state or local mandates, including the Key to NYC Pass, discussed separately below, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) mandate.1

Step Two: Verify & Record Vaccination Status of Employees.

Employers are expected to verify and document the vaccination status of all workers who regularly enter the workplace by December 27, 2021.2 There are three ways to do this:

  1. A worker’s record can be a copy of their proof of vaccination or a record of a reasonable accommodation with supporting documentation.
  2. Businesses can create their own paper or electronic record that includes the following information for each worker:
    1. Worker’s name
    2. Whether the worker is fully vaccinated
    3. For workers who submitted proof of the first dose of a two-dose vaccine, the date by which they must provide proof of a second dose (no later than 45 days after submitting proof of the first dose)
    4. Record of reasonable accommodation with supporting documentation
  3. Businesses may check each worker’s proof of vaccination before they enter the workplace each day. They must keep a record of each verification.

By Devjani Mishra, Mark Phillis, Lisa Griffith, Daniel Gomez-Sanchez, Emily Haigh, and Sanjay Nair via Littler

Read full article here.

Who’s Who Legal recognizes Mattos Filho as Brazilian Law Firm of the Year for the third consecutive time

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We are very pleased to announce that Mattos Filho has been recognized as Law Firm of the Year in Brazil by Who’s Who Legal for the third consecutive year.

As one of the most important guides in the international legal market, each year Who’s Who Legal conducts extensive research on the performance of law firms and legal practitioners throughout the world to determine the winners in each category. More information about this year’s awards can be found here.

We believe this result is directly due to our multidisciplinary approach to outstanding service. It reinforces our commitment to making clients central to our decision-making, anticipating trends and presenting tailor-made legal solutions.

We would like to thank and congratulate our professionals, whose dedication and active support have contributed to this important achievement.

Governo Brasileiro Publica Novas Portarias Relacionadas a Procedimentos de Investigações de Defesa Comercial

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A Secretaria de Comércio Exterior, do Ministério da Economia, publicou quatro novas Portarias relacionadas a procedimentos de investigações de defesa comercial, principalmente investigações antidumping. As Portarias disciplinam práticas já adotadas pela Subsecretaria de Defesa Comercial e Interesse Público e determinam critérios para a utilização de disposições previstas de forma não detalhada no Decreto nº 8.0858/2013.

​Em 29 de novembro de 2021, a Secretaria de Comércio Exterior (SECEX), do Ministério da Economia (ME), publicou quatro novas Portarias relacionadas a procedimentos de investigações de defesa comercial, principalmente investigações antidumping (AD). As Portarias disciplinam práticas já adotadas pela Subsecretaria de Defesa Comercial e Interesse Público (SDCOM) e determinam critérios para a utilização de disposições previstas de forma não detalhada no Decreto nº 8.0858/2013.

Via Veirano Advogados

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Santander to invest $6 bln in digital transformation in Latin America

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Spain’s Santander (SAN.MC) will invest around $6 billion between 2022 and 2024 to promote digital transformation of its Latin American operations, the bank said in a statement on Wednesday.

Santander’s diversification overseas, especially in Latin America, has helped the bank cope with tough conditions for lenders in Europe in the years since the financial crisis.

It hopes that expanding in emerging economies will help it deliver faster growth than its core markets in Europe of Spain and Britain.

Santander has previously said it invests around $5.6 billion in technology per year as a group.

Reporting by Jesús Aguado; editing by Andrei Khalip via Reuters

Read full article here.

AmEx, fintech startup expand ‘credit passport’ to Brazilian immigrants

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American Express and a San Francisco-based fintech startup are offering tens of thousands of Brazilians in Massachusetts a chance to use their credit histories from their native country to build their credit in the U.S.

American Express and Nova Credit announced Tuesday the opening of eligibility for their “credit passport” to Brazil, as well as the Dominican Republic, Kenya and Nigeria. That’s in addition to Australia, Canada, India, Mexico and the United Kingdom and other countries added in the two years the companies have worked together.

“In a nutshell, we can take an immigrant who would have otherwise been rejected because they don’t have a US credit file and we’re able to get them approved and access their journey of building their own U.S. credit file,” said Misha Esipov, co-founder and CEO of Nova Credit.

By Steph Solis  –  Digital Editor, Boston Business Journal

Read full article here.

Global Digital Trust Insights Survey 2022

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Simplificar para reduzir riscos cibernéticos

As conexões digitais se multiplicam e formam teias cada vez mais emaranhadas de novas tecnologias. Isso faz com que os processos necessários para gerenciar e manter toda essa rede – inclusive a segurança cibernética – também se tornem mais e mais complicados.

Alguma complexidade é necessária e até desejável no atual contexto. Por exemplo, ter um telefone capaz de fazer muito mais do que chamadas simplifica a nossa vida, pois permite carregar vários dispositivos no bolso – gravador de voz, câmera, calendário, relógio, TV, uma biblioteca inteira de livros, entre outros.

Mas há uma complexidade desnecessária, nociva, e os altos executivos já perceberam isso. Para 77% dos líderes brasileiros que participaram da nossa pesquisa Digital Trust Insights 2022 (75% no mundo), as organizações se tornaram complexas demais para serem protegidas. Membros da diretoria, do conselho e líderes de TI e segurança estão preocupados que essa dificuldade desnecessária e evitável exponha suas organizações a riscos cibernéticos e de privacidade.

A PwC Research, o centro de excelência global da PwC para insights e pesquisas de mercado, conduziu a pesquisa Global Digital Trust Insights, antes conhecida como Global State of Information Security Survey (GSISS).

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Nubank debuts with $52 bln market cap, becomes Brazil’s third most valuable public firm

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Digital lender Nubank’s (NU.N) shares opened 25% above the offer price in their stock market debut on Thursday, giving the company a market capitalization of nearly $52 billion, making it the third most valuable listed firm in Brazil.

At that valuation, the Sao Paulo-based fintech, backed by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc (BRKa.N), is only behind commodities players Petrobras (PETR4.SA) and Vale (VALE3.SA).

On Wednesday, Nubank priced its initial public offering at the top end of a range it had lowered earlier due to concerns over a global rout in technology stocks, to raise nearly $2.6 billion. The offer was eight times oversubscribed, one source with knowledge of the matter said.

The flotation comes as a record year for U.S. listings, which saw heavyweights like Coinbase (COIN.O) and Robinhood (HOOD.O) go public, draws to a close.

Reporting by Niket Nishant in Bengaluru, Carolina Mandl and Tatiana Bautzer in Sao Paulo, Echo Wang in Taos, New Mexico, Krystal Hu and David French in New York; Editing by Krishna Chandra Eluri and Shailesh Kuber via Reuters

Brazil will have sold off dozens of airports by end of 2022, government says

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Brazil is auctioning airports in what the government describes as a bid to raise investments and modernize infrastructure.

Sixteen airports will be auctioned — including Congonhas in São Paulo, and Santos Dumont in Rio de Janeiro — by the end of 2022, the government said in a tweet Wednesday.
They add to the 34 airports already auctioned by Brazil since 2019, which raised around 34 billion Brazilian real (US$ 6 billion), the government said.
“It is strategic for Brazil to transfer control of airports to the private sector in order to increase investments and the quality of services,” it added.

By Hande Atay Alam, CNN

PicPay wants to become Brazil’s superapp and attract WhatsApp conversations

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Born as a financial application to facilitate banking transactions, PicPay is becoming a “super app”, a solution that integrates several services in one place. According to Luiz Fernando Diniz, head of Social at the startup, the company wants to embrace more and more functions, especially from social networks, and be the home of interactions on other platforms, such as WhatsApp.

In an interview with TecMundo, the company executive made it clear that it aims to be a “Brazilian WeChat”. The Chinese app is known for encompassing payment services, marketplace, and social functions, all in just one app.

By The Rio Times

Read full article here.

Brazil emerges from Covid ‘nightmare’ through vaccination blitz

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After suffering one of the world’s worst Covid-19 disasters, Brazil is staging a turnround with a steep drop in deaths and a mass inoculation campaign as it beefs up its ability to manufacture coronavirus shots.

During a devastating second wave of infections earlier this year, Latin America’s most populous nation was the epicentre of the global outbreak, peaking at more than 4,200 fatalities recorded in a single 24-hour period in April.

But daily deaths from the disease have since fallen to under 200 on a seven-day rolling average, with the rate per 100,000 residents currently below the US, EU and UK.

By Michael Pooler in São Paulo via Financial Times 

Read full article here.

Biden Administration Issues New Executive Order to Restrict International Travel in Response to Omicron Variant of COVID-19

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Between January 25, 2020 and February 29, 2020, the former administration issued three separate executive orders restricting travel from China, South Africa, Brazil, the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the Schengen region of Europe as a measure to reduce the spread of COVID-19. President Biden extended each of these proclamations on January 21, 2021, which remained in place until withdrawn by executive order on October 25, 2021. Under this executive order, all COVID-19 travel bans were lifted effective November 8, 2021, and replaced with mandates for vaccinations and proof of negative COVID-19 testing prior to international travel.

By Jorge Lopez and Sarah Holler via Littler

Read full article here.

Na ONEVC, os anjos que atravessaram o vale da morte com Gympass e Creditas

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Bruno Yoshimura, 2017 POY Fellow and General Partner and Co-Founder at ONEVC

Nem só de grandes cheques vivem as startups. Até chegar a eles, as novatas precisam sobreviver ao vale da morte, que marca os primeiros meses ou anos de vida — uma ajuda financeira nessa fase, portanto, faz bem por merecer o epíteto de anjo.

Por mais de dez anos, um grupo (ou seria uma legião?) composto por Arthur Brennand, Bruno Yoshimura, Alexa Noschese, Eduardo Campos e Rafael Costa se trombou no ecossistema, entre um investimento anjo e outro, o que incluiu unicórnios como Gympass, Creditas e Quinto Andar, com um portfólio de mais de 70 investimentos.

Das conversas que mantinham, o quinteto chegou à conclusão de que, unidos, poderiam preencher um gap. Assim surgia a ONEVC, gestora de venture capital que se especializou em seed money.

Por Luiza Ferraz via Valor Economico.

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Biden mantém comando do BC dos EUA: entenda o que isso significa para a economia

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Alta da inflação influenciou a decisão do presidente de continuidade em política monetária, segundo analistas

Ao escolher manter Jerome Powell em seu cargo, Joe Biden provou que aprendeu uma lição valiosa com o ex-presidente Barack Obama sobre a importância da continuidade ante o partidarismo durante tempos econômicos desafiadores.

O atual presidente do Federal Reserve, o banco central dos Estados Unidos, foi indicado para o cargo pelo ex-presidente Donald Trump em 2017.

Assim como Obama manteve Ben Bernanke no cargo após a Grande Recessão de 2008, apesar de ter sido indicado pelo republicano George W. Bush, Biden reconheceu que faz sentido manter Powell para que ele possa continuar no comando da recuperação pós-Covid.

Por Paul R. La Monica via CNN Business

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Investimentos e Parcerias Fazem do Ceará Pioneiro em Hidrogênio Verde

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O estado aposta na formação de um ecossistema de desenvolvimento do combustível do futuro, debatido em um seminário internacional online e gratuito.

“Acredito que um dia a água será usada como combustível, que o hidrogênio e o oxigênio que a constituem, usados de forma isolada ou simultânea, oferecerão uma fonte inesgotável de calor e luz a uma intensidade superior à do carvão mineral”.

Em mais de uma ocasião, a previsão do escritor Júlio Verne, publicada em 1875 no romance A Ilha Misteriosa, foi citada no Centro de Eventos do Ceará na manhã de 14 de outubro. Diante de uma plateia híbrida, composta por participantes presenciais e com transmissão gratuita pela internet, 14 autoridades e especialistas se revezaram no Seminário Internacional Hidrogênio Verde no Ceará.

By Governo do Ceará via Valor Econômico

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Second Circuit Upholds New York’s Vaccination Mandates for Healthcare Workers Without Religious Exemptions

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In a November 4, 2021 opinion, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit upheld New York’s vaccine mandate for healthcare workers, rejecting arguments advanced by healthcare professionals in two different district court cases that the mandate’s failure to provide for religious exemptions violated their religious freedoms and should be enjoined.

As we previously reported, New York State Department of Health’s Public Health and Health Planning Council unanimously approved an emergency regulation requiring vaccination for all covered personnel employed in hospitals, nursing homes, and other identified healthcare entities.1  This mandate took effect on August 26, 2021, and required covered personnel of hospitals and nursing homes to receive their first COVID-19 vaccine by September 27, 2021, while those employed by other covered facilities had until October 7, 2021 to receive their first dose.2  Under the mandate, covered personnel are persons who, if infected with COVID-19, could potentially expose other covered personnel, patients or residents to the disease.  It should be noted that the mandate, while not providing for a religious exemption, does permit a medical exemption, as discussed below.

By Kelly C. Spina, Terri M. Solomon, and Lisa M. Griffith via Littler.

Read full article here.

Banco do Brasil beats profit estimates and lifts 2021 outlook

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Brazilian state-controlled lender Banco do Brasil SA on Monday beat analysts’ estimates for third quarter profit and said it is likely to post a full-year net income higher than it had previously forecast.

The bank sees its recurring net income, which excludes one-off items, at up to 21 billion reais ($3.81 billion), or 1 billion reais higher than before, as its loan book is poised to expand faster.

Recurring net income came in at 5.139 billion reais, up 47.6% from the same period a year earlier, and above an analysts estimate compiled by Refinitiv of 4.496 billion reais. Its return on equity came in at 14.3%.

Its net interest income, a measure of earnings on loans minus deposit costs, rose 11.9% year-over-year to 15.683 billion reais, driven by lending and trading gains.

By Carolina Mandl/Reuters via Yahoo Finance.

Read full article here.

Legal Insights From Brazil to Start Your Week

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Capital Markets | 5 Key Points For Companies and Founders About IPO Process in Brazil

2021 has been marked by the return of initial public offerings (IPOs) in the Brazilian market, with over 50 transaction until October.

From fintechs to tech and agribusiness companies, there has been a solid return of offerings flow that should remain in 2022.

Below are 5 key points about IPOs that companies and founders typically question:

1. Which Company Size Can Do IPO in Brazil: B3, the Brazilian stock exchange, has 5 listing segments, being Bovespa Mais, Bovespa Mais Level 2, Novo Mercado, Level 2 and Level 1. They cover, like Bovespa Mais, from small and medium-sized companies that wish to access the market gradually, to the Novo Mercado, those that are more consolidated and that have a differentiated corporate governance standard;

2. Pre-IPO Process Phase: at this stage, the company’s Corporate Governance is evaluated and improved, with (i) the creation of board of directors with the participation of independent members; (ii) reform of bylaws; (iii) election of investor relations officer; (iv) contracting an external audit; (v) entering into a shareholders’ agreement; (vi) implementation of executive compensation programs; (vii) creation of integrity policy and code of ethics;

3. The IPO Process: (i) the registration of a publicly-held company with the Brazilian Securities and Exchange Commission (CVM) will be carried out, so that the company is allowed to trade its shares on the stock exchange; (ii) registration of the public offering of shares before the CVM and (iii) listing procedures before B3;

4. Which Investors Will the IPO Focus On? The IPO may have (i) an offer registered in Brazil only, (ii) registered in Brazil with efforts to sell abroad, (iii) an offer with restricted efforts in Brazil and abroad, and (iv) an offer registered in Brazil and abroad;

5. Documentation of the IPO: the legal instruments that involve the public offering of shares are diverse, including (i) the prospectus (in Portuguese and, for an offerings abroad, in English), being the main document of the offering; (ii) Brazilian and international distribution contracts, which deal with the relationship between the company and the institutions coordinating the offering; (iii) corporate acts that approve the offering, the IPO and the listing; and (iv) notice to the market, announcements of opening and closing of the offer; among others.

The items above address doubts that companies and founders, from small to large, have on going public and public offering of shares, a movement that should remain in 2022.
Tax | Interest on Net Equity (“JCP”) Payout in Brazil and Its Deductibility Without Time Restrictions May Become Opportunity for Companies

Brazilian companies that pay Interest on Net Equity (known as “JCP”) to shareholders and stockholders are allowed to deduct the amounts paid from gross income without time limitation, according to a recent ruling rendered by the Brazilian Federal Administrative Tax Court (CARF). It is a very important “overruling” favorable to taxpayers. 

JCP subject to income tax at a flat tax rate of 15% (general rule) or 25% (if the beneficiary is a nonresident company or individual located in a blacklisted jurisdiction – tax heaven). From an objective point of view, the advantage to companies is that that JCP is deductible from Corporate Tax (IRPJ) and Social Contribution on Profits (CSLL) calculation of basis, which combined can reach a rate of 34%. 

Just recently, it has been recognized that the deductibility has no time restrictions because there is no such provision of the law. In a more exact way, the deductibility of JCP from gross income includes interest of previous periods. There are indeed legal requirements and deductibility limits are provided, but they there is no time restriction. 

It is a very favorable decision to taxpayers, especially because it strengthens the principle of tax legality and legal certainty, recognizing that the time limitation established by the Federal Revenue of Brazil (RFB) in order to discipline the matter is a restriction that is not provided by the law and, therefore, it is illegal.  

It is worth noticing that this “overruling” by the Brazilian Federal Administrative Tax Court is related to changes of procedure rules in the administrative proceeding. Everyone responsible for decision-making on behalf of companies, especially in Brazil, must follow legislative changes, including procedure changes, and the administrative and judicial decisions.

Via Feijó Lopes Advogados 

Turn on the Lights: New York Mandates Transparency in Electronic Monitoring

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While employers generally provide some form of notice of electronic monitoring, as a matter of practice, in their employee handbook, New York now requires transparency about workplace monitoring as a matter of law.  On November 8, 2021, New York’s governor signed a bill that amends New York State’s Civil Rights Law to require private employers not only to notify employees of electronic monitoring, but also to obtain their written acknowledgement of the notice.  The amendment will become effective on May 7, 2022.

By Philip Gordon, Joseph Flanagan, and Spencer Soucy via Littler

Read full article here.

Clients Embed ESG Principles into Collateral Management Leveraging BNY Mellon ESG Data Analytics

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NEW YORK, Nov. 15, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Market participants are now able to apply their environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles to the assets they are willing to accept as collateral, utilizing innovative ESG Data Analytics by BNY Mellon.

In a milestone development for the collateral industry, international collateral management clients using BNY Mellon’s electronic collateral schedule manager, RULE, now enjoy the capability to digitally express their ESG preferences by leveraging ESG ratings and indexes. The firm’s US clients are able to take advantage of these same ESG eligibility capabilities by updating their schedules using the current US methodology.

The functionality draws on MSCI ESG Ratings through BNY Mellon’s ESG Data Analytics. These ratings assign ESG scores to securities under three distinct pillars: an environmental score, a social score and a governance score. These three scores are then adjusted and aggregated into a final ESG letter rating, from AAA to CCC.

The ESG Data Analytics incorporate these MSCI ESG Ratings into clients’ collateral eligibility decisions via the schedule manager. In practice, this means collateral receivers and providers can agree that only securities with a certain ESG rating are acceptable as collateral.

“Rolling out this capability takes RULE, a proven technology that has already transformed the process of negotiating collateral schedules, and expands it into a very crucial and topical area of focus for the industry,” says Brian Ruane, CEO of Government Securities Clearing Corp., Clearance & Collateral Management and Credit Services at BNY Mellon. “Now, through the incorporation of capabilities from ESG Data Analytics, a client can bring their ESG priorities into negotiations around acceptable collateral, adding an entirely new dimension of utility to the platform.”

MSCI ESG Ratings represent just the first input into BNY Mellon’s ESG collateral management capabilities in what will be an iterative process of further honing the sophistication of the Data Analytics’ patent-pending ESG mapper. In future releases, BNY Mellon expects to add supplementary ESG data to clients’ ability to express their ESG preferences, making the offering even more responsive to their environmental, social and governance goals.

Launched in 2019, RULE affords collateral providers and receivers the ability to negotiate collateral schedules, establishing which assets each party is willing to accept as collateral in real time. The electronic platform has transformed a time-intensive, labor-intensive, paper-based negotiation that commonly took weeks to complete, reducing the negotiation period to a matter of hours.

BNY Mellon’s ESG Data Analytics helps institutions reach their sustainable investment goals by employing a unique combination of crowdsourcing and data science to enable them to benchmark their ESG principles against their peers. The Data Analytics also help clients customize and monitor portfolios in alignment with their sustainability missions, address demonstrability concerns and support evolving standards for ESG implementation practices.

ABOUT BNY MELLON
BNY Mellon is a global investments company dedicated to helping its clients manage and service their financial assets throughout the investment lifecycle. Whether providing financial services for institutions, corporations or individual investors, BNY Mellon delivers informed investment and wealth management and investment services in 35 countries. As of Sept. 30, 2021, BNY Mellon had $45.3 trillion in assets under custody and/or administration, and $2.3 trillion in assets under management. BNY Mellon can act as a single point of contact for clients looking to create, trade, hold, manage, service, distribute or restructure investments. BNY Mellon is the corporate brand of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation (NYSE: BK). Additional information is available on www.bnymellon.com. Follow us on Twitter @BNYMellon or visit our newsroom at www.bnymellon.com/newsroom for the latest company news.

Contact:

Peter Madigan
peter.madigan@bnymellon.com
+1 212 815 2308

Nina Truman
nina.truman@bnymellon.com
+1 212 815 2006

SOURCE BNY Mellon

New Brazilian Ordinance Restricts Employers’ Use of Vaccination Mandates

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Deviating from recent labor courts’ decisions and Labor Prosecutor’s Office recommendations, on November 1, 2021, Brazil’s Ministry of Labor and Welfare (a body of the Federal Government) issued Ordinance # 620/2021, establishing rules and restrictions relating to the vaccination of employees against COVID-19.

By Renata Neeser, Marilia Minicucci and Pamela Gordo via Littler

Read full article here.

BTG Pactual reports record revenue and net income for the second consecutive quarter, totaling R$3.8bn and R$1.8bn, respectively

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Bank posted strong growth in all business lines, maintaining robust capital and liquidity metrics

BTG Pactual (BPAC11) reported, for the second consecutive quarter, record revenues and net income of R$3.8bn and R$1.8bn, respectively. BTG also posted its second highest Net New Money (NNM) in history of R$88bn, only below Q2´s R$98bn, which included R$12bn from the acquisition of Necton (inorganic NNM reported last quarter). As a result, the amount of Assets under Management and Wealth under Management (AuM/WuM) achieved R$942bn.

“We reported another quarter of record results with strong net inflows, robust capital and liquidity metrics and a high-quality credit portfolio growth. I would like to thank our clients for recognizing the quality of our business, supported by the seven awards granted to us during the quarter”, stated Roberto Sallouti, CEO of BTG Pactual.

Via PR Newswire

Read full article here.

 

New York Dramatically Expands Whistleblower Rights

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New York has historically been known as a bedrock of employment-at-will.  Its legislature and courts were long resistant to permitting exceptions to this doctrine, such as by recognizing public policy “wrongful dismissal” lawsuits outside the statutory prohibitions against discrimination, harassment, and retaliation set forth in the state Human Rights Law.

In recent years, though, New York has significantly expanded legal protections for private-sector employees.  For instance, the #MeToo era led to sex harassment law reforms, and the legislature has expanded discrimination law protections to independent contractors.

New York has now also dramatically expanded protections for private-sector whistleblowers.  New York’s whistleblower law, codified at Section 740 of the Labor Law, had provided narrow whistleblower rights, prohibiting retaliation only against employees who complained of practices that actually constitute a “substantial and specific danger to the public health or safety.”

By Philip Berkowitz and Jeanine Conley Daves via Littler

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Governo Concede Redução Temporária de 10% nas Alíquotas do Imposto de Importação

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Em 5 de novembro de 2021, o Comitê-Executivo De Gestão Da Câmara De Comércio Exterior (GECEX) publicou a Resolução Nº 269, de 4 de novembro de 2021. A medida reduz em 10% as alíquotas ad valorem do Imposto de Importação (II) dos produtos elencadas no Anexo Único da referida Resolução, que incluem produtos finais, insumos e bens intermediários.

O objetivo da Resolução GECEX Nº 269/2021 foi facilitar o combate aos efeitos da pandemia do coronavírus (COVID-19) na economia nacional, como a alta na inflação, o aumento do custo dos fretes e a desvalorização cambial.

A medida é de grande envergadura, abrangendo mais de oito mil linhas tarifárias (ou seja, 87% do universo tarifário).

Serão mantidas as alíquotas vigentes no que diz respeito a produtos sujeitos a regimes especiais no comércio com a Argentina, como é o caso de vestuários, calçados, produtos lácteos, pêssegos, brinquedos, e produtos automotivos (automóveis e autopeças), cujo II original seja superior a 14%.

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Also available in English.

Global Economy Watch: Is High Inflation Back for Good?

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High levels of inflation in most advanced economies (AEs) is starting to make some policymakers, households and some of our clients nervous. The real question is whether this is temporary or something that will last longer? To answer this question, this edition of Global Economy Watch disentangles the inflation dynamics we see in AEs and analyses the arithmetic, demand and supply side drivers.

The arithmetic driver tells us that some of the increase in the inflation rate in the first half of the year is due to ‘base effects’. Shutting down and reopening segments of the economy has led to erratic price changes. These have led to statistical oddities which will gradually fade.

On the demand side, even though the  rebound has been strong in the G7 (the Group of Seven is an inter-governmental political forum consisting of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States), most are  still operating with a significant degree of  slack or an output gap. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimates that this will persist for a few years for all of  the G7 except the United States (US). However, the  employment data suggests that even the US  labour market is operating with significant  slack. On balance, we think that the risk of  demand-pull inflation is low.

Via PwC

Read full article here.

Ransomware – Como Enfrentar Ataques Cibernéticos

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Ataques cibernéticos têm se tornado ubíquos. Crimes digitais não encontram fronteiras e podem ser praticados de qualquer parte do mundo, podendo ter como alvo pessoas ou organizações que estão a milhares de quilômetros de distância da localização dos atacantes.

Enquanto assaltos a bancos de forma física parecem existir cada vez mais so- mente em filmes, todos os dias são disparados ataques a instituições financeiras ao redor do mundo no ambiente digital.

A forte propagação de crimes digitais durante a pandemia de Covid-19 está sendo sentida em diversos países do mundo, e o Brasil não é exceção. Em 2021, o número de ataques cibernéticos promovidos especialmente contra empresas brasileiras, tanto as que atuam somente no país, quanto as que possuem estabe- lecimentos em outros países, vem crescendo vertiginosamente.

Dentre esses ataques, uma das modalidades mais recorrente é o ransomware, prática que envolve o sequestro de dados pelos criminosos e a realização de um pedido de resgate, normalmente em valores financeiros expressivos.

Via BMA Advogados

Ler artigo na íntegra.

Why LatAm’s fintech boom is more than hype and superlative venture investment

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For all the startup markets in the world, fintech in Latin America is one of the hottest. Capital is flowing into the region’s financial technology companies at a slicing pace, leading to a wave of startups that are building private-market value at a simply astounding rate.

The sheer volume of capital flowing into LatAm fintech startups may appear overheated, but several reasons explain why the flood makes sense. This isn’t to say that every deal and every resulting valuation markup is logical. But there are several factors in play that make the booming venture capital totals these companies are raising more reasonable than they might initially appear.

Regulatory tailwinds in select markets are helping build momentum for fintech products. Also, several startups — we’ll speak to Pomelo and Belvo below; Swap is another example — are working to build infrastructure that should help bring more financial services to market.

By Alex Wilhelm, Anna Heim via TechCrunch.

Read full article here.

PwC at COP26: Making the transition to net zero

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Climate change isn’t a challenge for tomorrow, it needs to be tackled now. COP26 is shining a light on climate issues and the extent of change needed.

How can the world go faster to net zero? What innovative tools and solutions have real potential to scale up efforts to reach net zero in time to limit the worst effects of climate change on people and our planet? And what does this mean for business? Throughout COP26, we’ll be exploring some of the big questions facing the world and sharing our insights and perspectives.

By PwC

Learn more here.

COP-26: Força jovem dos brasileiros da ‘geração Greta’ em defesa da pauta climática

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Eduarda Zoghbi | 2019 Person of the Year Fellow

Manifesto dos jovens pela mudança climática será lançado nesta quinta-feira; na sexta-feira haverá a tradicional passeata pelas ruas de Glasgow

LISBOA – O documentário “Uma Verdade Inconveniente”, do americano Al Gore, mudou a vida da brasileira Eduarda Zoghbi. Ela estava com dez anos de idade quando, por sugestão de uma professora, viu pela primeira vez o político ambientalista falar sobre mudança climática. Nascida e criada em Brasília, Eduarda está em Glasgow, e participa nesta quinta-feira de um dos eventos mais importantes da conferência: a divulgação de um documento com sugestões de jovens para deter a mudança climática, de cuja elaboração participou.

O documento foi desenvolvido em vários grupos de trabalho na pré-COP de Milão, no início de outubro. Entre as sugestões está a disseminação da educação ambiental: “É fundamental para o mundo que os jovens saibam da mudança climática o quanto antes. Foi fundamental também na minha vida”, diz Eduarda, que hoje tem 28 anos.

Por João Gabriel de Lima, O Estado de S.Paulo

Ler o artigo na íntegra.

Mattos Filho leads Chambers Brazil 2021 in ranked practice areas

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Mattos Filho has more practice areas featured than any other firm in the Chambers Brazil 2021 guide, with 27 in all. In the Transactional Guide chapter – the last stage of the review cycle, released today – seven areas were recognized: Banking & Finance, Capital Markets, Corporate/M&A, Investment Funds, Projects, Real Estate, Tax: Non-contentious.

This year, we were also ranked in two other of the guide’s chapters: ‘Industries & Sectors’, with twelve of our practices featured, and ‘Contentious’, with eight.

Chambers & Partners is one of the most important institutions in the international legal market.

This result reinforces our outstanding full-service practice model and the commitment to provide innovative legal solutions that meet our clients’ needs.

Learn more here.

Brazil, Colombia Lead Latin America for FinTech Growth

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The FinTech trade is flourishing in Colombia, with an expansion of 120% each year and investments of more than $1 billion in the past three years, according to a report from the FinTech Times. Brazil is the fifth-largest FinTech market worldwide, earning more than 70% more investment in 2020 than in 2019, according to the report. The countries’ success is helping to align Latin America’s FinTech advancements with Asia and the U.S., according to the article.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, online banking services and FinTechs have overwhelmingly set up shop in Colombia, making the country the third-largest FinTech epicenter in Latin America after Brazil and Mexico, according to PYMNTS.

In addition, a recent study found that 40 percent of Colombian consumers are purchasing products digitally, with eCommerce sales anticipated to reach $6 billion to $8 billion by the end of 2022, according to PYMNTS.

By PYMNTS

Read full article here.

Investment in Brazilian Startups Is Booming

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Venture-capital funding in Brazil tops countries including South Korea and Indonesia, even in a slow-growth economy with macroeconomic risks

Risky investment bets on young technology entrepreneurs in Brazil are starting to pay off. That is spurring a boom in startup financing in a country long dominated by entrenched corporate giants.

Digital banking startup Nubank, founded in 2013 just before a sharp economic decline, has attracted investors such as Berkshire Hathaway Inc. and will soon hold an initial public offering in New York. In May, online services marketplace GetNinjas made its debut on Brazil’s stock exchange. Two months earlier, enterprise software company RD Station was purchased for $330 million in one of the country’s largest ever software deals.

By Vinod Sreeharsha via The Wall Street Journal

Read full article here.

Meet our New Member Barbosa, Müssnich e Aragão – Advogados

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Their commitment to their clients and their availability, agility and desire to innovate has made them what they are today: a full service law firm with a highly-motivated, integrated and specialized team. Their partners and associates have a profound knowledge of public and private sectors, both regulated and unregulated, and are tireless in the search for creative, bold, sophisticated and advantageous outcomes for their clients.

Learn more here.

Four Steps to Gaining Consumer Trust in Your Tech

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Following a year of medical, social and economic upheavals, with nearly every organization rethinking how it does business and some experiencing major cyber intrusions amid the pandemic, where are customers when it comes to trusting companies with their data? Will they continue purchasing products and services from companies with which they’ve done business for years, even those affected by significant breaches?

Consumers once remained loyal to businesses despite mistrust over how their data was used. Most kept coming back even after well-publicized security breaches.

This phenomenon, the gap between the value consumers say they place on privacy and how they actually behave, has been called the privacy paradox by some experts on consumer behavior. Some who claim to be disturbed by privacy threats will keep giving away their personal data on social media platforms and elsewhere online, even returning to companies hit by theft of customers’ data.

Via PwC.

Read full article here.

Brazilian insurtech Justos raises $35.8M in Ribbit Capital-led Series A

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Justos, a startup that says it will be the first insurance company in Brazil to use data when determining rates, has raised a $35.8 million Series A round of funding led by Ribbit Capital.

SoftBank’s Latin American Fund and GGV participated as new investors, in addition to existing backers Kaszek, BigBets, Nubank CEO David Velez and Kavak CEO Carlos Garcia Ottati.

In May, Justos had announced a $2.8 million seed raise that included participation from Kaszek, one of the largest and most active VC firms in Latin America, and the CEOs of several unicorns including Assaf Wand, CEO and co-founder of Hippo Insurance; Sergio Furio, founder and CEO of Creditas; Patrick Sigrist, founder of iFood and Fritz Lanman, CEO of ClassPass. Senior executives from Robinhood, Stripe, Wise, Carta and Capital One had also put money in the round.

By Mary Ann Azevedo via TechCrunch.

Read full article here.

How Governments Can Push Towards a Better Tomorrow

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World leaders face six interconnected challenges, and although approaches and solutions will differ by country, taking key actions will benefit all.

The year 2020 was full of challenges for world leaders. No country was spared from the COVID-19 pandemic or the related economic, educational and national security crises. Issues of climate change became even more acute than they already were, with a record number of natural disasters, including fires, hurricanes and droughts. And geopolitical instability became a shared experience within and across nations, affecting countries that have been fragile for a long time and those that were previously viewed as stalwarts of democracy and stability. These challenges persist in 2021.

Citizens and businesses are looking to their government leaders to help them navigate and emerge stronger from these large-scale, complex problems. Most stakeholders have accepted that going back to the way things were in 2019 is not an option—or even a goal. Thinking ahead to 2022, they want a better future, informed by the lessons of 2020 and now 2021.

Via PwC

Read full article here.

Consumo consciente – Mindset do Consumidor nas Diferentes Faces do Mercado

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O consumo é um dos pilares da vida atual e uma das atividades que impactam diretamente a exploração de recursos naturais, nota-se uma tendência de mudança na forma de consumir. Além disso, percebe-se uma grande movimentação nos diversos segmentos do mercado para contribuir para a mudança do mindset do consumidor para um consumo consciente. Por isso, nosso evento tem como objetivo discutir medidas sustentáveis e impulsionadoras do consumo consciente dos segmentos de Produto, Aplicativo/tecnologia e serviços.”

Abertura:
Eduardo de Campos Ferreira – sócio da área Ambiental do Machado Meyer

Debatedores:
Rodolfo Araújo – Head de Legal e Tax do Ifood
Ana Paula Jacobus Pezzi – Gerente Jurídica da JBS
Eliane Santos – Gerente de Sustentabilidade Mercado Brasil na Natura

Mediação:
Thais Matallo Cordeiro – sócia da área Contenciosa, especialista em assuntos estratégicos de relações de consumo do Machado Meyer.

Oct 27, 2021 09:00 AM in Sao Paulo

Inscreva-se aqui.

Cash-Rich Tech Companies Are Remaking Post-Pandemic Manhattan

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High-profile purchases, leasing deals and hiring have seen technology companies threaten to upend Wall Street’s historic role as New York’s dominant industry.

Google made waves in Manhattan real estate when it bought the iconic Chelsea Market and its 2.9 million-square-foot New York headquarters building within a few years of each other in the past decade. The technology giant followed up last month with the largest U.S. real estate transaction since the pandemic, a $2.1-billion purchase of the under-construction St. John’s Terminal.

Google’s takeover of Manhattan’s West Side has been mirrored to varying degrees by Amazon, Microsoft, Apple, Facebook and Salesforce, each of which has established a campus in the city.  The surge in real estate occupancy shows how technology companies are rapidly displacing counterparts in banking and finance as the city’s biggest industry in the aftermath of the pandemic: Big tech also leads in employment growth and by volume of companies.

Two decades ago, Tim Armstrong, 50, became Google’s first New York-based employee. “If you were having a cocktail party for all the people who worked in the internet in New York, you could fit them all in a bar,” Armstrong says. “Now I’m guessing you’d have to take over Madison Square Garden, plus the Javits Center to fit everybody in.”

By David Jeans via Forbes.

Read full article here.

The 2021 edition of Client Choice Awards highlights Veirano’s lawyers for the excellence in client services

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The “Client Choice Awards” from Lexology, a British publication, which highlights lawyers and their firms for excellence in client service, recognized Veirano’s professionals in 3 practice areas:
  • Renata Fialho de Oliveira – Life Sciences
  • Gabriela Lessa – Corporate Immigration
  • Raphael Moreira Espírito Santo – Real Estate
 The survey is conducted with in-house lawyers from companies around the world, who evaluate the performance of the professionals from the firms that advise them. The criteria for the awards focus on the ability to add real value to the business from the clients’ point of view.
Published by Lexology, the Client Choice Awards is the result of more than 15 years of research to help clients find the top-rated lawyers for client service globally, and to facilitate referrals between law firms focused on client service.

BNY Mellon Utilizes Blockchain to Digitize Working Capital in Global Trade Finance

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BNY Mellon has joined a consortium working to introduce blockchain technology into international trade finance and digitize how working capital is provided to both suppliers and buyers across the globe.

Through its participation in the Marco Polo Network, BNY Mellon is now able to more efficiently insert liquidity into the international supply chain, providing supply chain finance solutions including both payables financing and receivables discounting to suppliers shipping goods and services to their buyers around the world.

The Marco Polo Network is a consortium of approximately 45 banks that provides an open software platform for trade, payments and working capital financing to banks, corporates and other market participants. It is a cloud-based blockchain-powered network that allows the seamless, secure and fast exchange of trade data assets in a multi-channel environment.

Utilizing Marco Polo, BNY Mellon will not only provide financing to suppliers, but will also have real-time visibility into trade finance instruments and their status, such as purchase orders and invoices.

By PRNewswire.

Read full article here.

Legal Insights From Brazil to Start Your Week

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Finance | 5 Key Points About FIAGRO – The New Brazilian Agribusiness Fund

Finance | 5 Key Points About FIAGRO – The New Brazilian Agribusiness Fund

FIAGRO – the new Agribusiness Investment Fund is now actively being used by fund managers to finance the Brazilian agribusiness and acquire rural land, with BR$ 2 billion been raised since August.

Created by Federal Law 14.130 and regulated by the Brazilian CVM Resolution 93, there are already 17 FIAGROs-Real Estate launched to invest mostly in CRAs (ag receivables securities), but also in rural land, and 3 FIAGRO-Receivables to finance CPRs (rural product note).

Due to the success of such new fund’s category, we list below 5 key points about FIAGRO tha may be of investors and fund managers interest:

1. What is FIAGRO: it is an investment fund regulated by CVM dedicated to grant credit, acquire rural land, M&A, asset and wealth planning, among others, in agribusiness.

2. What are the 3 categories of FIAGROs and their target assets: CVM has experimentally authorized 3 categories of FIAGROs:

(i) “FIAGRO-Receivables” take the form of “FIDC” and may invest in agribusiness receivables and securities backed by agribusiness receivables, including CRAs and CPRs;

(ii) “FIAGRO-Real Estate” takes the form of “FII” and may invest in rural lands and real estate receivables related to rural land, including CRAs and CRIs;

(iii) “FIAGRO-Participations” take the form of “FIP” and may invest in equity interests in companies that explore activities in the agri-industrial chain, including convertible securities. 

3. Who can benefit from FIAGROs: FIAGROs can be used by Brazilians and foreigners, including (i) lenders and fintechs, as a vehicle for credit and advance of receivables, (ii) real estate investors, as an investment vehicle for acquisition of rural lands in Brazil aiming at exploration, rural partnerships, land value appreciation, etc. (observing the legal restrictions for foreigners), (iii) Venture Capital, Private Equity and investors in general, as a vehicle for equity investment in agribusiness companies, and (iv) agribusiness family groups/companies, for asset, wealth and fiscal planning. 

4. Favorable Taxation of FIAGROs: in the same way as real estate funds, income distributed by FIAGROs to individual shareholders will be exempt from income tax, provided that (i) the fund has more than 50 shareholders, (ii) the respective shareholder does not holds more than 10% of the fund’s equity or earnings, and (iii) the shares are listed in exchange or over the counter.

As for investments, investments made by FIAGROs in CRAs, CRIs, CPRs, CDA/WAs, CDCAs are not subject to withholding income tax.  

5. Favorable Taxation in FIAGROs’ Capital Contribution: FIAGROs shares may be paid-in in cash, assets and rights, including real estate (rural land, among others). The payment of income tax arising from the capital gain on the shares paid-in with rural property by an individual or legal entity may be deferred to the date defined for the moment of sale of these shares or redemption.

The volume of 20 FIAGRO operating evidences the importance of this category of funds for the market. FIAGROs will allow Brazilian and foreign investors, lenders, fintechs, insurance companies and family groups to invest and finance the sector with legal certainty and tax efficiency.

Tax | 3 Tax Aspects of Cost Sharing Agreements in Brazilian Corporate Groups

Corporate groups can centralize the costs of common services (intermediate activities) among them in a single company of the group and then share the costs – this arrangement can be structured under a cost sharing agreement.

It is essential to consider, when drafting and performing the contract, that the tax burden over the reimbursements by other companies to the centralizing member can vary significantly in Brazil.

The “Brazilian IRS” (Receita Federal do Brasil) has already analyzed and established some aspects to be considered of domestic cost sharing agreements (Brazilian corporate groups) over the years. There are three key points to highlight:

1. Definition: a cost sharing agreement for tax purposes is the contract that conveys an operating structure created to centralized expenses in a centralizing member of the corporate group, without any profit margin or revenue markup on the amounts transferred, and, afterward, share costs within the group for the only purpose of economic efficiency. It is not to be confused with intragroup services nor contribution to costs between companies within the same corporate group.

2. Requirements to constitute reimbursement of expenses by cost sharing agreement (and not revenue, profit, price): (a) goods and services proven to be received and effectively paid; (b) necessary, usual and normal expenses to the activities of the companies (not eventual expenses); (c) the expenses apportionment being made must be according to reasonable and objective criteria, previously adjusted, formalized by an instrument signed between the companies (written contract); (d) the apportionment criteria must correspond to the actual expenses of each company and consider the global price paid for the goods and services, according to proper bookkeeping; (e) the centralizing company can only consider “expenses” the portion that fits the apportionment criteria (as well as other member companies benefiting from the agreement), indicating the amounts to be reimbursed as a recoverable credit in the bookkeeping; (f) the member companies must keep separate bookkeeping of all acts directly related to the apportionment of the expenses; (g) there can be no profit margin or revenue markup on the amounts transferred (reimbursements); (h) the amounts cannot constitute payment for services provided by the centralizing company.

3. Non-taxation of reimbursements: if the above requirements are met, the amounts related to the cost sharing agreements received by the centralizing member from other members of the corporate group are considered just reimbursements. So, there will be no taxation over this transfers by Corporate Tax (IRPJ) and Social Contribution on Profits (CSLL), nor by Social Security Contributions on Gross Revenue (PIS and COFINS).

From a tax efficiency point of view, it is essential to strictly observe the criteria established by the Brazilian IRS when stablishing a cost share agreement structure, performing the contract and doing the bookkeeping.

The tax and, consequently, financial impacts are enormous, depending on whether transfers are characterized as simple reimbursement of costs from a cost sharing agreement or not.

By Feijó Lopes Advogados

Conversas Inspiradoras – Palestra com Edu Lyra

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Na quarta-feira, 20 de outubro, às 5:30pm, venha ouvir a história inspiradora de Edu Lyra, o empreendedor social que tem um sonho ambicioso: transformar as favelas brasileiras em peça de museu.

Clique aqui para se registrar

Local: Consulado-Geral do Brasil em Nova York – 225 East 41st Street, NY 10017

Com apenas 33 anos, Edu Lyra já é um dos mais admirados empreendedores sociais do país. Palestrante requisitado, tendo sido convidado a falar em universidades como Harvard e Babson College e em empresas como Google, Ambev e Accenture. Lyra é fundador e CEO da Gerando Falcões, rede que viabiliza projetos de impacto social em periferias e favelas do Brasil. É uma realidade que conhece por experiência própria e que procura transformar por meio de ações mundialmente reconhecidas.

A palestra será seguida de coquetel.

Santander Spins off Merchant Payment Business Getnet Brazil

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Global banking leader Santander announced today the spinoff of their merchant payment business, Getnet Brazil. Beginning October 18th, Getnet will be listed on the B3 Exchange in Brazil, and on the Nasdaq beginning Oct 22nd. Santander sees the spinoff as the first step toward building Getnet into a global merchant acquiring business.  Already the 3rd largest acquirer in Brazil and number one in eCommerce processing, Getnet is planning a major expansion through the LatAm regions, into the UK, and eventually the North American markets. Getnet has doubled its market share in Brazil in just 5 years, and today services more than 1.2 million merchants in Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and parts of Europe.

The spin-off of Getnet Brazil, which was a wholly owned subsidiary of Santander Brazil, is part of Santander Group’s plans to create a global merchant acquiring franchise under the Getnet brand as part of PagoNxt – a technology-focused global payment fintech fully owned by Santander to integrate the bank’s most innovative and disruptive payments franchises.

by Don Apgar via PaymentsJournal.

Read full article here.

Hopes and fears 2021 – The views of 32,500 workers

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Workers want more digital skills, more inclusivity, and more flexibility

In one of the largest global surveys of workers, people revealed a mostly optimistic story, but one with some concerning undercurrents. Workers reported feeling excited or confident about the future. Most said they believe they can meet the challenges of automation — and they proved it during the pandemic: by learning new digital skills and by quickly adapting to remote work. Yet many people think their job is at risk, and half of all respondents feel they’ve missed out on career opportunities or training due to discrimination.

PwC is committed to highlighting the issues surrounding the digital divide and the societal and economic benefits of greater private-public collaboration on upskilling and reskilling. There’s a lot more to do to create more diverse, inclusive workplaces that allow everyone to give their best.

By PwC.

Learn more here.

Pesquisas mostram crescente interesse do consumidor por moda sustentável

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Mäby Dutra, Founder of DaCosta Verde. Photo Credit – Carol Biazotto

 

De tendência fashion a posicionamento central de marcas globais, nos últimos anos a moda sustentável alcançou patamares comerciais sem precedentes. Segundo relatório divulgado pela empresa de pesquisa Research And Markets, o crescimento mundial do setor deve passar de 6,3 bilhões de dólares em 2019 para $8,2 bilhões de dólares em 2023. Entre 2025 e 2030, esse número pode chegar a 15,2 bilhões de dólares, mostrando que investir em sustentabilidade é bom não apenas para o meio ambiente mas também para o futuro da indústria da moda.

A Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) aponta que as buscas na internet por produtos sustentáveis tiveram crescimento de 71% nos últimos cinco anos. Englobando mais de 54 países, o estudo aponta que, no Brasil, os tuítes relacionados ao assunto aumentaram 82% no período analisado e o volume de notícias cresceu 60%.

O interesse do consumidor por esses produtos aumenta mesmo diante dos preços mais elevados da categoria. Segundo a Futuro do Comércio, pesquisa feita pela Shopify, 53% dos entrevistados afirmaram preferir produtos sustentáveis e 75% se dizem dispostos a pagar mais por itens ecológicos.

“Com o mercado aquecido, o setor enfrenta agora o desafio para diferenciar cadeias produtivas realmente sustentáveis de ações publicitárias oportunistas”, comenta Mäby Dutra, fundadora da DaCosta Verde. Baseada em Nova York, a diretora criativa de São Paulo trabalhou para uma das maiores autoridades no assunto, a designer britânica Stella McCartney. Em 2020, abriu sua própria grife com o objetivo de expandir a moda sustentável do Brasil para o mundo. Da escolha dos materiais à embalagem, passando pela ética social, a DaCosta Verde tem sua marca alinhada com os Objetivos de Desenvolvimento Sustentável (ODS) e apoio consultivo do escritório de parcerias da ONU na campanha We Are Amazônia. Na venda de cada camiseta da linha, comercializada no Brasil, Estados Unidos e, em breve, na Europa, a marca se compromete a doar cinco árvores para a floresta Amazônica, em parceria com a ONG S.O.S Amazônia.

Read full article here.

Mattos Filho recognized in World Tax, an important tax field ranking

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The 2022 edition of World Tax has classified Mattos Filho as Tier 1 in three categories: General Corporate Tax, Tax Controversy and Transactional Tax. Produced in association with the International Tax Review (ITR), World Tax is one of the main rankings recognizing the best firms and professionals in the tax practice area.
Twelve of our professionals were also recognized by the publication – the highest number among Brazilian law firms – with 20 recognitions in three areas: Tax Controversy, Indirect Tax and Woman in Tax.

We are proud to receive this recognition, which reinforces Mattos Filho’s commitment to maintaining a high level of excellence in all the services we provide our clients.

 

Dia do Turismo: 10 bilionários brasileiros que fizeram fortuna no setor

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Nesta segunda-feira, 27 de setembro, é comemorado o Dia Mundial do Turismo. Após um ano e meio de pandemia, o setor foi um dos que mais sofreu com as restrições e medidas de isolamento impostas para evitar a disseminação do novo coronavírus. Ainda que a pandemia tenha afetado as fortunas de empresários por trás de companhias aéreas, redes de hotéis e operadoras, o segmento segue presente na última edição da lista da Forbes de bilionários brasileiros.

David Gary Neeleman, fundador e principal acionista no Brasil da Azul Linhas Aéreas, é o nome do turismo mais bem colocado no ranking. Com fortuna estimada em R$ 7,42 bilhões, ele aparece no 69o lugar. Neeleman também é sócio da portuguesa TAP e opera, desde 2018, a Moxy Airways, companhia norte-americana de voos low cost.

By Mariangela Castro via Forbes Brasil.

Read full article here.

Global Crisis Survey 2021: Building resilience for the future

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PwC’s Global Crisis Survey 2021 examines the worldwide business community’s response to unprecedented social, economic and geopolitical disruption.

From altering corporate strategy to swiftly reshaping production capabilities, how did organizations react? How are businesses integrating what they’ve learned into a strategy for long-term resilience?

More than 70 percent of respondents said their business was negatively impacted by the crisis, and 20 percent said the crisis had a positive impact. What common threads are there among companies that are emerging stronger and those that are struggling to tread water?

Charting a resilience roadmap for 2021

Between 20 August 2020 and 25 January 2021, organizations representing 73 countries and 29 industries shared their observations. This year’s Global Crisis Survey is our second collection of corporate crisis data and analysis.

By PwC.

Learn more here.

Lifting international travel restrictions will boost U.S. economy – Commerce chief

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U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said on Thursday that the decision by the Biden administration to lift international travel restrictions in early November will be a boost to the U.S. economy, especially for tourist destinations like New York and for business travel.

Raimondo said the decision announced Monday to allow fully vaccinated foreign nationals to fly to the United States “is huge. I think it will really be a boost to our economy, it will certainly be a boost to travel, tourism, hospitality.” To address COVID-19 concerns, the U.S. has barred most foreign nationals from coming to the United States who have recently been in 33 countries including China, South Africa, Brazil, India and much of Europe.

Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Leslie Adler via Reuters.

Embraer shares soar with electric aircraft orders

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Brazilian planemaker Embraer SA (EMBR3.SA) said on Thursday its subsidiary Eve has signed a memorandum of understanding to sell up to 100 electric aircraft to lessor Bristow Group (VTOL.N), sending Embraer shares higher, in the latest sign of dealmaking in the nascent “flying taxis” sector.

Brazil-listed Embraer shares, which were also boosted by an upgrade to “buy” from “neutral” by analysts at Goldman Sachs, jumped 11.75% to 23.80 reais in early trading in Sao Paulo.

Embraer said in a securities filing that Eve will deliver the first vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft to Bristow by 2026. Both companies will develop an urban mobility model to operate the aircraft, focusing on areas such as regulatory development, eVTOL certification and autonomous operation.

By 

Read full article here.

Mattos Filho recognized in “Impact Deal of the Year”

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We have featured at the ITR Americas Tax Awards 2021, which recognizes important transactions and the performance of leading companies, law firms, and professionals in the tax area. This year’s edition saw Mattos Filho recognized for our work in Stone Pagamentos’ acquisition of Linx, with the transaction awarded in the ‘Impact Deal of the Year’ category.

We are delighted to receive this recognition, which serves to reinforce our commitment to excellence and collaboration in offering efficient and innovative legal solutions.

Learn more here.

Brazil set to expand public Wi-Fi network

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A new agreement will see the expansion of Brazil’s public Wi-Fi hotspots network to improve public service provision in locations lacking Internet connectivity.

Under the technical cooperation agreements signed between the Banco do Brasil Foundation and the Brazilian Micro and Small Business Support Service (SEBRAE) with the Ministry of Communications, some 1,000 locations nationwide will benefit from approximately 500 new Wi-Fi hotspots to be implemented by 2022.

The current free Wi-Fi network with satellite-based Internet consists of over 14,000 hotspots across 3,000 Brazilian municipalities, mostly located in the North and Northeast of Brazil. Some 11,000 schools use the hotspots, as well as 1,000 healthcare facilities and 475 Indigenous communities.

By Angelica Mari for Brazil Tech

Read full article here.

How to Lead through a Merger: US Airways and American Airlines

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In February 2013, US Airways announced that it would merge with American Airlines to create the world’s largest airline. During the acquisition integration process, CEO Doug Parker had to determine how best to combine the two airlines’ core systems, operating processes, and leadership teams, as well as the appropriate scope and speed of strategic changes. Parker knew that his choices would send important signals to employees, customers, and competitors.

by David G. Fubini,  David A. Garvin,  Carin-Isabel Knoop via Harvard Business Review.

Read full article here.

Mattos Filho announces new Life Sciences & Healthcare and Corporate/M&A practice partners

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We are very pleased to announce the arrival of two more partners to our firm. Gustavo Swenson has joined our Life Sciences and Healthcare practice, while Tomás Neiva is now part of our Corporate/M&A practice.

These areas have become more and more relevant in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, attracting further investment as well as accelerating advances in technology and the entry of new players into the market.

To learn more about our Life Sciences and Healthcare and Corporate/M&A practices, please visit Mattos Filho’s website.

 

Brazil’s Vale launches self-driving trucks at its largest iron mine Carajas

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Brazilian miner Vale SA said on Thursday it had begun using self-driving trucks for the first time at its Carajas complex, its largest iron ore mining operation, as it continues to expand its use of the driverless technology.

Vale expects to boost productivity and safety by using the trucks to haul iron ore, said Pedro Bemfica, the executive heading the autonomous technology program.

The miner’s six self-driving vehicles at Carajas are nearly twice as tall and more than three times as wide as a conventional trucks and capable of holding 320 tonnes of iron ore.

By Marta Nogueira via Reuters.

Read full article here.

Brazil Overtakes U.S. in First-Dose Count After Vaccine Drive

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Brazil became the latest major country to pass the U.S. in the percentage of its citizens who have had at least one dose of coronavirus vaccine as the government’s inoculation campaign picks up speed and resistance to the shots fades away.

About 63% of Brazilians have now received at least one dose, versus 62% of people in the U.S., according to Bloomberg’s Covid-19 Vaccine Tracker. Countries including Germany, France and the U.K. have vaccinated at least 65% of the population with one shot, the data show.

By Fernando Travaglini/Bloomberg.

Read full article here.

New Beneficial Ownership Reporting Obligations in the U.S.

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On January 1, 2021, Congress passed the Corporate Transparency Act (“CTA”).  The CTA will become effective on January 1, 2022.  The CTA will require certain U.S. “reporting companies”[1] (including LLCs) to disclose to the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), information on their (i) “beneficial owners” and (ii) individuals involved in forming or registering the companies.[2]

Under the CTA, a “beneficial owner” is defined as an individual who, directly or indirectly through any contract, arrangement or otherwise, exercises substantial control over an entity or owns or controls at least 25% of an entity’s ownership interests.

By McLaughlin & Stern LLP.

Read full article here.

Brazil’s Petlove raises $150M from Riverwood, Softbank to sell pet products and services online

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Petlove&Co, a São Paulo-based digital platform for products and services for the pet market, announced today that it has raised about $150 million (R$750 million) in a funding round led by Riverwood Capital.

The round is nearly double that of what Petlove has raised in its history. The company started its life as PetSuperMarket when it was founded in 1999 in the early days of the internet. Today, the company continues to operate an online store offering a wide range of pet products and services.

By Mary Ann Azevedo via Tech Crunch

Read full article here

Brazil confident soybeans harvest will confirm it continues as the world’s leader in the oilseed production

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Brazil’s National Supply Company, Conab, anticipated forecasts for the coming grains and oilseeds season 2021/22. The soy crop is expected to reach some 141,26 million tons or a 3.9% increase over the current harvest.

As to the area sown, it is estimated at 39,91 million hectares, 3,6% higher than in 2020/21, while yield per hectare could reach 3,539 kilos in 2022, up 0,29%. “It seems a tiny increase but it is significant given the latest technologies in which Brazilian farmers have invested”, according to Fernando Gomes da Motta, one of Conab’s managers.

 

Via Merco Press

 

Read full article here

Inclusion, Equity, & Diversity Update – SEC Approves Nasdaq Rule on Board Diversity

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As companies focus on workforce inclusion, equity, and diversity (IE&D), they are under increasing pressure to assure that the membership of their boards reflects these values. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently approved a rule proposed by Nasdaq that requires companies listed on its exchange to meet certain minimum diversity targets on their boards or explain in writing why they are not doing so.  This “comply or explain” approach demands of corporations additional accountability for IE&D efforts, requiring them to navigate diversity and anti-discrimination considerations thoughtfully.

In the United States, implementing workforce quotas that mandate hiring on the basis of protected characteristics such as race, ethnicity, or gender is generally unlawful.  While the law encourages voluntary diversity efforts, they are subject to careful judicial scrutiny to ensure that they do not constitute unlawful “reverse” discrimination.  There has been an increase in investigations and related lawsuits as to whether diversity initiatives constitute unlawful discrimination.

 

By Philip Berkowitz, Corinn Jackson and Britney Torres via Littler

 

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Littler COVID-19 Vaccine Employer Survey Report: Delta Variant Update

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After more than a year of a crushing global pandemic, the early summer brought hope for a long-anticipated return to normal business operations, at least in the United States. But those plans were derailed by the rapid spread of the highly contagious delta variant and mounting COVID-19 infections. The abrupt change left companies – many of which had just updated plans with an eye toward a post-pandemic future – scrambling to adjust policies on such pressing issues as vaccination, return-to-office timing and mask wearing.

To better understand where employers stand and where we may be headed next, Littler surveyed 1,630 in-house lawyers, C-suite executives and HR professionals from a variety of industries about their current plans, concerns and key considerations when it comes to vaccination of their workforces.

 

By Barry A. Hartstein and Devjani H. Mishra via Littler

 

Read full article here

The New Equation | Our strategy

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The New Equation focuses on two interconnected needs that clients face in a world of technological disruption, fractured geopolitics, climate change and the enduring impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The first is to build trust. Our approach to building trust is designed to meet rising expectations of transparency and stakeholder engagement. It recognises that reporting and compliance are just one link in a chain that includes organisational culture, executive mindset, aligned standards, certified professionals, stringent controls, tailored technologies, and appropriate governance. It continues to place a commitment to quality at its core.

 

By PwC

 

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Três ações para fabricantes de dispositivos de Internet das Coisas (IoT) motivadas pela IoT Cybersecurity Improvement Act de 2020

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  • Uma lei federal promulgada recentemente nos Estados Unidos visa tornar os dispositivos de Internet das Coisas (IoT) mais seguros e pode ser um divisor de águas para os fabricantes de dispositivos e as empresas que fornecem esses artefatos para o governo.
  • Muitos sistemas embarcados, incluindo IoT, carecem de controles básicos de segurança. As razões para isso incluem restrições de hardware, custos de segurança e pressa para colocar os dispositivos no mercado

 

By PwC

 

Read full article here

Brazil eyes more rigs as utilisation hits 92%

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Competitive rig utilisation for Brazil-based rigs has increased by 9% in six months, reaching 92% in June. Based on the current rig demand outlook and domestic supply drying up, it is likely that operators will have to source more rigs from outside of the region.

Esgian Rig Analytics shows that there are 22 rigs currently drilling offshore Brazil, and oil and gas companies are expected to ramp up activity further with a recent surge in tendering activity.

 

By Adis Ajdin via Splash 247.com

 

Read full article here

Tribute to H.E. Ambassador Carlos Eduardo Alves de Souza (1933-2021)

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Tribute to H.E. Ambassador Carlos Eduardo Alves de Souza

(September 21, 1933 – August 26, 2021)

 

On behalf of the Board of Directors of The Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce, we regretfully inform you of the passing, on August 26, 2021, of Ambassador Carlos Eduardo Alves de Souza.

Ambassador Alves de Souza was born on September 21, 1933, to Wladimir Alves de Souza and Maria Adélia in Rio de Janeiro.

His diplomatic career spanned more than 40 years and many different countries. He served as Ambassador of Brazil to the Czech Republic, Paraguay, and Switzerland. He also held several senior positions in Brasília, including the Office of the President in 1985. Ambassador Alves de Souza served as Consul General of Brazil in New York between 1981 and 1984. His interaction with the Chamber strengthened ties between Brazil and the United States and furthered the Chamber’s mission of promoting trade and investment between the two nations. He retired in 2001 to Rio de Janeiro and focused on his family, friends, golf, and his beloved soccer team, Flamengo.

Our heartfelt condolences go out to the family and friends of Ambassador Carlos Eduardo Alves de Souza as we mourn his passing.

WhatsApp to adjust privacy rules in Brazil

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After months of negotiations with the authorities, WhatsApp has committed to adjust its privacy policy in Brazil with transparency practices rolled out in line with the rules in place in the European Union.

The commitment from the messaging app follows cross-government efforts led by the National Data Protection Authority (ANPD), the antitrust watchdog Cade, national consumer body Senacon and the Federal Prosecution Service. The authorities had been engaging with the platform to ensure data protection and consumer rights are observed in Brazil, in the context of the app’s updated privacy rules introduced globally in May.

 

By Angelica Mari via ZD Net

 

Read full article here

Brazilian Fintech Cora raises $116M Series B as Tiger Global, Tencent sign on as investors alongside Greenoaks

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Cora, a Brazilian digital lender to small-and-medium-sized businesses, has raised $116 million in a Series B round led by Greenoaks Capital.

This is a large Series B by any standards, but particularly so for a Latin American startup. It’s also notable that São Paulo-based Cora only raised its $26.7 million Series A round — led by Silicon Valley VC firm Ribbit Capital — in early April. The startup has now raised a total of $152.7 million since its 2019 inception.

 

By Mary Ann Azevedo via Tech Crunch

 

Read full article here

Brazil Could Provide A Quarter Of The World’s Offshore Oil In 4 Years

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As Brazil’s oil industry looks set to soar over the next decade, with the potential to provide almost a quarter of the world’s offshore oil by 2025, Big Oil is betting big on the oil-rich state.

Unlike the rest of the world, which reined in oil production in 2020 as demand stagnated in the wake of a global pandemic, Brazil actually increased its output. These sustained levels of production put it on route to double its output by 2030, making it the world’s fifth-largest exporter, a target that appears realistic thanks to its low cost-oil giving the country a competitive advantage over many OPEC+ states.

 

Via Yahoo Finance

 

Read full article here

No Soup for You & Take Your Coffee to Go – Accommodations and the Key to NYC Pass

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New York City recently implemented the Key to NYC Pass, which requires patrons and employees of certain indoor entertainment, recreation, dining, and fitness establishments to prove that they have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to enter the establishment.  There is no “testing out” option, so it is possible that some patrons and employees may raise issues of discrimination or request accommodations in relation to the vaccination mandate.

On August 17, 2021, the New York City Commission on Human Rights (NYCCHR) issued “Guidance for Businesses on Equitable Implementation of Key to NYC.”1  The guidance is aimed at assisting “covered entities”2 and employers impacted by the mandatory vaccination requirements with avoiding discrimination claims and managing requests for reasonable accommodations by those who claim they cannot receive the COVID-19 vaccination due to their membership in one or more protected categories under the New York City Human Rights Law (NYCHRL).3  Similar guidance was also issued for customers and employees.

 

By Lisa M. Griffith, Devjani H. Mishra and Mark T. Phillis via Littler

 

Read full article here

OSHA Publishes Updated COVID-19 Guidance in Light of Rising Delta Variant Cases

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On August 13, 2021, OSHA issued updated guidance to better align with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s July 27, 2021 recommendations, given the rising cases of the COVID-19 Delta variant.  The guidance’s purpose is to summarize the CDC’s “substantial or high transmission” guidance and assist employers in recognizing and abating COVID-19 hazards in the workplace.  In the guidance’s preamble, OSHA “strongly encourages” employers to provide paid time off to workers for the time it takes to get vaccinated and recover from side effects, and to consider working with local public health authorities to provide vaccinations in the workplace. OSHA also suggests that employers “consider adopting policies that require workers to get vaccinated or to undergo regular COVID-19 testing – in addition to mask wearing and physical distancing – if they remain unvaccinated.”

 

By Alka Ramchandani-Raj and Karen Charlson via Littler

 

Read full article here

Brazil expands tax cuts to nat gas projects

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The Brazilian federal government will include the natural gas sector in an existing tax incentive program for infrastructure investments, a move that could boost the country’s burgeoning gas markets.

The new ordinance will let natural gas production, processing, pipelines and local distribution system projects waive up to 9.25pc in federal taxes on machinery or feedstock under the existing Special Regime to Incentivize Infrastructure Investments (REIDI). REIDI was created in 2007 for transportation, power, ports, energy, irrigation and sanitation sectors, to eliminate the PIS and Cofins taxes which generate funds for social programs.

 

By Flávia Pierry via Argus Media

 

Read full article here

Chevron sees Brazil’s pre-salt oil as prize asset – executive

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HOUSTON, Aug 17 (Reuters) – Chevron Corp (CVX.N)is hoping to play a role in Brazil’s pre-salt oil discoveries, the U.S. oil major’s Brazil chief said on Tuesday at the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) in Houston.

The “pre-salt chapter” might be the most important development in Chevron’s more than century-long presence in Brazil, said country manager Mariano Vela. Chevron has held interests in 11 deep water projects in Brazil’s Campos and Santos basins since 2018.

By Sabrina Valle and Marianna Parraga via Reuters

Read full article here

Brazil’s Kovi closes $104M Series B to make car ownership more inclusive in LatAm

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We sometimes take for granted that most anyone who wishes to become say, an Uber driver, can do so. But that assumption is a narrow view considering there are many people who would love to earn income in that way but can’t because of lack of car ownership (and all that goes with it) — especially in countries outside of the United States.

In an attempt to remedy that problem, São Paulo-based Kovi was founded in 2018 to give those people access to those opportunities.

 

By Mary Ann Azevedo via Tech Crunch

 

Read full article here

As its startup market accelerates, Brazil could be in for an IPO bonanza

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Brazil’s startup market is reaching new heights, and its domestic stock market could benefit from the boom.

According to data from KPMG, Brazilian startups raised the most capital in a single quarter in Q1 2021, when some $1.4 billion flowed into domestic technology upstarts. That record stood until the second quarter of 2021 saw $2.7 billion raised by Brazilian startups.

 

By Nigel Sussman via Tech Crunch

 

Read full article here

Customer data sharing under Open Banking commences in Brazil

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One of the most important phases of the Brazilian open banking project, which involves the sharing of customer registration and transactional data, has gone live today (13), enabling consumers to request their financial information is shared with other institutions.

The open banking initiative, introduced by the Central Bank of Brazil in early 2019, aims to boost market competition and increase financial education in the Latin American country. Under the model, use of open application programming interfaces (APIs) enable third-party developers to build applications and services around the participating financial institutions, with consumer data shared with their consent.

 

By Angelica Mari via ZD Net

 

Read full article here

Brazil imported 4.88 GW of PV modules in H1

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The Brazilian solar market resumed strong growth in the middle of the second year of the Covid-19 pandemic. According to a recent report by Brazilian consultancy Greener, the country imported 4.88 GW worth of PV modules in the first half of 2021. This compares to just 2.2 GW in the first six months of last year, and surpasses the 4.76 GW of PV module imports registered for the whole of 2020.

 

By Livia Neves via PV Magazine

 

Read full article here

Inffinito Brazilian Film Festival is proud to announce the lineup for its 25th edition!

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The 25th edition of the largest and most relevant Brazilian film festival outside Brazil will present 56 films in a hybrid format from September 4th to 18th

 

For the first time, the competitive screening selection has three Brazil-United States co-productions: one feature and three short films. The films will show online in the US at www.inff.online – the first international streaming platform, launched this year by Inffinito, dedicated exclusively to Brazilian audiovisual. In addition to online exhibitions, with all CDC protocols in place, those in New York and Miami can attend in-person Festival outdoor screenings and events.

 

The festival’s opening night in New York presents Dom Salvador Samba Jazz Sextet in concert at the SummerStage in Central Park on September 4th at 8:30 pm – a partnership with City Parks Foundation. Dom Salvador, Salvador da Silva Filho, is a Brazilian instrumentalist, arranger, and composer who lives in NY since 1973. He plays piano at the River Cafe among concerts and recordings. Some consider him responsible for changing the course of Brazilian music and for adding some soul to Roberto Carlos’ songs in the 70s. The beauty, rhythm, and sounds of African American musicians’ soul genre. The documentary “Dom Salvador & Abolition” by Artur Ratton and Lilka Hara tells his story, which is unknown to the Brazilian public. The film will screen at 7:00 pm, shortly before his concert.

 

Awards and Jury: The Competitive Screenings’ films will compete for the Crystal Lens award in the Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Photography, Best Actor, and Best Actress categories. In addition, the Best Documentary has a separate award. Actress Betty Faria is the chair of the feature film jury. Also, in the jury, actress Camila Morgado, the screenwriter and visual artist Luiz Dolino, film critic, screenwriter, curator, and cultural director journalist and content producer Lorenna Montenegro and John Maass, filmmaker, and lawyer. For the Documentary Competitive Screenings, the jury is composed of photographer Maritza Caneca; filmmaker and actor Luciano Vidigal; Flavia Azeredo, linguistics, culture, and cinema professor; and Bianca De Felipes, producer and distributor of films and series. In addition, the audience elects the popular vote award winner in the Best Feature Film, Best Documentary, and Best Short Film categories.

 

Canal Brasil Tribute: In Brazil, in addition to online screenings, the public will watch a unique selection on TV. As part of the 25th Inffinito Film Festival anniversary celebration, Canal Brasil will present, in prime time (on Saturdays and Sundays, between September 4th and 26th, at 10 pm), the iconic productions awarded by the festival throughout its journey. The selection includes the titles: The Quartet (09/04), Stomach – A Gastronomic Story (09/05), The Kiss (2018) (09/11), João, O Maestro (09/12), Raul – The Beginning, The End and The Middle (09/18), The Patient – The Tancredo Neves Case (09/19), Loki – Arnaldo Batista (09/25) and Urban Snap- Shots (09/26).

 

Check out the 25th Inffinito Brazilian Film Festival lineup below:

 

Presential Screenings | New York and Miami:

Film material: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1IbN49P853p9ndh0iFRPsT9eU-aZLrXd4  

 

Sept 4 – SummerStage in Central Park, NY – free admission

6:00 PM – Screening of short film The Orphan, by Carolina Markowicz

7:00 PM – Screening of Feature Film Dom Salvador & Abolition, by Artur Ratton and Lilka Hara

Sept 10 – North Beach Bandshell, Miami Beach

7:00 PM – Screening of Sidney and Magal, the Man and the Artist, by Joana Mariani

 

Sept 11 – Regal South Beach, Miami Beach

7:00 PM – Love Spell, by Caroline Okoshi Fioratti

9:00 PM – Silence of the Rain, by Daniel Filho

 

Sept 12 – Regal South Beach, Miami Beach

7:00 PM – Valentina, by Cássio Pereira dos Santos

9:00 PM – Jaguar Man, by Vinicius Reis

 

Sept 14 – Florida International University, Miami – free admission

5:00 PM – The Mother of All Struggles, by Susanna Lira

 

Sept 18 – SoundScape Park New World Center, Miami Beach – free admission

8:30 PM – Neojiba – Music That Change Lives, by Sergio Machado and George W. Torres

 

Sept 5 to 17 – Online Screenings – www.inff.online 

(Available in the US. More information and film material at the following link –https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1HE1P8Q9L12TeCEipxnbFnTdoX14i0NYK)

 

Competitive Screening – Fiction:

Film material: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/11OWdjmQVm7-PpU7IJvYK6AGud7ZEBJ4V

  • Any Given Day, by Pedro Von Krüger
  • The Fall, by Diego Rocha
  • Coach? Really?, by Marcelo Antunez
  • Lane 4, by Emiliano Cunha
  • Sertania, by Geraldo Sarno
  • Coral, by Marcelo Brennand
  • King Kong in Asunción, by Camilo Cavalcante
  • Madalena, by Madiano Marcheti
  • A Day with Jerusa, by Viviane Ferreira
  • The Cemetery of Lost Souls, by Rodrigo Aragão
  • Remains of a man, by Ana Johamm
  • Up Close, She Ain’t Normal, by Cininha de Paula

Competitive Screening – Documentary:

Film material: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1DdjBhCUhBfXtKteUpbk1itcSXn3v_YQ2

  • Extermination, by Mirela Kruel
  • Searching for Makunaíma, by Rodrigo Séllos
  • Ziraldo, Lifelong work of art crying for help, by Guga Dannemann
  • Alvorada Palace, by Ana Muylaerte e Lô Politi
  • Chico Mario – A Melody of Freedom, by Silvio Tendler
  • Our Flag Will Never be red, by Pablo Guelli
  • Desire Machine, by Lucas Weglinski and Joaquim Castro
  • The Woman with Her Own Light, by Sinai Sganzerla
  • Ana. Untitled, by Lúcia Murat
  • Dorival Caymmi – The Sounds of Life, by Daniela Broitman
  • Pedra de Guaratiba, A Lost Paradise, by Luiz Eduardo Ozório
  • Amazon Mirror, by Fernando Segtowick
  • Glauber, Claro, de César Meneghetti

Competitive Screening – Shorts:

Film material: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1SCB9ruED8EGMR240eBFOg1xAzmWjaJ91 

  • 111+, by Ivaldo Correia
  • Adelaide, There’s No Second Chance for Mistakes Here, by Anna Zêpa
  • Antígona Pajubá, by Fabrício Boliveira
  • As Simple As That, by Luciana Bitencourt
  • Between, by Ana Carolina Marinho and Bárbara Santos
  • Eter Godzilla, by André Alves Pinto
  • Gado Marcado, by Estevan Muniz
  • Isabela, by Diego Lopes and Claudio Bitencourt
  • It Will Get Better, by Pedro Fiuza
  • João Bosco and Aldir Blanc – That’s Partnership!, by Pedro Pontes
  • Lavender, by Sabrina Fidalgo
  • Learning to Ride, by Luísa Parnes
  • On The Umbrella To Be Resistance, by Vini Poffo
  • Stories of a City, by Felipe Nepomuceno
  • Stunned, I Remain Alert by Henrique Amud e Lucas H. Rossi dos Santos
  • The Ballad of the Gracious Lady, by Hsu Chien
  • The Hole, by Zeudi Souza
  • The List, by Luciana Oliveira
  • The Survivor, by Silvia Rocha Campos
  • Windows From Here, by Luciano Vidigal and Arthur Sherman
  • Windows to the World – AM to PM, by Bia Oliveira
  • Zero, by Sacha Bali

* Co-production Brazil-US

 

About Inffinito Brazilian Film Festival

A pioneer in the promotion and dissemination of Brazilian cinema in the international market, the Inffinito Brazilian Film Festival held, over the last decades, events, exhibitions, and film festivals in cities such as Miami, New York, London, Vancouver, Rome, Milan, Frascati, Madrid, Barcelona, Montevideo, Buenos Aires, Canudos and Bogotá. In 87 editions of the festivals, the circuit has more than 1200 films shown to an audience of more than 2 million people, thus creating a strong relationship with the consumer of the Brazilian audiovisual product abroad. Inffinito’s pioneering spirit is also reflected in the digital world, with the creation of the first online platform for Brazilian cinema: www.inff.online, launched in 2020.

SPONSORS: with the support of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners, City of Miami Beach – CAC, Titanio Films and Garcia Family Foundation. 

OFFICIAL AIRLINE: American Airlines

INFFINITO AMBASSADORS: Laura Fernandes Liliana Kawase and Renata Garcia.

SUPPORTED BY: City Parks Foundation & SummerStage, Regal Cinemas, Fogo de Chão, and ATC Cargo.

 

MEDIA SUPPORTERS:  AcheiUSA Newspaper, Acontece Magazine, Radio Florida Brazil, Culture Owl, and Canal Brasil.

 

FRIENDS OF THE FESTIVAL: Brazilian General Consulate in Miami, Brazilian General Consulate in New York, Florida International University, BACC – Brazilian American Chamber of Commerce of Florida and New York, BRATECC – Brazil Texas Chamber of Commerce, and Centro Cultural Brazil USA.

 

AN EVENT BY: INFFINITO

 

 

 

 

Inffinito Film Festival anuncia os filmes selecionados

25ª edição do maior e mais importante festival de cinema brasileiro realizado no exterior exibirá, em formato híbrido, 56 filmes, de 4 a 18 de setembro

 

O Inffinito Film Festival, maior e mais importante festival de cinema brasileiro realizado no exterior, acaba de anunciar a seleção de filmes para as mostras competitivas de sua 25ª edição, confirmada para o mês que vem, de 4 a 18 de setembro. Serão exibidos nos Estados Unidos, em formato híbrido, ao todo 55 produções (lista abaixo) – este ano, pela primeira vez, a seleção conta com três coproduções Brasil-Estados Unidos: um longa e três curtas-metragens. De Porto Rico ao Alasca, os filmes serão exibidos através da www.inff.online – primeira plataforma internacional de streaming dedicada exclusivamente ao audiovisual brasileiro, lançada pela Inffinito no ano passado. Além das mostras online, com o avanço da vacinação e a flexibilização das regras de isolamento social nos Estados Unidos, quem estiver em Nova York e Miami poderá assistir presencialmente a exibições ao ar livre e shows.

 

Em Nova York, o público poderá assistir ao show do Dom Salvador Samba Jazz Sextet, no SummerStage do Central Park, na noite de abertura do festival, 04 de setembro, a partir das 20h30 – em colaboração com a City Parks Foundation. Dom Salvador, nome artístico de Salvador da Silva Filho, é um instrumentista, arranjador e compositor brasileiro que mora em NY desde 1973, onde toca piano no restaurante River Cafe e alterna seu trabalho com shows e gravações ocasionais. Há quem o considere responsável por mudar os rumos da música brasileira, por ter sido o músico escolhido para dar cara soul à música de Roberto Carlos, nos anos 1970. Isso porque Dom Salvador conseguia fazer o que nenhum pianistas brasileiro tinha conseguido até então: unir beleza, ritmo e sonoridades análogas às dos músicos negros americanos. Sua história, pouco conhecida do grande público brasileiro, é contada no documentário “Dom Salvador & Abolição”, de Artur Ratton e Lilka Hara, que será exibido, na mostra presencial, pouco antes na mesma noite, às 19h, também no Central Park.

 

PRÊMIOS E JÚRI – Os filmes das mostras competitivas concorrem ao troféu Lente de Cristal nas categorias Melhor Filme, Melhor Diretor, Melhor Roteiro, Melhor Fotografia, Melhor Ator e Melhor Atriz. O Melhor Documentário tem uma premiação à parte. Presidido pela atriz Betty Faria, o júri de filmes de ficção é composto pela atriz Camila Morgado; o roteirista de cinema e artista plástico Luiz Dolino; Lorenna Montenegro, crítica de cinema, roteirista, curadora, jornalista cultural e produtora de conteúdo; John Maass, cineasta e advogado. Para a mostra competitiva de documentários, os jurados são a fotógrafa Maritza Caneca; o cineasta e ator Luciano Vidigal; Flavia Azeredo, professora de linguística, cultura e cinema; e Bianca De Felipes, produtora e distribuidora de filmes e séries. Os prêmios do voto popular são escolhidos pelo público nas categorias Melhor Filme de Ficção, Melhor Documentário e Melhor Curta-Metragem.

 

HOMENAGEM NO CANAL BRASIL – No Brasil, além de algumas das mostras online, o público poderá assistir a uma seleção especial na TV. Como parte da celebração dos 25 anos do Inffinito Film Festival, o Canal Brasil exibirá no horário nobre (aos sábados e domingos, entre os dias 04 e 26/09, às 22h) a produções emblemáticas premiadas no festival ao longo de sua trajetória. A seleção inclui os títulos: O Quatrilho (dia 04/09), Estômago (dia 05/09), O Beijo no Asfalto (2018) (dia 11/09), João, O Maestro (dia 12/09), Raul – O Início, O Fim e O Meio (dia 18/09), O Paciente – O Caso Tancredo Neves (dia 19/09), Loki – Arnaldo Batista (dia 25/09) e Polaróides Urbanas (dia 26/09).

 

Confira abaixo a seleção de filmes do 25º Inffinito Film Festival:

 

Exibições presenciais | Nova York e Miami:

Fotos, trailers e cartazes dos filmes: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1IbN49P853p9ndh0iFRPsT9eU-aZLrXd4 

 

 

4 de setembro – SummerStage in Central Park, NY – entrada gratuita

6:00 PM – Exibição do curta metragem O Orfão, de Carolina Markowicz

7:00 PM – Exibição do documentário Dom Salvador & Abolição, de Artur Ratton e Lilka Hara

 

10 de setembro – North Beach Bandshell, Miami Beach

7:00 PM – Exibição do documentário Me Chama Que Eu Vou, de Joana Mariani

 

11 de setembro – Regal South Beach, Miami Beach

7:00 PM – Exibição do longa metragem Amarração do Amor, de Caroline Okoshi Fioratti

9:00 PM – Exibição do longa metragem Silêncio da Chuva, de Daniel Filho

 

12 de setembro – Regal South Beach, Miami Beach

7:00 PM – Exibição do longa metragem Valentina, de Cássio Pereira dos Santos

9:00 PM – Exibição do longa metragem Homem Onça, de Vinicius Reis

 

14 de setembro – Florida International University, Miami – entrada gratuita

5:00 PM – A Mãe De Todas As Lutas, de Susanna Lira

 

18 de setembro – SoundScape Park New World Center, Miami Beach – entrada gratuita

8:30 PM – Exibição do longa metragem Neojiba – Música Que Transforma, de Sergio Machado e George Walker Torres.

 

5 a 17 de setembro – Exibições de filmes em competição na plataforma www.inff.online

 

(Disponíveis somente para EUA. Para mais informações e materiais/fotos dos filmes –https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1HE1P8Q9L12TeCEipxnbFnTdoX14i0NYK)

 

 

Mostra competitiva de ficção:

Fotos, trailers e cartazes dos filmes: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/11OWdjmQVm7-PpU7IJvYK6AGud7ZEBJ4V

  • A Mesma Parte de um Homem, de Ana Johamm
  • A Queda, de Diego Rocha
  • Cemitério das Almas Perdidas, de Rodrigo Aragão
  • Curral, de Marcelo Brennand
  • De Perto Ela Não É Normal, de Cininha de Paula
  • King Kong en Assuncíon, de Camilo Cavalcante
  • Madalena, de Madiano Marcheti
  • O Palestrante, de Marcelo Antunez
  • Raia 4, de Emiliano Cunha
  • Sertânia, de Geraldo Sarno
  • Um Dia com Jeruza, de Viviane Ferreira
  • Um Dia Qualquer, de Pedro Von Krüger

 

Mostra competitiva de documentário:

Fotos, trailers e cartazes dos filmes: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1DdjBhCUhBfXtKteUpbk1itcSXn3v_YQ2 

  • A Mulher da Luz Própria, de Sinai Sganzerla
  • A Nossa Bandeira Jamais Será Vermelha, de Pablo Guelli
  • Alvorada, de Ana Muylaerte e Lô Politi
  • Ana. Sem Título, de Lúcia Murat
  • Chico Mario – A Melodia da Liberdade, de Silvio Tendler
  • Doidos de Pedra- O Paraiso Ameaçado, de Luiz Eduardo Ozório
  • Dorival Caymmi – Um Homem de Afetos, de Daniela Broitman
  • Extermínio, de Mirela Kruel
  • Glauber, Claro, de César Meneghetti
  • Máquinas de Desejo, de Lucas Weglinski e Joaquim Castro
  • Por Onde Anda Makunaima, de Rodrigo Séllos
  • Reflexo do Lago, de Fernando Segtowick
  • Ziraldo, Uma Obra que Pede Socorro, de Guga Dannemann

 

Mostra de curtas-metragens:

Fotos, trailers e cartazes dos filmes: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1SCB9ruED8EGMR240eBFOg1xAzmWjaJ91 

  • 111+, de Ivaldo Correia
  • A Balada da Nobre Senhora, de Hsu Chien
  • A Lista, de Luciana de Oliveira
  • Adelaide Aqui não Há Segunda Vez para o Erro, de Anna Zêpa
  • Alfazema, de Sabrina Fidalgo
  • Antígona Pajubá, de Fabrício Boliveira
  • Atordoado, Eu Permaneço Atento, de Henrique Amud e Lucas H. Rossi dos Santos
  • Debaixo do Guarda-Chuva para Ser Resistência, de Vini Poffo
  • Entre, de Ana Carolina Marinho e Bárbara Santos
  • Éter Godzilla, de André Alves Pinto
  • Gado Marcado, de Estevan Muniz
  • Histórias de uma Cidade, de Felipe Nepomuceno
  • Isabela, de Diego Lopes e Claudio Bitencourt
  • Janelas Daqui, de Luciano Vidigal e Arthur Sherman
  • Janelas Pelo Mundo*, de Bia Oliveira
  • João Bosco e Aldir Blanc – Parceria É Isso Aí!, de Pedro Pontes
  • Nina Aprendendo a Andar de Bicicleta*, de Luísa Parnes
  • O Buraco, de Zeudi Souza
  • O Sobrevivente, de Silvia Rocha Campos
  • Simples Assim*, de Luciana Bittencourt
  • Vai Melhorar, de Pedro Fiuza
  • Zero, de Sacha Bali

* Coproduções Brasil-Estados Unidos.

 

Sobre o Inffinito Brazilian Film Festival

Pioneiro na promoção e difusão do cinema brasileiro no mercado internacional, o Inffinito Film Festival realizou, ao longo das últimas décadas, eventos, mostras e festivais de cinema em cidades como Miami, Nova York, Londres, Vancouver, Roma, Milão, Frascati, Madri, Barcelona, Montevidéu, Buenos Aires, Canudos e Bogotá. Em 87 edições dos festivais, o circuito soma mais de 1200 filmes exibidos para um público de mais de 2 milhões de pessoas, criando assim uma forte relação com o consumidor do produto audiovisual brasileiro no exterior. O pioneirismo da Inffinito também se espelha no mundo digital, com a criação da primeira plataforma online de cinema brasileiro: www.inff.online, lançada em 2020.

Patrocínio: Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners, City of Miami Beach – CAC, Garcia Family Foundation e Titanio Films.

Cia Aérea Oficial: American Airlines

 

Embaixadoras Inffinito: Laura Fernandes, Liliana Kawase e Renata Garcia.

 

Apoio: City Parks Foundation & SummerStage, Regal Cinemas, Fogo de Chão e ATC Cargo.

 

Apoio de Midia: AcheiUSA Newspaper, Acontece Magazine, Radio Florida Brazil, Culture Owl e Canal Brasil.

 

Amigos do Festival: Brazilian General Consulate in Miami, Brazilian General Consulate in New York, Florida International University, BACC – Brazilian American Chamber of Commerce of Florida and New York, BRATECC – Brazil Texas Chamber of Commerce e Centro Cultural Brazil USA.

 

 

Realização e produção: Inffinito

Brazil: Brazilian Data Protection Law (LGPD) Administrative Sanctions Came Into Force

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On August 1, 2021, the administrative sanctions provided for the Brazilian Data Protection Law (LGPD) – Law No. 13.709/2018 (the “Law”) came into force and will be applied by the Brazilian Data Protection Authority (ANPD).

LGPD provides that data processing agents (controller and processor) who violate the rules provided for in the Law will be subject to:

 

By Cristiane Manzueto and Eduardo Maccari Telles via Mondaq

 

Read full article here

Brazil’s Rio Grande do Norte signs MoU to expand renewables portfolio

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In Brazil, the state government of Rio Grande do Norte and Enterprize Energy have signed a Memorandum of Understanding that will enable the region to expand its portfolio of renewables.

Enterprise Energy has been tasked with identifying opportunities for the development of green hydrogen, offshore wind, and green ammonia in the state. To do so, the company will engage with local businesses, academic institutions, and local and federal authorities on infrastructure development and operation.

 

Via Power Engineering International

 

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Brazil announces national data protection council

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The Brazilian government has announced the members of the National Council for the Protection of Personal Data and Privacy (CNPD) as part of the process of implementation of the country’s data protection rules.

Announced on Monday (9) through a presidential decree, the advisory board is part of the implementation of Brazil’s General Data Protection Law (LGPD). The council is tasked with the formulation of guidelines for the application of the data protection rules, including the provision of subsidies for the creation of the national data protection and privacy policy.

 

By Angelica Mari via ZD Net

 

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Energy storage with recycled batteries from Brazil

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Brazil-based Energy Source is betting on two new business models to boost its revenue in 2021: storage services with reused batteries and the recycling of batteries that have already completed their second life cycles, including the recovery of metals such as cobalt.

The company expects to conclude a financing round by October that will support its “battery-as-a-service” (BaaS) model. The expectation is to raise BRL 12 million ($2.3 million) from existing partners and investors.

 

By Livia Neves via PV Magazine

 

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EXCLUSIVE Great Wall Motor to shift some India investment to Brazil after approval delays -sources

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NEW DELHI/BEIJING, Aug 11 (Reuters) – Great Wall Motor (601633.SS) has decided to re-allocate to Brazil a portion of its $1-billion investment in India, as the Chinese automaker has been unnerved by a year-long delay in winning government approvals, three sources told Reuters.

The re-allocation, which could range up to $300 million, comes as the sources said the maker of popular sport-utility vehicles (SUVs) and pick-ups was close to acquiring a former Daimler (DAIGn.DE) plant in Brazil to build cars.

By Aditi Shah and Yilei Sun via Reuters

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UPDATE 1-Brazil’s BTG Pactual Q2 profit jumps 74%

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SAO PAULO, Aug 10 (Reuters) – Brazilian lender Banco BTG Pactual SA reported on Tuesday a 74% rise in second-quarter recurring net income, to 1.719 billion reais ($328.48 million), amid booming capital markets activity in the country.

BTG’s revenue came in at 3.771 billion reais, a 52% jump from a year earlier, mainly driven by lending, investment banking and asset management fees.

 

By Carolina Mandl via Reuters

 

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Brazil to hold port auctions this week

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The Agência Nacional de Transportes Aquaviários (ANTAQ), Brazil’s national agency for waterway transportation, will hold an auction to lease areas in the ports of Amapá, Ceará and Salvador on Friday.

At the Port of Santana, an area measuring just over 3,185 square metres will be auctioned for a term of 25 years. The area is intended for the movement of bulk vegetable solids, especially soy bran.

 

By Kim Biggar via Splash247.com

 

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Brazil connects 205 MW of wind farms in July

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August 6 (Renewables Now) – Brazil has given the go-ahead to 205.2 MW of wind farms to commence operations in July 2021, power sector regulator Aneel announced on Thursday.

In all, the country has connected 467.06 MW of new capacity last month, with wind parks accounting for 43.9% of that. Since the beginning of the year, Aneel has okayed some 2,282.93 MW of new plants to start operations.

 

By Lucas Morais via Renewables Now

 

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Brazil’s Petrobras beats estimates on strong natgas sales, crude prices

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RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug 4 (Reuters) – Brazil’s Petrobras beat second quarter profit estimates on Wednesday, as higher Brent prices, strong natural gas sales and relatively controlled expenses boosted the company’s bottom line.

In an evening securities filing, Petroleo Brasileiro SA (PETR4.SA), as the company is formally known, reported a quarterly net income of 42.855 billion reais ($8.29 billion), up from a loss in the same period last year and well above the Refinitiv consensus estimate of 30.7 billion reais.

By Gram Slattery and Marta Nogueira via Reuters

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Brazil’s Real Jumps on Pledge of Even More Aggressive Rate Hikes

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Brazil’s real led gains among emerging market currencies after the central bank delivered its most aggressive interest rate increase in nearly two decades and promised to bring back a restrictive monetary policy to tame above-target inflation.

By Maria Eloisa Capurro and Maria Elena Vizcaino via Bloomberg

Brazil retailers hunt for M&A deals to compete for e-commerce dominance

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August 4 (Reuters) – In March last year, Oziel da Silva Santos needed a new TV but with stores closed due to COVID-19 restrictions in Brazil’s northern city of Belem, the 50-year old was clueless about how to get one. He followed a link on the website of furniture retailer Via Varejo (VVAR3.SA) and called a store manager.

On the other end of the line was Railton Sampaio, a manager at the city’s largest Via Varejo. Sampaio helped him buy the TV online, sending the link for payment through the commonly used messaging app WhatsApp.

By Tatiana Bautzer via Reuters

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Amazon launches free one-day delivery in Brazil amid fierce competition

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SAO PAULO (Reuters) – E-commerce giant Amazon.com Inc started to offer its Brazilian Prime subscribers free one-day delivery in 50 cities on Wednesday, amid fierce market competition in Latin America’s largest economy.

The move comes as rivals such as MercadoLibre and Magazine Luiza are investing heavily to ramp up delivery speeds and gain clients.

 

By Jimin Kang via KFGO

 

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Brazil Express Delivery Market Report 2021-2025 – Adoption of New Technologies in Express Delivery Services and FTAs Spurring Market Growth – ResearchAndMarkets.com

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DUBLIN, August 03, 2021–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The “Express Delivery Market in Brazil 2021-2025” report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com’s offering.

The express delivery market in Brazil is poised to grow by $ 1.49 billion during 2021-2025, progressing at a CAGR of almost 4%

 

Via Yahoo Finance

 

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Neoenergia switches on 35 MW of wind capacity in Brazil

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August 2 (Renewables Now) – Brazilian utility company Neoenergia SA (BVMF:NEOE3) has started the commercial operation of a 34.65-MW portion of the 471.25-MW Chafariz wind complex, the firm announced last week.

With 10 turbines up and running already, a portion of the larger wind farm has been delivered 17 months before the contract signed for supplies to the regulated market becomes effective.

 

By Lucas Morais via Renewables Now

 

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The Mexican startup Kavak enters Brazil with an investment of 500 million dollars

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The Mexican unicorn Kavak announced the start of its operations in Brazil with an investment of more than 500 million dollars.

“Our business model is growing fast, due to our ability to formalize the pre-owned car market through data technology and artificial intelligence, which allows us to streamline the car buying and selling process; reduce reconditioning time and evaluate the different financing options, in addition to eradicating fraud risks by eliminating dealing with third parties and granting guarantees in a sector that registers various types of crimes due to informality in transactions ”, stated Carlos García Ottati , CEO of the company for the sale and purchase of pre-owned cars.

 

Via Entrepreneur

 

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Joshua Kushner’s Thrive Capital leads $20M investment in Brazilian healthcare startup Pipo Saude

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Pipo Saude, a startup that developed a platform that sells and manages healthcare benefits for Brazilian companies, has raised $20 million in a Series A round of funding.

Joshua Kushner’s Thrive Capital led the round, marking the first time the New York-based venture firm has led an investment in a Brazilian startup. (Although, notably, Thrive has also put money in Nubank and Loft.)

 

By Mary Ann Azevedo via Tech Crunch

 

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Brazil creates cyberattack response network

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Brazil has created a cyberattack response network aimed at promoting faster response to cyber threats and vulnerabilities through the coordination between federal government bodies.

Created through a presidential decree signed on July 16, the Federal Cyber Incident Management Network will encompass the Institutional Security Office of the presidency as well as all bodies and entities under the federal government administration. Public companies, mixed capital companies and their subsidiaries may become members of the network on a voluntary basis.

 

By Angelica Mari via ZD Net

 

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Brazil expects grain production to grow 27%, meat to grow 24% over next 10 years

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In relation to what the country produces in this season of 2020/2021, the increase in production until 2030/2031 should be 71 million tons, an increase of 27.1%, at a growth rate of 2.4% per year. Soybeans, second crop corn and cotton should continue to drive growth.

The numbers are from the study Projections of Agribusiness, Brazil 2020/21 to 2030/31 , carried out by the Secretariat of Agricultural Policy, of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (Mapa), by the Secretariat of Intelligence and Strategic Relations, of the Brazilian Research Corporation Agriculture (Embrapa), and by the Department of Statistics, University of Brasília (UnB).

 

By Brazil’s Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply via The Pig Site

 

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UPDATE 1-Brazil consumer confidence rises to 9-month high in July -FGV

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BRASILIA, July 26 (Reuters) – Consumer confidence in Brazil rose in July to a nine-month high, a survey indicated on Monday, a fourth consecutive increase fueled more by future expectations than sentiment around the current situation.

The Getulio Vargas Foundation’s (FGV) consumer confidence index rose to 82.2 points from 80.9 in June, reaching the highest since October last year, FGV said.
By Jamie McGeever via Reuters

Brazil: the number of commercial flights grows for third month consecutively

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In July, Brazilian airlines registered the third consecutive month of growth in the national air network, with an average of 1,624 daily departures, or the equivalent of 67.7% of the flight offer at the beginning of March 2020, in face of the severe impacts of the pandemic in the sector.

The growth compared to the 1,230 daily departures in June is of 16.4 percentage points. The data were collected by the Asociación Brasileña de Aerolíneas (ABEAR), with data from the National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC), and published in our partner media in Brazil, Aeroin.net.

 

By Edgardo Gimenez Mazó via Aviacionline

 

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Algar Telecom launches digital point solutions in Brazil

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Brazilian telecommunications company Algar Telecom, a telecommunications and technology company belonging to the Algar Group, has just launched Controle de Ponto, an electronic timesheet digitalization solution, developed in partnership with Tangerino, a company specializing in workday management technology.

The solution was created for micro and small companies (MPE), a segment that lacks automation of the journey management, and has data stored in the cloud and an intuitive and agile interface.

 

By Shailaja Pai via Developing Telecoms

 

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Brazil Sees Slowdown in Covid Cases for The First Time in 8 Months

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For the first time in eight months, the rate of Covid cases in Brazil is decelerating. The country was in a flat or accelerated stage since November last year, but this situation has reversed with the advance of vaccination.

The conclusion comes from Folha‘s Covid acceleration monitor. The platform measures the variation of newly infected people in the last 30 days, based on a statistical model developed by USP researchers Renato Vicente and Rodrigo Veiga.

 

By Kiratiana Freelon via Folha de S. Paulo

 

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Venture Capital Investment In Brazil Reaches $5.2 Billion During H1 2021

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Brazilian startups attracted record levels of investment as the ecosystem matures with international funds rushing to seize opportunities in the Latin American country, according to research.

During the first six months of 2021, a total of $5.2 billion was invested in startups based in Brazil, according to numbers released by open innovation network Distrito. By comparison, the total invested in the whole of 2020 – which was considered to be the best year on record for the ecosystem until recently – reached $3.5 billion.

 

By Angelica Mari via Forbes

 

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Brazil agricultural retailer Agrogalaxy launches IPO

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SAO PAULO, July 19 (Reuters) – Brazil’s Agrogalaxy Participacoes launched an initial public offering (IPO) on Monday aiming to raise roughly 385 million reais ($75.27 million), a securities filing from the agricultural supplies retailer showed.

The company set its price range at between 13.75 reais and 16.50 reais. The final price will be set on July 22.

 

By Carolina Mandl via Yahoo Finance

 

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Mattos Filho recognized in two important publications in the legal market

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We are very pleased to announce that Chambers & Partners, one of the international legal market’s most relevant institutions, has featured Mattos Filho in its Chambers Brazil 2021 rankings.

In the Industries & Sectors chapter we are ranked across the highest number of categories (12) with the highest number of recognized professionals (26) among all Brazilian law firms.

 

Read the full document here

Shell, Gerdau to develop 190-MW solar project in Brazil

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July 19 (Renewables Now) – The Brazilian unit of oil and gas major Royal Dutch Shell Plc (AMS:RDSA) has partnered up with local steel producer Gerdau SA (BVMF:GGBR4) to develop a 190-MW direct current (DC) solar project in Minas Gerais state.

The companies have signed an agreement establishing the guidelines for the implementation of a 50/50 joint venture (JV) in relation to the project.

 

By Lucas Morais via Renewables Now

 

Read full article now

Vaccine Support Reaches 94% in Brazil

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Despite President Jair Bolsonaro’s attacks on immunization against Covid-19, support for vaccines against the disease continues to grow in Brazil and reached a record level, 94% of the population, according to Datafolha research.

Datafolha surveyed 2,074 people aged 16 and over in 146 cities across the country on July 7th and 8th. The margin of error is plus or minus two percentage points.

 

By Angela Pinho via Folha de S. Paulo

 

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Relatório Social 2020 Machado Meyer

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Carta do CEO

O ano de 2020, tão atípico e difícil, reforçou a importância de sermos um escritório fundamentado em uma cultura e em valores sólidos. Acreditamos que esse foi um elemento fundamental para enfrentar o momento e possibilitou uma aproximação ainda maior de nossas pessoas e dos nossos clientes, ajudando a garantir a sustentabilidade do nosso negócio.
Em 48 anos, nunca havíamos vivenciado uma crise tão inesperada e desafiadora. A pandemia exigiu de nós uma reavaliação de antigos hábitos como forma de nos ajustarmos à nova realidade, direcionando também nossos esforços para continuar gerando impacto positivo para a sociedade.
Compartilhamos nas próximas páginas deste relatório as ações realizadas pela nossa área de Responsabilidade Social Corporativa (RSC) para que 2020 fosse transformador para muitas pessoas, sendo um dos destaques do ano, o compromisso do escritório com o Pacto Global. Por meio dele, reforçamos nosso apoio contínuo à organização e iniciamos formalmente nosso
compromisso com a iniciativa e seus princípios.
Esperamos que todos os cenários sigam melhorando de agora em diante e que possamos dar continuidade à nossa trajetória com muita saúde, diversidade, ética e orgulho.

Tito Andrade
Sócio-Administrador

 

Leia o Relatório Completo

Brazil Likely to Remain World Leader in Soybean Production

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Brazil is projected to retain its position as the largest soybean producer over the next decade. In the 2020/21 season, Brazil produced a record of 4,994 million bushels of soybeans, up 8.9% from last season’s record crop of 4,587 million bushels, according to data from the National Supply Company (Conab). The area harvested this season is also at a record of 95.16 million acres, up 4.2% from last season. The growth Brazilian acres are expected to be continue higher than the United States and Argentina, two of the other major producers of soybeans. In addition, recent advances in logistics, such as on the railroad called the North-South, should create opportunities to improve competitiveness in the transportation sector.

 

By Joana Colussi and Gary Schnitkey via Farmaco Daily

 

Read full article here

Neoenergia energises transmission line for 69-MW wind park in Brazil

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July 13 (Renewables Now) – Brazilian utility company Neoenergia SA (BVMF:NEOE3) has started the commercial operation of a 500-kV transmission line in Brazil that will enable the evacuation of electricity from a 69.3-MW portion of the 471-MW Chafariz wind complex.

With 20 wind turbines, the 69.3-MW portion is currently in its testing phase, Neoenergia announced on Monday.

 

By Lucas Morais via Renewables Now

 

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Brazilian HR Startup Flash Raises $22M in a Tiger Global-Led Series B Round of Funding

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Flash, a startup that has developed a flexible benefits platform for Brazilian companies and employees, has raised $22 million in a Series B round of funding led by Tiger Global Management.

Monashees (which led Flash’s Series A), Global Founders Capital (who backed Flash’s seed round), Citius and Kauffman Fellows also participated in the financing.

 

By Mary Ann Azevedo via TechCrunch

 

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Spain’s Solatio putting up 810-MWp solar complex in Brazil

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July 12 (Renewables Now) – The Brazilian government officials and representatives from Spanish PV sector player Solatio Energia on Friday inaugurated a solar power complex that will add 810 MWp once fully up and running.

Solatio, a company with more than a decade-long presence in Brazil, is installing the BRL-3-billion (USD 570.3m/EUR 480.6m) three solar-farm project in the state of Pernambuco.

 

By Lucas Morais via Renewables Now

 

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Argentina-Brazil soybean meal basis spread widens to record

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he Argentina-Brazil FOB soybean meal basis spread widened to a record as weakening export demand and a shallow Parana River put pressure on Argentina’s premiums for nearby loadings.

The spread reached $20/st July 6-7, with the basis for August loading in Argentina’s Up River cargo market assessed at parity July 6 and at plus $1/st July 7 to the correspondent Chicago Board of Trade contract. In Brazil’s Paranagua paper market, the basis for the same month was assessed at plus $20/st July 6 and plus $21/st July 7, S&P Global Platts data showed.

 

By Jose Roberto Gomes via S&P Global Platts

 

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Huge offshore wind farm to power green hydrogen in Brazil

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French renewable energy company Qair has signed an initial deal to build an offshore wind farm to support green hydrogen production in the northern Brazilian state of Ceará, the state government has announced.

Under the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed this week with state governor Camilo Santana, the company’s Brazilian subsidiary would build the 1,216MW Dragao do Mar wind development on the state’s continental shelf. Electricity from the turbines would supply an electrolysis plant with the capacity to produce 296,000 tonnes a year of green hydrogen to be located at the Pecém Port Complex in Ceará.

 

By Tom Azzopardi via Wind Power Monthly

 

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Brazil authorizes Butanvac vaccine for volunteers in clinical trial

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BRASILIA, July 7 (Reuters) – Brazilian health regulator Anvisa on Wednesday gave the go-ahead for the Butanvac COVID-19 vaccine developed by Sao Paulo’s Butantan Institute biomedical center to be used on volunteers in clinical trials.

Anvisa in a statement said the vaccine will be applied in two doses, 28 days apart. Phase I of Butanvac’s clinical trial will involve 400 volunteers, and the first two phases are expected to involve 6,000 volunteers in total.

By Jamie McGeever via Reuters

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Brazil Retail Sales Rose in May on Easing of Social Distancing Measures

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SAO PAULO–Brazil retail sales rose in May, the second consecutive month of growth, as the gradual easing of social distancing measures in many parts of the country allowed consumers to get out and spend more.

Sales increased a seasonally adjusted 1.4% in the month and rose 16% from a year earlier, the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, or IBGE said Wednesday. In April, sales climbed a revised 4.9% in the month and jumped a revised 23.7% from a year earlier.

 

By Jeffrey T. Lewis via  Market Watch

 

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Anhydrous ethanol spot premium in Center-South Brazil trading at discount over term contracts

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The anhydrous ethanol spot premium over hydrous in Brazil’s Center-South traded at 13%, S&P Global Platts’ assessment showed July 6, down from the 14% average anhydrous premium in term contracts for the Center-South 2021-22 crop.

Platts considered hydrous and anhydrous free of taxes to calculate the spot premium.

 

By Nicolle Monteiro de Castro via S&P Platts

 

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Meet The Entrepreneurs Ushering Black Women Into UX Careers In Brazil

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As discussions over gender and racial inequality in the technology sector gather pace in Brazil, a group of entrepreneurs is working to address these issues by training black women in careers in user experience (UX) and connecting them with employers.

UX Para Minas Pretas (UXMP), which in Portuguese translates to “UX For Black Girls” was created by Karen Santos in 2019. The São Paulo-based company aims to provide technical and professional training to black women, as well as the community support required to develop a career in the field of UX, which focuses on how a user interacts with and experiences an product, system or service online.

 

By Angelica Mari via Forbes

 

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Mercado Bitcoin Becomes Brazil’s First Crypto Unicorn With Softbank Round

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After raising US$ 200 million from Softbank Latin America Fund, Brazilian cryptocurrency exchange Mercado Bitcoin became the country’s latest unicorn, the name given to technology companies worth more than US$ 1 billion.

With a US$ 2.1 billion valuation, the company is also the first crypto unicorn in Brazil. With the transaction, announced on Thursday (1), 2TM Group, the holding controlling Mercado Bitcoin, became the eighth most valuable unicorn in Latin America, the company noted, based on Crunchbase data.
By Angelica Mari via Forbes

Mattos Fillho is recognized in two of the legal market’s most renowned publications

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Mattos Filho’s performance has been highlighted in two of the international legal market’s most renowned publications this week.

In IJGlobal 2020, we featured in the highest number of recognized cases among all Brazilian law firms in the Mining Latin America, LNG-to-power Latin America and Water Latin America categories. IJGlobal 2020 recognizes the most relevant and complex project financing transactions carried out in the Americas.

Meanwhile, the IFLR 1000 – which classifies firms with outstanding performance in corporate and financial transactions – ranked Mattos Filho as a Tier 1 firm in the Capital Markets Equity, Capital Markets Debt and Investment Funds categories.

Such recognition reinforces the success of our collaborative and multidisciplinary work model, always aiming to offer clients strategic and innovative solutions.

 

Mattos Filho

Express Delivery Market in Brazil in Air Freight & Logistics Industry to grow by USD 1.49 billion | Technavio

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The COVID-19 pandemic continues to transform the growth of various industries, however, the immediate impact of the outbreak is varied. COVID-19 will have at Par impact on the express delivery market in brazil. As per Technavio’s pandemic-focused market research, market growth is likely to increase in 2021 as compared to 2020.

The express delivery market in Brazil in the air freight & logistics industry is expected to grow by USD 1.49 billion, progressing at a CAGR of almost 4% during 2021-2025, as per the new report from Technavio. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, the latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment.

 

By Jesse Maida via Yahoo Finance

 

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Brazil’s Oil Boom Continues Unabated

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Latin America’s largest oil producer Brazil is one of the worst affected countries globally by the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the World Health Organization, Brazil is the third ranked country by volume of cases and second by deaths. There were fears earlier this year that the rapid spread of the virus would derail Brazil’s offshore oil boom, particularly with a surge in cases among energy sector workers. By March 2021 petroleum and natural gas production was in decline with total hydrocarbon output falling by nearly 3% year over year to an average of 3.6 million barrels of oil equivalent per day. Such was the severity of the pandemic and sharp increase in cases Brazil’s hydrocarbon production was expected to fall further. Nevertheless, by April operations began to recover and the country’s economically critical oil output was rising.

 

By Matthew Smith via Yahoo Finance

 

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Etsy To Acquire Brazilian Crafts Marketplace Elo7

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US crafts marketplace Etsy announced today (28) that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire its Brazilian equivalent Elo7 as part of an international expansion plan.

Purchased for $217 million, Elo7 is one largest e-commerce sites in Brazil, with more than 56.000 sellers, 1.9 million users and more than 8 million items for sale including handmade and custom-made goods as well as craft supplies. Subject to regulatory approvals, the deal should be concluded in the next quarter.
By Angelica Mari via Forbes

New solar systems factory to be built in Brazil’s Ceara state

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June 28 (Renewables Now) – Brazilian solar equipment company Renovigi Energia Solar will build a factory in Ceara state for the production of photovoltaic (PV) systems, the local government announced on Friday.

Under a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by governor Camilo Santana, the company will invest BRL 12.4 million (USD 2.5m/EUR 2.1m) to construct the production facility in the Pecem Industrial and Port Complex. The site will also accommodate a distribution centre.

 

By Lucas Morais via Renewables Now

 

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Brazil travel co CVC to issue up to $96 mln in new shares

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RIO DE JANEIRO, June 22 (Reuters) – The board of Brazilian travel company CVC Operadora e Agencia de Viagens SA has approved an offering of up to 480 million reais ($95.8 million) in new shares, the firm said on Tuesday.

In a securities filing, CVC said the company would offer a minimum of roughly 20.1 million shares and a maximum of roughly 25.1 million shares, at a price of 19.12 reais per share.

 

By Gram Slattery via Yahoo Finance

 

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Brazil’s Congress approves bill to privatize Eletrobras

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The lower house of the Brazilian Congress passed legislation on Monday paving the way for the selling off of the state’s majority shares in South America’s largest energy company Eletrobras.

With the sale of its 61% stake in the utility giant, formally known as Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras SA, the Brazilian government is hoping to raise around 25 billion reais ($5 billion, €4.2 billion).

 

Via DW

 

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Brazil hopes to expand fresh fruit exports to China

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RIO DE JANEIRO, June 21 (Xinhua) — Brazil hopes to expand its fresh fruit exports to China by adding several of its leading products, Brazilian Agriculture Minister Tereza Cristina said on Monday.

In an interview with the foreign press, Cristina said Brazil is the third-largest fruit producer in the world, but a low-ranked exporter. The country only export melon to China.

 

Via Xinhua News

 

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6 Photographers That Made Photos of Brazil Show Its Beautiful Diversity

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Brazil is certainly a country of great interest. For many, it’s a beautiful holiday destination. But for millions of natives, it’s a difficult place to exist. Because of its diversity, many photographers have made photos of Brazil. Some show its glory, while others show its reality. In this piece, we look back at the work we’ve featured that explores the truth of the largest country in Latin America.

 

By Dan Ginn via Yahoo Finance

 

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Brazil’s banking system braces for new ESG regulation

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In 2014, the state of São Paulo, Brazil’s most populous region and one of Latin America’s most heavily urbanized areas, experienced a historic drought for more than two years.

“We had to take short showers,” said Christopher Wells, Banco Santander SA’s global head of environmental and social risk. “It makes you think about life in a very different way.”

 

By David Feliba via S&P Global Market Intelligence

 

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Brazil regulation seen allowing more U.S. GMO crop imports

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SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Brazil’s government published a new regulation on Thursday to align rules for genetically modified (GMO) crops with global standards, a move the agriculture lobby says will make it easier to import more GMO soy and corn from the United States.

Under the new rules, published by Brazilian biosecurity regulator CTNBio in the official government gazette, crops with different genetic modifications can be transported in the same ship, provided each modification is already approved, industry group CropLife said.

 

By Roberto Samora via Reuters

 

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Brazil Tests the World’s First Facial Recognition Shuttle Service

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SÃO PAULO, Jun 16, 2021–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The Project Embarque + Seguro 100% Digital Boarding System, using the Brazilian government’s facial recognition, arrives this Tuesday (June 15) at the Congonhas Airport (SP). For the first time in the world, passengers on the air shuttle service between the capitals of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro will participate in the simultaneous testing of this end-to-end technology without the need to present neither a boarding pass nor an identification document. The Project of the Ministry of Infrastructure, developed in partnership with Serpro and the Special Secretariat of Debureaucratization, Management and Digital Government of the Ministry of Economy, has already been tested at the airports of Florianópolis (SC), Salvador (BA), Santos Dumont (RJ) and Belo Horizonte (Confins).

 

Via Yahoo Finance

 

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Brazil reaches 19 GW of installed wind power capacity

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A decade ago, the segment still had just over 1.5 GW of installed capacity and today it is the second largest, only behind hydroelectric generation.
Wind generation in Brazil reached the mark of 19 GW of installed capacity, which represents 10% of the national electricity matrix. According to data presented by the Brazilian Wind Energy Association (Abeeólica), there are 726 wind farms and more than 8,500 wind turbines in operation. A decade ago, the segment still had just over 1.5 GW of capacity and today it is the second largest, only behind hydroelectric generation.

 

Via EVWind

 

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Advent invests $430 mln in Brazil payments firm Ebanx before IPO

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SAO PAULO, June 15 (Reuters) – Funds managed by Advent International are investing $430 million in the Brazilian payments company Ebanx, financing its growth in Latin America ahead of an initial public offering planned for the coming months, Ebanx Chief Executive said on Tuesday.

CEO and co-founder Joao Del Valle said the company plans to use the proceeds from acquisitions to further expand operations in countries such as Mexico, Colombia and Argentina. Advent is also buying a stake from Ebanx’s existing investors.

 

By Carolina Mandl via Yahoo Finance

 

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Brazil’s Paraiba to become home to 1.6-GW solar project and PV factory

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June 14 (Renewables Now) – Brazilian energy company Rio Alto Energias Renovaveis SA will implement a 1,625-MW solar power complex in Paraiba state, governor Joao Azevedo announced on Friday.

Named Santa Luzia, the solar project will consist of 28 farms with an individual capacity of 58 MWp. Rio Alto estimates it will initially invest some BRL 4.1 billion (USD 801.5m/EUR 662m) in the scheme.

 

 

By Lucas Morais via Renewables Now

 

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How simple steps led to a big leap for Brazil’s schools

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There may not be a simple secret to improving public schools but, if there is a formula, then the Brazilian city of Sobral might lay claim to it.

Located in the historically poorer north-east of the country, the municipality of 210,000 residents once had middling learning outcomes. An assessment of third-grade students (aged eight) there two decades ago found that two out of five could not read a simple word.

 

By Michael Pooler via Financial Times

 

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Brazil to study costal wind power potential

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June 11 (Renewables Now) – Brazil’s Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI) will carry out a technical study that will measure the wind power potential of the coast between the states of Amapa and Rio Grande do Norte.

The announcement was made on Wednesday after a meeting between the MCTI minister, Marcos Pontes, and senator Davi Alcolumbre. In all, the government will invest BRL 5 million (USD 984,000/EUR 808,000) to conduct the study.

 

By Lucas Morais via Renewables Now

 

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Brazil begins path toward power capacity market

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The Brazilian government will conduct its first power capacity auction in December, seeking companies willing to build generation capacity to begin serving demand in 2026.

The market is meant to handle the challenges of integrating intermittent power sources like wind and solar into the grid. But critics of the auction say its costs will be unfairly borne by consumers, and concerns are mounting that the plan will not add capacity soon enough to handle tightening supply in the short term.

 

By Flávia Pierry via Argus Media

 

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Brazil OK’s clinical tests for homegrown COVID vaccine Butanvac

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Brazil’s health regulator Anvisa on Wednesday authorized Phase 1 and 2 clinical tests to be carried out on volunteers for the Butanvac vaccine developed by Sao Paulo’s Butantan Institute biomedical center.

The tests for the two-shot vaccine were initially authorized for 400 volunteers, but will later involve an expected total of 6,000 volunteers aged 18 and over, Anvisa said.

Via Reuters

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Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Invests $500 Million In Brazilian Challenger Nubank

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Brazilian digital bank Nubank has announced today (8) that it has received a $500 million investment from Warren Buffett’s investment fund Berkshire Hathaway.

Berkshire Hathaway’s investment is an extension of the fintech’s $400 million Series G round announced in January. Buffett’s company also has StoneCo, a Brazil-based digital payments firm, among its tech investments in the region.

 

By Angelica Mari via Forbes

 

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Brazil to receive 3 million doses of J&J COVID vaccine – minister

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Brazil will receive a first batch of 3 million doses of the single-shot Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N) vaccine against COVID-19 in the next few days, Health Minister Marcelo Queiroga said on Thursday.

Queiroga said export of the vaccines, developed by J&J’s Janssen subsidiary, from the United States still requires authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Via Reuters

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Brazil economy rebounds to pre-pandemic level, pointing to brighter 2021

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Brazil’s economy grew by 1.2% in the first quarter, data showed on Tuesday, faster than economists had expected, as rebounding services and investments took Latin America’s largest economy back to is size at the end of 2019, before the pandemic hit.

It was the third consecutive quarter of growth. While the rebound has slowed, underlying figures suggest strong foundations for a continued recovery, prompting upward revisions to full-year forecasts and a surge in Brazil’s currency.

By Jamie Mcgeever via Reuters

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How a vaccination experiment known as ‘Project S’ transformed one small Brazilian city

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Serrana (CNN)Hope has returned to the small city of Serrana, Brazil, after researchers vaccinated almost its entire adult population in a city-wide medical experiment this spring.

“Everything is practically open now, and the atmosphere is so different, so much lighter and joyful. We feel safe while the other cities around us are in a very difficult situation,” says Ricardo Luiz, owner of a well-known restaurant in Serrana.
By Marcia Reverdosa and Rodrigo Pedroso via CNN

Brazil’s Anvisa approves Russian Sputnik V vaccine, with conditions

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Brazilian health regulator Anvisa on Friday gave the green light for states to import the Russian COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik V, but with conditions attached.

Anvisa’s board voted 4-1 to grant the conditional approval after more than seven hours of deliberation, following the recommendation of its technical staff earlier in the day.

By Jamie McGeever and Lisandra Paraguassu via Reuters

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Brazilian proptech startup QuintoAndar lands $300M at a $4B valuation

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Fintech and proptech are two sectors that are seeing exploding growth in Latin America, as financial services and real estate are two categories in particular dire need of innovation in a region.

Brazil’s QuintoAndar, which has developed a real estate marketplace focused on rentals and sales, has seen impressive growth in recent years. And today, the São Paulo-based proptech has announced it has closed on $300 million in a Series E round of funding that values it at an impressive $4 billion.

By Mary Ann Azevedo via TechCrunch

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AliExpress eyes ‘live commerce,’ financial products to expand Brazil sales

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SAO PAULO, May 26 (Reuters) – AliExpress, the global e-commerce platform of Chinese giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd , aims to increase its Brazil sales by offering “live commerce,” financial services and registering local sellers in its marketplace, its Brazilian head told Reuters on Wednesday.

With Brazil sales growth of around 130% in 2020, the shopping portal wants to use these initiatives to deepen its links with customers in Brazil, which has become one of the five largest AliExpress markets in sales in the world, Yan Di said.

 

By Aluisio Alves via Yahoo Finance

 

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Brazil announces digital currency guidelines

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Brazil’s central bank has launched the general guidelines for the digitization of its currency, the real.

The announcement on the intentions to create a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) made today (24) is part of the central bank’s agenda for the modernization of the Brazilian payments industry, which included the launch of instant payments last November and the ongoing implementation of open banking.

 

By Angelica Mari via ZD Net

 

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Enbridge, Fluxys, EIG bid for Brazil’s top natgas import pipeline, sources say

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A consortium of Canada’s Enbridge (ENB.TO), Belgium’s Fluxys (FLUX.BR) and U.S. private equity firm EIG Global Energy Partners has submitted a non-binding offer for Brazil’s largest natural gas import pipeline, three people with knowledge of the matter told Reuters this week.

Petroleo Brasileiro SA (PETR4.SA), as Brazil’s state-run oil company is formally known, put its stakes in the 2,593-kilometer (1,611-mile) TBG pipeline, which imports gas from Bolivia, and the far southern TSB pipeline up for sale in December. Non-binding offers were due by late April.

By Carolina Mandl, Sabrina Valle and Gram Slattery via Reuters

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O crédito como diferencial nos Ecossistemas de Negócios Made in Brazil

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O crédito ao consumo no Brasil é diferenciado pelo envolvimento direto e a participação das empresas varejistas na sua concessão, tornando o País um benchmarking global nesse aspecto.

Na Via, antiga Via Varejo, que opera Casas Bahia e Ponto, ex-Ponto Frio, são 95 milhões de crediaristas na base. Na Riachuelo, são mais de 32 milhões possuidores de seu cartão de crédito, bandeira própria, que respondem por perto de 42% de sua venda total. Carrefour, Pão de Açúcar, C&A, Pernambucanas, Renner, Marisa e Americanas, para citar apenas algumas, também têm alta representatividade em suas vendas dos clientes de seu crédito, tradicional ou via cartão com bandeira própria em seus negócios.

 

By Marcos Gouvêa de Souza via Mercado & Consumo

 

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Brazil’s financial social media platform TradersClub seeks $565 million valuation in IPO -sources

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SAO PAULO (Reuters) -Brazilian financial social media platform TradersClub is seeking a 3 billion real ($565.65 million) valuation in its initial public offering, two sources with knowledge of the matter said.

The company filed late on Wednesday for an IPO to raise around 700 million reais to fund expansion and potential acquisitions, the people added, asking for anonymity to disclose private discussions.

 

By Tatiana Bautzer via Yahoo Finance

 

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Brazil wants Mercosur to agree on a 20% reduction of the Common External Tariff

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Brazil is determined that Mercosur’s Common External Tariff, TEC, be reduced by 20% in two rounds of unilateral cuts, 10% immediately, and the other 10% in December. This is the official strategy and position of Brazil for the extraordinary meeting in June of the four founding members of the group, in Buenos Aires, underlined Lucas Ferraz, foreign trade secretary of the Brazilian Ministry of the economy.

According to Mercosur rules all decisions must be adopted by consensus, which means that the TEC has become a contentious issue between the two main partners Brazil, and Argentina, which is reluctant to advance so fast or take such bold steps.

 

Via Merco Press

 

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Brazil sets price caps for June 25 auctions

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May 19 (Renewables Now) – Brazil’s power sector regulator Aneel approved on Tuesday the price ceilings for the power generation auctions scheduled for June 25, 2021.

Dubbed A-3 and A-4, the tenders will contract power from wind, solar, hydro and biomass-based thermal plants. The highest maximum bidding price is set at BRL 292 (USD 55.5/EUR 45.4) per MWh.

 

By Lucas Morais via Renewables Now

 

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Brazil Looks Set for a Shipping Boom—Leaving Some Concerned about a Lack of Oversight

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Since he first took office in 2019, Brazil’s president, Jair Bolsonaro, has prioritized transforming the country’s logistics network for transporting domestic goods. Historically highway-centric, the shipping of goods around the country by truck is a major source of congestion and carbon dioxide pollution. In the next few weeks, the Brazilian Congress looks set to approve a bill that will encourage the transportation of goods by sea. But the bill has environmentalists, and even some government employees, alarmed as it does little to address the potential impacts on marine ecosystems that would result from a sharp increase in shipping.

 

By Eduardo Campos Lima via Hakai Magazine

 

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Commodities Cycle Should Benefit Brazil for at Least Two Years

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The rising prices of raw materials, such as soybeans and iron ore, will likely benefit Brazil for at least the next two years. Although it is too early to predict the size of this new cycle, the perception of analysts interviewed by Folha is that it will be less intense than the commodity boom of the 2000s.

Commodity prices using the CRB (Commodity Research Bureau) index rose by almost 70% in one year. In the same period, metallic commodities tripled in price in the international market, mainly in iron ore (+ 150%), and agricultural products have already emerged from a longer appreciation, mainly from soy.

 

By Douglas Gavras via Folha de S. Paulo

 

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WhatsApp delays enforcement of new privacy rules in Brazil

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The full enforcement of WhatsApp’s new privacy policy has been delayed in Brazil as local authorities investigate the data privacy implications to users of the app’s new rules.

The decision follows a series of discussions between the owner of the messaging app Facebook and Brazil’s National Data Protection Authority (ANPD), national consumer body Senacon, the Federal Prosecution Service and competition watchdog Cade. Under the agreement, WhatsApp users will still be able to utilize the service and all its features for three months before agreeing to the new policy.

 

By Angelica Maria via ZD Net

 

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Brazil sells the most soy to the United States since 2014 -shipping data

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Brazil is on track to sell the largest volume of soybeans to the United States since 2014, according to shipping data from maritime agent Cargonave, as the nation helps Americans fill a momentary supply gap. Increased shipments to the United States show that tight supplies and high prices are forcing soybean users like oilseed crushers and meat producers to change their suppliers to keep operations running. A total of 208,000 tonnes of Brazil soybeans have been shipped to the United States or will set sail soon, according to shipping data and a source.

 

By Ana Mano via Hellenic Shipping News

 

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Hydrogen in Brazil

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In December 2020 the Brazilian Ministry of Mines and Energy issued the Brazilian National Energy Plan 2050 (“2050 Energy Plan”), outlining the directives for the long-term strategy for the Brazilian energy sector. The 2050 Energy Plan dedicated a chapter to hydrogen, listing it as a disruptive technology, capable of significantly changing the energy market.

The 2050 Energy Plan highlights that hydrogen may help solving energy challenges such as reduction of carbon emissions in hard-to-decarbonize sectors, storage of renewables, safety in the energy supply due to the flexibility in hydrogen production (multiple sources) and diversity in its use cases (direct or converted into electricity). The 2050 Energy Plan also listed fuel cells as a potential key technology for the decarbonisation of the transportation sector in Brazil going forward.

 

By Danielle Gomes de A. Valois via Lexology

 

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Brazil to participate in submarine cable to link America and Asia

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Santiago de Chile, May 14 (Prensa Latina) Brazil made official its participation in the Humboldt project, a submarine fiber optic cable that will link Chile and South America with Asia and Oceania through the South Pacific.
Brazil’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Carlos Alberto Franco announced so in a videoconference with his Chilean counterpart, Andres Allamand, and the Chile’s Minister of Transport and Telecommunications Gloria Hutt.
Via Prensa Latina

GREENSPOON MARDER INNOVATION WEEK

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Join our member’s, Greenspoon Marder, at their Innovation Week, bringing together top companies and thought leaders across industry lines. With a focus on changes, challenges and opportunities businesses are facing across the globe, hear from those who are innovating and evolving and leave with ideas for your own new course of success.

 

More Information

Brazil launches fund to invest in Internet of Things startups

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Brazilian public and private sector actors have announced the launch of a 240 million reais ($45 million) venture capital fund focused on early stage investments in companies active in the Internet of Things (IoT) and connectivity space.

Managed by Indicator Capital, the fund was created by the Brazilian Development Fund (BNDES) and Qualcomm Ventures following a tendering process in 2019 to find a company to structure and run the vehicle. The fund will support up to 30 startups in Series A rounds over the next 10 years and it expects to close 7 deals in 2021.

 

By Angelica Mari via ZD Net

 

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Oracle opens second cloud region in Brazil

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Oracle on Wednesday announced that its second Brazilian cloud region is live in Vinhedo, a city in the state of Sao Paolo. With this launch, Oracle’s Gen2 Cloud will be available in 30 locations. The tech giant is on track to have a total of 38 cloud regions up and running by the end of this year.

The new region makes Oracle the only cloud provider with two regions in Brazil. Oracle has had a presence in Brazil since last year, when it launched its first Sao Paulo region.

 

By Stephanie Condon via ZD Net

 

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Brazil coffee harvest starts in the heart of its biggest city

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Brazil’s arabica harvest kicked off symbolically this weekend with volunteers picking through one of the world’s largest urban coffee farms at Sao Paulo’s Instituto Biológico, a hub of agricultural research in the middle of the metropolis.

In the shadow of the institute’s towering art-deco headquarters, the group worked its way through neat rows of 2,000 trees, marveling at the pastoral scene just a stone’s throw from the city’s central Ibirapuera Park.

By Amanda Perobelli via Reuters

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Brazil buys 100 million more doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine

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BRASILIA (Reuters) – Brazil’s Health Ministry on Tuesday announced it had signed a deal for Pfizer to deliver an additional 100 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine, doubling the number of shots from the company.

The additional shots will be delivered between September and December, the Health Ministry said in a statement.

 

By Ricardo Brito via 790 KFGO

 

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Seminário Empreendedorismo Feminino

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No primeiro dia do evento o tema será voltado à mentalidade empreendedora e quais as atitudes ideais para manter as portas abertas do seu negócio e atrair mais clientes, considerando os pilares: missão, visão e propósito.

No segundo dia do evento o tema será sobre como reconstruir seu negócio e fazê-lo prosperar em meio à crise, conquistando a confiança do cliente e se organizando financeiramente.

#SeminarioEmpreendorismoFeminino #debatesvirtuais #mulheresbrasileiras
#GrupoMulheresdoBrasilNY #GrupoMulheresdoBrasil #ConsuladoBrasileirodeNY #empreendedorismofeminino #webinar

 

Transmissão: Canal do YouTube Grupo Mulheres do Brasil

AES sees opportunity as Brazil turns to wind power

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For all the criticism Brazil has endured over its stewardship of the Amazon, it can still boast of its climate credentials in the field of clean energy.

Hydropower has long provided most of the country’s electricity, thanks to the construction of large-scale dams and reservoirs, in particular under the ruling military dictatorship of the 1960s.

 

By Michael Pooler via Financial Times

 

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Brazil aiming to reduce gas reinjection

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In an attempt to reduce reinjections of natural gas back into wells at production sites, the Brazilian government has created new rules to facilitate the development of gas-fired power plants, with the start of dispatch set for 2026.

Natural gas reinjection takes place when producers inject gas back into the well in order to increase the flow of crude oil from the well, or else sequester gas that cannot be exported. The practice is common among oil producers in Brazil, as the country does not have sufficient natural gas transportation or processing capacity available, as well as little demand for gas-fired power.

 

By Flávia Pierry via Argus Media

 

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How Azul Has Managed To Recover Despite Brazil’s COVID Crisis

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The Brazilian airline Azul Linhas Aereas ended the first quarter with 109% of its domestic capacity than its pre-pandemic levels. While Azul still posted a net loss of US$509 million, the airline seems to be on track for a recovery, surpassing its domestic peers, GOL and LATAM Brazil. But, how has Azul achieved this bounceback? Let’s investigate further.

Azul is a point-to-point airline. It doesn’t have a true hub, like GOL or LATAM. These last two airlines mainly fly from Sao Paulo’s Guarulhos International Airport, the gateway of Brazil. Meanwhile, Azul flies out of everywhere.

 

By Daniel Martínez Garbuno via Simple Flying

 

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Brazil real hits 4-month high as global banks turn hawkish on interest rates

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Brazil’s real surged on Thursday to close at its highest in almost four months against the dollar, a day after the central bank struck a hawkish tone in its statement that accompanied a second aggressive hike in borrowing costs.

A clutch of major global banks published notes revising their outlook on Brazil’s benchmark Selic rate, which they say is now likely to rise more quickly or more aggressively.

By Jamie McGeever via Reuters

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Brazil’s ANP approves hybrid trading model for biodiesel

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Brazil’s National Petroleum Agency approved April 29 a proposal to shift biodiesel trading from the country’s current public auction model to a hybrid model, starting January 2022.

After more than 30 meetings with the participants in Brazil’s biodiesel market, the agency, the ANP, announced the parameters established for the hybrid trading mode, which would replace the auction model in place since 2008 when Brazil started to blend diesel fuel with biodiesel, resulting in a 2% biodiesel mix.

 

By Nicolle Monteiro de Castro via S&P Global Platts

 

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EDF Renewables to build 242-MW wind park in Brazil

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April 29 (Renewables Now) – EDF Renewables, a unit of French utility EDF (EPA:EDF), will be building a 242-MW wind farm in Brazil’s Paraiba, the state’s government announced this week.

Under a newly-signed protocol of intent, the European company will invest around BRL 1 billion (USD 187m/EUR 154m) in the development of the Serra do Serido wind farm in the towns of Junco de Serido and Santa Luzia.

 

By Lucas Morais

 

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Brazil begins to make own Covid-19 vaccine

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Production began on the first of an expected 18 million doses by mid-July, though Brazil’s Health Regulatory Agency (Anvisa) is yet to authorise the vaccine

Brazil’s Sao Paulo-based Butantan Institute, a state-run medical research facility, on Wednesday began to manufacture ButanVac, the first Brazilian vaccine against the novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19), state governor Joao Doria announced.
Via Mint

Brazil’s Positive Ventures Closes on 10M Fund for Impact Investing

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Positive Ventures, a São Paulo-based venture firm, has secured $10 million for its latest fund.

Positive Ventures has raised the capital from an impressive list of LPs, including investor Luis Stuhlberger, founding partner of Verde Asset Management and Teresa and Cândido Bracher, who was the chairman of Itaú-Unibanco, Brazil’s largest bank.

 

Mary Ann Azevedo via Tech Crunch

 

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US: student exemption to Covid travel rule for China, Brazil, Europe

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The NIE rule applies for any F-1 or M-1 visa holder if their academic program begins August 1 2021 or later. Those applicants who are found to be otherwise qualified for an F-1 or M-1 visa will automatically be considered for an NIE to travel.

This news, announced April 26 by the state department, will be welcome, but more needs to be done say senior stakeholders, particularly regarding the reported problems (in China especially) accessing appointments to seek a US visa. NAFSA is calling for in-person interviews to cease to be mandatory to help resume processing at pace.

 

Via The Pie News

 

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Brazil Investment Forum 2021

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The Brasil Investment Forum 2021 (BIF) is an international event about attracting foreign investments to Brazil, organized by Apex-Brasil, the Interamerican Development Bank (IDB) and the Brazilian Federal Government, which will be held online on May 31 and June 1st, 2021.

Known as the largest event for foreign investment in Latin America, BIF will bring together federal, state and local government authorities and executives from large companies from Brazil and the world, as well as representatives from academia, the press and opinion makers.

In this edition the Forum will highlight investment opportunities in strategic sectors such as agribusiness, energy, infrastructure, innovation, health and technology, among others. This will be a unique opportunity to discuss improvements in the country’s business environment.

This year BIF will be held online. The event will feature high-level panel discussions with government representatives and CEOs from leading multinationals, a presentation room for public and private projects in Brazil that are seeking foreign direct investment and the opportunity for networking with representatives of state governments and participants.

 

More Info

BRAZIL DATA: March biodiesel production rises despite higher feedstock costs

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Rio de Janeiro — Brazil boosted biodiesel production year on year in March after Latin America’s biggest country increased its biodiesel-diesel blend March 1, but high raw-materials prices remain a challenge to additional growth in 2021, according to data released April 26 by the National Petroleum Agency, or ANP.

Brazil produced 639.9 million liters of biodiesel in March, an increase of 16.3% from 550.3 million liters in March 2020, the ANP said. March’s biodiesel production also advanced 21.9% from February’s 524.9 million liters.

 

By Jeff Fick via S&P Global Platts

 

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Embraer and Brazilian air force to study development of advanced UAV

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Embraer and the Brazilian air force have signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly study the design and development of an “advanced unmanned aircraft system”.

Few details about the unmanned air vehicle (UAV) were revealed by Embraer in its announcement on 23 April. However, the company distributed a rendering, for “illustrated purposes only”, of a stealthy UAV with short swept wings, perhaps indicating a combat role.

 

By Garrett Reim via Flight Global

 

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Brazil Tech Round-Up: Cabify Ends Brazil Operations, Locaweb Makes Its Largest Acquisition, PicPay Readies IPO

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Spanish mobility firm Cabify has announced on Friday (23) that it will end its Brazil operations in June. Among the reasons prompting the decision, the mobility company noted Brazil is “still very affected by its serious healthcare situation and the local socioeconomic crisis caused by Covid-19”. This broader context limits value creation, the startup said, adding that it is “committed to profitability.”

“The company will continue to be attentive to needs and opportunities future mobility in this market”, Cabify said in a statement. Contacted by Forbes, the firm declined to confirm how many employees will be affected by the decision.

 

By Angelica Maria via Forbes

 

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Mattos Filho announces the admission of Capital Markets partner Caio Cossermelli

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Dear clients and business partners,

It is with great pleasure that we announce the admission of another partner to our law firm. Already well-known and recognized in the market, Caio Cossermelli has now joined our Capital Markets practice area. His arrival will further strengthen our work in this area, which was marked by a high number of initial public share offerings (IPOs) in Brazil during 2020. Forecasts indicate that this is expected to continue throughout 2021.

A law graduate at the Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo, Caio also holds a Master of Laws from the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law in Chicago. Possessing extensive experience in IPOs and follow-ons, he advises clients in registering publicly-held companies, establishing securities distribution programs (such as units) as well as in everyday corporate and regulatory activities. Caio also advises on mergers and acquisitions, debt and securitization offers, financing and structured transactions (including infrastructure projects), along with international transactions across multiple jurisdictions involving loans and securities.

Mattos Filho leads the rankings for transactions in capital markets in Brazil, with the largest exclusively dedicated legal team in this area. Caio’s arrival reinforces the firm’s commitment to continue growing in light of the prospects for expansion within the area, as we assist our clients in navigating planned regulatory changes within the capital markets sector. We will thus be able to continue offering complete and comprehensive legal advice, with a focus on innovative and multidisciplinary projects.

 

Learn more about our Capital Markets practice area on the Mattos Filho website.

Brazil to invest USD 70m in solar power for Amazon region

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April 23 (Renewables Now) – The Brazilian Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) will initially invest BRL 386 million (USD 70.3m/EUR 58.5m) to supply clean energy to isolated communities in the Amazonian archipelago of Marajo.

This initial agreement will benefit 50,000 people that live in the municipalities of Curralinho, Melgaco and Portel, in the state of Para, through electricity transmission networks and solar energy generation systems, MME announced this week.

 

By Lucas Morais via Renewables Now

 

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Brazil’s April soybean exports gain momentum on third-week surge: sources

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Brazilian soybeans exports in the first three weeks of April surpassed the year-ago level due to higher exports in the third week of the month, sources said April 20, which is likely to support domestic oilseed prices.

According to the foreign trade department’s report released April 19, Brazil exported 10.6 million mt of beans so far in April, compared with the equivalent 2020 volume of 9.16 million mt.

 

Via Hellenic Shipping News

 

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Joint effort needed for Brazil gas market opening: ANP

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Some states are already working to open gas markets to more competition, such as Amazonia and Rio Grande do Norte.

A presidential decree expected by mid-May should add more detail to the new law and will be followed by updates and resolutions from the ANP. The regulator may restructure its personnel in order to carry out the legislation.

 

By Flavia Pierry via Argus Media

 

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Brazil sees solar boom ahead of cut in subsidies for new projects

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Power utilities and developers are rushing to register solar projects in Brazil, one of the most promising markets for renewables, as it prepares to cut subsidies for new solar installations and wind farms, according to a report by consultancy ePowerBay.

Spain´s Iberdrola (IBE.MC), France´s Voltalia (VLTSA.PA), EDF (EDF.PA), Italy´s Enel (ENEI.MI) and Portugal´s EDP Renewables are among the main players developing solar projects in Brazil, as well as Atlas Energia, controlled by the British private equity firm Actis, ePowerBay said on Tuesday.

By Luciano Costa via Reuters

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France, Brazil Push Carrefour Revenue Ahead 4.2% in Q1

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PARIS — Carrefour reported sales rose 4.2 percent to 18.56 billion euros over the first quarter, spurred on by consumption in France, where it has bulked up e-commerce services, as well as fast growth in Brazil.

“Our growth model, based on operational excellence, competitiveness and the power of our omnichannel offer, translates into market-share gains in our main countries,” said chief executive officer Alexandre Bompard. Under Bompard’s direction, Carrefour has bolstered its e-commerce through partnerships with technology companies, and increased organic food offers.

 

By Mimosa Spencer via Yahoo Finance

 

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Brazil’s GDP on track to better results than expected

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Brazil’s Economic Activity Index (IBC-Br), released by the Central Bank and believed to be an omen of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) rose 1.70% in February 2021, against January’s figures, it was announced Monday.

The new data show a positive variation of 0.98% year to year, against the -0.4% analysts had envisioned. The official forecast of the Central Bank on GDP expansion for 2021 is 3.6%.

 

Via Merco Press

 

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US-Brazil New Energy Investment Forum

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Do you want to know why Brazil was selected as the third most attractive country for clean energy investment (Climatescopes 2020)? Join Apex Brasil at the online event US-Brazil New Energy Investment Forum, April 29, at 2 pm (Brasilia time) / 1 pm (Eastern Standard Time) and learn how you can start investing in the Brazilian new energy sector.
 
Access the Program here: https://lnkd.in/epNpsFD
Apex-Brasil – Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce – Ministério das Relações Exteriores.

Brazil’s PIX surpasses 1 billion transactions

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The news: Brazil’s central bank-run instant payments system processed 1.05 billion transactions worth BRL787 billion ($152.6 billion) between November and March, per Mobile Time.

Here’s how it works: PIX, which launched in November, lets users make real-time money transfers 24/7 to individuals or businesses without needing a bank account. To use the smartphone-based service, users have to register “keys” like their social security numbers, mobile phone numbers, or email addresses with a bank or fintech as an authentication method.

 

By Adriana Nunez via eMarketer

 

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Brazil completes first-ever video call on standalone 5G

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The first ever video call on standalone 5G in Latin America has been completed in Brazil as part of a series of supplier demonstrations to the government ahead of the upcoming fifth-generation spectrum auction.

The video call, made on Friday (9) from Nokia’s Brazilian headquarters in São Paulo, connected Brazil’s communications minister Fabio Faria to president Jair Bolsonaro, who was in Brasília at the time.

 

By Angelica Mari via ZD Net

 

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Norway’s Hydro to buy LNG for Brazil plant in carbon-reduction push

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Norwegian metals maker Norsk Hydro (NHY.OL) said on Friday it has struck a preliminary deal with New Fortress Energy (NFE.O) to buy liquefied natural gas (LNG) for its Alunorte alumina refinery in Brazil, switching the energy source from fuel oil.

Supply of LNG by the U.S.-based energy company to the Barcarena municipality is expected to start in 2022 under a 15-year deal, according to Hydro.

Via Reuters

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Brazil Looks To Finance Fuel Subsidies With Oil Auctions

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Brazil is studying the possibility to finance a future fund to subsidize domestic fuel prices with part of the proceeds it expects to receive from an offshore oil auction later this year, a source with direct knowledge of the government’s plans told Reuters this week.

Fuel prices and the hikes in those prices early this year became the bone of contention between Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and state oil firm Petrobras—a spat that ended with Bolsonaro ousting the chief executive of the Brazilian national oil company, Roberto Castello Branco.

 

By Tsvetana Paraskova via Yahoo Finance

 

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Eletrobras to investigate green hydrogen production in Brazil

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Brazil state utility Eletrobras and its research arm Cepel are partnering with Siemens Energy to develop green hydrogen production.

Under the agreement, the three partners are to implement joint studies covering the full hydrogen technology cycle from production to consumption, accompanied by the development of a scalable pilot production plant.
Based on the outcomes, the companies anticipate moving towards the implementation of a commercial-scale production plant to produce hydrogen with a zero carbon footprint.

 

By Jonathan Spencer Jones via Power Engineering International

 

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Brazil Central Bank Pledges to Stop Core Inflation Contagion

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Brazil’s central bank is closely monitoring if a recent spike in commodity prices will continue to affect core inflation, and particularly expectations for 2022, as it calibrates monetary policy, according to its President Roberto Campos Neto.

The bank delivered an outsized rate hike last month and promised another in May as it realized that what it deems as temporary price shocks were having a more lasting impact on inflation, even when excluding more volatile items such as food and energy.

 

By Andrew Rosati and Shery Ahn

 

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Improving Brazil’s Business Environment

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On 30th March 2021, two legislative measures were published in Brazil. The first, Law 14,129/2021 (“The Law”) implements the Brazilian Digital Government Policy (“DGP”), while the second, Provisional Measure 1,040/2021 (“The Measure”) aims to improve the business environment in Brazil, with the objective of improving its position in the World Bank’s “Doing Business” ranking. While they are distinct acts, there is a strong common theme to both: reducing bureaucracy in both the public administration and the private sector.

The Law provides for the principles, rules and instruments for the implementation of the DGP. It aims to improve the efficiency of public administration through digitalising records and using technology to make public services more widely accessible to the population, including those on low incomes or residing in rural and isolated areas.

The Measure sets forth legislative changes to promote and foster the creation and development of businesses in Brazil. Brazil is currently ranked 124 in the world on the World Bank’s “Doing Business” rankings[1]. This Measure directly addresses some of the issues currently faced by those wishing to start or grow businesses in Brazil, in accordance with the recommendations of the World Bank, and with the aim of improving that ranking.

 

By Ted Rhodes and Valerio Salgado

 

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Brazil publishes national artificial intelligence strategy

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The Brazilian government has published the country’s artificial intelligence (AI) strategy to guide actions around research, innovation and the development of related technologies to tackle the country’s greatest challenges, as well as ethics.

The publication of the strategy follows a process of over a year since the launch of the consultation to gather input for the plan in late 2019, after a period of engagement with AI consulting firms and an international benchmarking process. According to the Brazilian government, the consultation lasted until March 2020 and more than 1,000 contributions were received.

 

By Angelica Mari via ZD Net

 

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Brazil’s 2021 interest rate outlook rises to 5.25%, survey shows

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BRASILIA, April 12 (Reuters) – Brazil’s 2021 interest rate outlook rose to 5.25%, a central bank survey of economists published on Monday showed, after policymakers’ repeated comments that aggressive tightening now means borrowing costs will not have to rise as much in the end.

The median forecast for the benchmark Selic rate from over 100 economists in the central bank’s weekly ‘FOCUS’ survey increased from 5.00% the week before, and 4.50% four weeks ago.

By Jamie McGeever via Reuters

Petrobras publishes the 2020 Sustainability Report with advances in ESG

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Operation safety and investments over R$ 145 million in projects and donations to society reflect the company’s socioenvironmental action over the last year

april 08, 2021
In a year marked by the Covid-19 pandemic and its consequences, Petrobras was able to achieve positive economic results and, at the same time, expand its commitments to sustainability and improve environmental and social indicators, as well as support the fight against the effects of the pandemic in the Brazilian society. The information regarding the company’s operational, economic, social, environmental, and governance performance is compiled in the Sustainability Report 2020, published this Wednesday in the English version.

 

“Petrobras’ performance in an extremely challenging year reveals our relentless pursuit of the dual objective of maximizing return for shareholders and society,” said CEO Roberto Castello Branco. The document details Petrobras’ support for society’s actions to fight the Covid-19 by donating tests, hospital and hygiene materials, fuel for ambulances and hospital vehicles, and food for low-income families. The company also made financial donations to scientific projects to fight the pandemic and provided computing capacity to support research efforts. The donations in response to Covid-19 and to other disaster situations in Brazil – such as the floods in the states of Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo, fires in the Pantanal and blackouts in Amapá – totaled, in 2020, the amount of R$25.5 million, donated by Petrobras and its equity stakes, in addition to expenses to carry out the management of these projects.

 

Read Full Report Here

UPDATE 1-Brazil FX dynamics improving, market more balanced -central bank director

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BRASILIA, April 8 (Reuters) – The dynamics driving Brazil’s currency are improving and the market is now more balanced, despite lingering fiscal uncertainty, central bank monetary policy director Bruno Serra said on Thursday.

In an online debate hosted by event management company Consulting House, Serra said the central bank’s market interventions earlier this year have helped greatly, while the capital flows picture for the real is also brighter.

 

By Jamie McGeever and Gabriel Ponte via Reuters

 

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Fund manager Ashmore snaps up Brazil, China local currency bonds

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LONDON, April 9 (Reuters) – Fund manager Ashmore Group has bought Brazilian and Chinese local currency bonds as it remains focused on broader emerging market local debt, betting on strong performance during 2021.

Brazilian markets have had a tough start to 2021, with local currency bonds selling off by around 170 basis points and the real currency sliding 7% against the dollar as concerns about politics surfaced and as the country battles the world’s worst daily COVID-19 death toll.

 

By Tom Arnold via Reuters

 

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Vehicle exports from Brazil up in Q1

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São Paulo – Vehicle exports from Brazil were up 7.6% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2021, the National Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Association (Anfavea) reported this Wednesday (7).

Q1 saw 95,800 units shipped from Brazil, including light vehicles, trucks and buses. Light vehicles accounted for the near-entirety of exports at 89,600 units. Foreign sales also included 5,200 trucks and 845 buses.

 

Via Brazil-Arab News Agency

 

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Soya sales from Brazil set record in March

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São Paulo – Soya exports from Brazil climbed 12% year-on-year in March, the National Cereal Exporters Association (Anec) reported. Sales amounted to 14.9 million tons, a monthly record.

Year-to-date, however, exports slid by 5%, according to the Anec’s website, to 20.4 million tons in Q1 2021, from 21.6 million tons in Q1 2020. Sales were weaker in January, and marginally so in February.

 

Via Brazil-Arab News Agency

 

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Brazil to produce 141 million mt soybeans in 2021-22 on record acreage: USDA FAS

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New Delhi — Brazil is forecast to produce an all-time high soybean volume of 141 million mt in 2021-22 marketing year (February 2022–January 2023) on record acreage of 40 million hectares, according to the US Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service, which is likely to pressure US-origin soybean demand next season.

Soybean expansion is forecast on current market conditions and trends — including strong demand, high prices and a favorable exchange rate, FAS said. All these conditions are expected to persist into the 2021-22 season, it said in the report released April 6.

 

By Asim Anand via S&P Platts

 

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BRAZIL HARVESTS 78% OF SOYBEAN CROP, SECOND CORN PLANTINGS FINISHED, CONSULTANCY SAYS

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SAO PAULO, April 5 (Reuters) – Brazilian farmers had harvested 78% of the area planted with the 2020/2021 soybean crop as of last Thursday, compared with 83% at the same point last year, agribusiness consultancy AgRural said on Monday.

As the soybean season draws to a close, Brazilian farmers were able to finish planting their second corn crop, as much of it is grown in the same areas as the oilseeds, AgRural said.

 

By Ana Mano via Successful Farming

 

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Pinterest Launches Pinterest Ads in Brazil, Expanding Marketing Opportunities

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Pinterest continues to expand its ad business, with brands in Brazil now able to launch paid promotions via Pin.

As explained by Pinterest:

“46 million people in Brazil use Pinterest to find ideas. To shop. To decide what’s next. They’ve long depended on Pinterest for inspiration and product discovery. And starting today, Brazilian marketers can use Pinterest ads to better reach this highly engaged audience.”

 

By Andrew Hutchinson via Social Media Today

 

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FinanZero, Brazil’s free online credit marketplace, raises $7M

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FinanZero, a Brazilian online credit marketplace, announced today that it has closed a $7 million round of funding – its fourth since it launched in 2016 was founded in 2016. It has raised a total of $22.85 million to date.

The real-time online loan broker allows people to apply for a personal loan, a car equity loan, or a home equity loan for free and receive an answer in minutes. A key to FinanZero’s success is that it doesn’t offer the loans itself, but has instead partnered with about 51 banks and fintechs who back the loans.

 

By Marcella McCarthy via TechCrunch

 

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WhatsApp gains regulatory approval to relaunch payments service in Brazil

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The Facebook-owned messaging platform has the green light to launch its payments service in Brazil after gaining approval from the country’s central bank, per Reuters. WhatsApp is only allowed to operate its peer-to-peer (P2P) payments service; though Facebook is still seeking approval, it can’t yet extend this service to merchants.

WhatsApp has hit roadblocks launching its payments service globally, with regulators citing antitrust concerns.

 

By Adriana Nunez via eMarketer

 

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Anhydrous ethanol premium over hydrous in Center-South Brazil at record high

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New York — The spot premium of anhydrous ethanol over hydrous in Brazil’s Center-South for the 2020-21 crop, which ended March 31, averaged 14.3%, up 3% from the prior crop and at the highest premium since S&P Global Platts started to track it for the 2014-15 crop.

Platts considered hydrous and anhydrous free of taxes to calculate the spot premium.

The highest premium was recorded at 26.8% during the three first days of the 2020-21 crop, while the lowest at 4.2% was on March 10.

 

By Nicole Monteiro de Castro

 

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Brazil exempts 65 items from import tax to fight COVID-19

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Brasília – Gecex, a technical body within the Brazilian foreign trade chamber Camex, said on Monday, 29, it zeroed import taxes on 65 products to ease the fallout from the coronavirus outbreak on the population. Now, Brazil has 628 coronavirus-related products with zero import taxes.

Eligible goods include medicines for pain relief, sedation, intubation, and artificial respiration, including anesthetics, tranquilizers, painkillers and antibiotics. The measure also encompasses monitors for clinical beds and Intensive Care Units (ICUs), equipment for breath gas analyses, and ICU monitoring central servers, as well as truck bodies and tank trucks to transport dangerous goods, such as oxygen.

 

Via Brazil-Arab News Agency

 

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Brazil takes steps to modernize business environment

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São Paulo – Brazil’s president Jair Bolsonaro signed on Monday, 29, a provisional measure to modernize the business environment in Brazil. It provides for simplifying starting a business, protecting minority investors and facilitating trade of goods and services. The government aims at increasing Brazil’s position in the World Bank’s Doing Business ranking in 191 countries.

As per information made public by the General Secretariat of the Presidency, the initiative brings about changes and cuts the red tape in starting businesses, providing for the unification of the federal, state and city registration at the National Registry of Legal Entities (CNPJ in Portuguese), eliminating viability analysis – which only exist in Brazil – and automating checking business names in seconds.

 

Via Brazil Arab News Agency

 

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Landmark study shows how child grants empower women in Brazil and South Africa

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Since the mid-1990s, new approaches to poverty reduction have been introduced in countries across Africa, Asia and Latin America. Some have involved income transfer programmes that target poorer citizens based on various means tests. Most have targeted female caregivers, primarily mothers.

The most expansive child and family grants are in Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Argentina and South Africa, which has put in place the biggest social provision net in Africa.

 

By Leila Patel, Natasha Borges Sugiyama and Wendy Hunter via The Conversation

 

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Brazil’s iFood outlines sustainability initiatives aiming to reduce its carbon footprint

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The Brazilian-based pan-Latin American food delivery startup iFood has announced a series of initiatives designed to reduce the company’s environmental impact as consumers push companies to focus more on sustainability.

The program has two main components — one focused on plastic pollution and waste and another aiming to become carbon neutral in its operations by 2025.

 

By Jonathan Shieber via TechCrunch

 

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US soybean production growth hasn’t matched Brazil

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In our last column, we began this series of articles designed to provide insight into the question of whether or not a U.S. agricultural policy focused on exports has been able to sustain agricultural prices at a profitable level for a sustained period of time. In making this analysis, we acknowledge that in a single year, or a short burst of years, exports can have a positive impact on U.S. crop prices.

The question is whether policies designed with the goal of expanding crop exports can sustain profitable crop prices over the long haul. If crop exports cannot sustain a long period of profitable prices, then we must identify other means to support profitable crop prices over the long term.

 

By Harwood D. Schaffer and Daryll E. Ray via Wisconsin State Farmer

 

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Real Estate Platform Loft Raises $425M at a $2.2B Valuation in One of Brazil’s Largest Venture Rounds

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Buying and selling residential real estate is a complex business, no matter where you live. A slew of startups in the United States are focused on streamlining that process for people. But in Brazil, where no MLS exists, the challenge of digitizing real estate is even greater.

One startup that has set out to serve as a “one-stop shop” for Brazilians to help them manage the home buying and selling process has managed to attract one of the largest — if not the largest — funding rounds ever raised by a Brazilian startup.

Mary Ann Azevedo via TechCrunch

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Veirano & ESG: uma combinação de sucesso

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Atualmente, a adoção e divulgação de critérios ESG (Ambiental, Social e Governança) para qualificar negócios, investimentos e financiamentos tornou-se imperativo de mercado. Esses critérios atualizam a gestão de riscos das empresas ao mesmo tempo em que representam grande oportunidade de inovação. Já a divulgação aos olhos do mercado é ação essencial, utilizada por consumidores, comunidades, investidores e financiadores como diretriz para melhores decisões.

Pensando no quanto a adoção de critérios ESG é decisiva no planejamento estratégico de qualquer negócio, especialmente para assegurar retorno ao acionista e sobrevivência no longo prazo, reunimos um time de especialistas em uma nova área dedicada para assessorar nossos clientes no viés legal do ESG.

 

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French supermarket group Carrefour to buy Brazil’s Grupo Big in $1.3 bln deal

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PARIS, March 24 (Reuters) – French supermarket retailer Carrefour has agreed to buy Grupo Big, Brazil’s third-biggest food retailer, in a deal valuing the Brazilian firm at around $1.3 billion, which Carrefour said would boost its earnings.

Carrefour said on Wednesday that it would buy the company from Walmart and investment firm Advent International.

 

By Sudip Kar-Gupta via Reuters

 

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Brazil’s Patria to launch $250 million SPAC

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SAO PAULO (Reuters) – A special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) backed by Brazilian asset manager Patria Investments Ltd plans to raise $250 million in an initial public offering on Nasdaq, according to a securities filing.

Patria, which has Blackstone Group Inc among its investors, said on Friday its executive officers may sponsor the blank-check company Patria Acquisition Co, based in the Cayman Islands, with roughly $92 million.

 

By Carolina Mandl via Reuters

 

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Brazil to complete Angra 3 finance package in 18 months, says BNDES director

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Speaking as part of a high-level panel at World Nuclear Association’s Strategic eForum on Sustainable Finance on 18 March, Mendes Cabral said BNDES is learning lessons from its previous involvement with the Angra 3 project. In addition, it is working to expand its issuance of green bonds to include nuclear energy within a wider, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) framework.

Two nuclear power units – Angra 1 and 2 – supply about 3% of Brazil’s electricity. The units are operated by Eletrobras subsidiary Eletronuclear.

 

Via World Nuclear News

 

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Brazil Tech Round-Up: Digital Identity, EBANX Expands In Central America, Magazine Luiza Continues Shopping Spree

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Welcome to this week’s Brazil tech and innovation round-up. Here is a selection of three key developments in Latin America’s largest economy: first up, the Brazilian government is making inroads towards its digital identity project. Next, fintech unicorn EBANX expands operations in Centra America and retail giant Magazine Luiza makes more acquisitions of startups to bolster its digital strategy.

 

By Angelica Mari via Forbes

 

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Equinor and Partners Choose Concept for Offshore Brazil Field

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Equinor (NYSE: EQNR) reported late last week that a development concept has been approved for the BM-C-33 gas/condensate field in the pre-salt Campos Basin offshore Brazil.

“BM-C-33 is a key project in our portfolio and concept select is an important milestone in our effort to mature the project,” Geir Tungesvik, senior vice president for projects with operator Equinor, remarked in a written statement emailed to Rigzone. “It is important to further optimize and improve the project business case to make it more robust for future market.”

 

By Matthew V. Veazey via Ringzone

 

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IBM Launches Multizone Region in Brazil as Clients in Latin America Adopt Hybrid Cloud

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ARMONK, N.Y., March 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced the opening of its first IBM Cloud Multizone Region (MZR) in Latin America, an important expansion of its global cloud presence in major markets. Building on its existing data center footprint in Brazil, the MZR is a result of the company’s continued investment in cloud infrastructure to accelerate hybrid cloud adoption and help foster business growth in Latin America. Following the openings of Toronto and Osaka last year, the latest MZR in Brazil marks IBM’s ongoing commitment to help clients across the globe deploy mission-critical workloads with high levels of security and resilience, while helping to address data sovereignty requirements and prepare for a sustainable future.

 

Via Yahoo Finance

 

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Microsoft announces Azure availability zones in Brazil

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Microsoft has announced availability zones for the south of Brazil in São Paulo State, as promised in October 2020. The company also promised to expand its zone coverage during 2021.

The announcement is part of Microsoft’s “More Brazil” plan, and comes at the same time IBM is announcing its first multi-zone region in the country. Microsoft is now offering Microsoft 365 Multi-Geo (a data residency offering), and will soon offer the Dynamics 365 and Power Platform products, along with fast ExpressRoute network connections to the Azure cloud.

 

By Peter Judge via DCD

 

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Bumper Crops and Stable Trade Boost Prospects for Brazil Railway

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(Bloomberg) — Brazil’s major railroad operator is bracing for a busier year as easing global trade tensions and expectations of bumper crops boost transportation demand in South America’s farming powerhouse.

Rumo SA, a logistics giant that owns 13,500 kilometers (8,400 miles) of railway lines linking Brazil’s agriculture heartland to the nation’s largest coastal ports, started the year with twice as many contracts to transport agricultural commodities than a year ago, Chief Executive Officer Joao Alberto Abreu said. He sees easing global trade tensions and surging agricultural prices as signs of better times ahead.

 

By Fabiana Batista via Yahoo Finance

 

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Fiocruz Will Deliver First Vaccines Made in Brazil this Week

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After a series of delays, Fiocruz will start delivering its first Covid-19 vaccines produced in Brazil. The forecast is that just over 1 million doses will be sent by this weekend — 500 thousand on Wednesday (17) and another 580 thousand by Friday (19).

The national manufacture of the immunizing agent developed by the University of Oxford and by the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, from imported raw material, was definitively authorized by Anvisa (National Health Surveillance Agency) last Friday (12).

 

By Julia Barbon via Folha de S. Paulo

 

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UPDATE 1-Brazil government raises 2021 inflation forecast to 4.4%

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BRASILIA, March 17 (Reuters) – Brazil’s economy ministry raised its inflation outlook for this year to 4.4% on Wednesday, the same day the central bank is widely expected to raise interest rates for the first time in six years to combat the strong buildup in price pressures.

That is up sharply from the ministry’s previous forecast of 3.2% in November and well above the central bank’s year-end target of 3.75%. It is lower, however, than what many economists are projecting.
By Jamie McGeever via Yahoo Finance

Brazil passes natural gas law to attract investors, cut red tape

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SAO PAULO, March 17 (Reuters) – Brazil’s lower house approved a new regulatory framework for the natural gas sector in the early hours of Wednesday, a move the government hopes will increase competition in the industry.

The bill, which garnered support from industrial consumers, will now be signed into law by President Jair Bolsonaro.

 

By Luciano Costa via Yahoo Finance

 

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Economic activity up 1.04% in Brazil

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Brasília – Economic activity in Brazil was up in January 2021 from December 2020, as per numbers made public this Monday (15) by the Brazilian Central Bank. This was the ninth straight month-on-month increment – the last time activity shrank was in March and April 2020.

The season-adjusted Central Bank’s Economic Activity Index (IBC-Br) was up 1.04% in January from December. Year-on-year in January, it was down 0.46% (non-adjusted, since equal months are being compared). In the 12 months through January, the IBC-Br was down 4.04%.

 

Via Brazil-Arab News Agency

 

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Brazil Tech Round-Up: Totvs Buys RD Station In Largest-Ever Software Deal, Government Rejects Huawei, São Paulo Vetoes Facial Recognition

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This week has seen the announcement of what is the largest deal ever in the Brazilian software industry, as enterprise software giant Totvsacquired 92% of marketing automation startup RD Station for 1,86 billion (US$ 330 million).

The deal saw founder and chief executive Eric Santos and the four other cofounders Guilherme Lopes, André Siqueira, Bruno Ghisi and Pedro Bachiega selling part of their shares in the company and an exit for Riverwood Capital, TPG, Endeavor Catalyst, DGF, Redpoint ventures and Astella Investments, a pool of backers that owned over 80% of the business.

 

By Angelica Mari via Forbes

 

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Powertis to build 225 MW of PV parks in Brazil

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March 15 (Renewables Now) – Spanish firm Powertis SA has started the construction works on 225 MW of solar photovoltaic (PV) projects in the Brazilian states of Sao Paulo and Minas Gerais.

The company, a subsidiary of Soltec Power Holdings SA (BME:SOL), is planning to install two 112.5 MW PV facilities in the municipalities of Pedranopolis and Araxa, local news agencies reported last week.

 

By Lucas Morais via Renewables Now

 

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Brazil evaluating Lightsource BP 163.5-MW PV project for potential loan

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March 12 (Renewables Now) – The Superintendency for the Development of the Northeast (Sudene), a Brazilian governmental agency, has completed the first step in the process to potentially grant a loan for a 163.5-MW photovoltaic (PV) project promoted by Lightsource BP.

Specifically, Sudene approved the prior consultation for five 32.7-MW projects — Milagres I, II, III, IV and V — that would form a solar farm complex in Brazil’s northeastern state of Ceara.

 

By Lucas Morais via Renewables Now

 

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“2o FESTIVAL MULHERES+ DO AUDIOVISUAL” TERÁ EXIBIÇÃO ONLINE E GRATUITA DE MAIS DE 50 FILMES

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Em março e abril, a Inffinito apresenta no Brasil e nos Estados Unidos produções dirigidas por mulheres brasileiras, que também desempenham as funções de roteiristas, fotógrafas e produtoras

 

A programação conta ainda com lives, debates, masterclasses e oficina de capacitação

 

 

“Elas são mulheres. São diversas. São indígenas, são pretas, brancas, cis, trans. Elas são um universo de possibilidades. É neste encontro de singularidades que formam o olhar feminino do mundo que habitamos e oferecemos para você visitar.

 

Elas são mais de 50 diretoras brasileiras que, nos últimos 5 anos, realizaram filmes em ficção, documentário e animação tratando de uma variedade de temas que representam todas nós.

 

O recorte da curadoria é a potência do talento feminino em toda sua pluralidade, sem amarras ou rótulos.  Queremos dar luz ao olhar da mulher que está atrás das lentes e ocupar nosso espaço em um mercado majoritariamente masculino.”

 

Adriana L. Dutra , Claudia Dutra e Viviane Spinelli

 

See Full Press Release

 

More Information

Brazil approves limited $8bn pandemic spending package

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Brazil’s Congress has approved an $8bn emergency aid package to help deal with a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic that has triggered economic shutdowns across the country.

The package, which is considerably smaller than the $50bn stimulus passed at the beginning of the crisis last year, was welcomed across the political spectrum, with economists and investors lauding its limited impact on Brazil’s growing debt pile.

 

By Bryan Harris and Michael Pooler via Financial Times

 

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As Unemployment Soars In Brazil, Courier-Centric Startup Mottu Attracts Global Tech Investors In New Round

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With unemployment reaching an all-time high of 14% in Brazil, São Paulo-based startup Mottu has attracted a host of global backers in a Series A round intended to accelerate its plan to cater for the needs of gig economy workers.

Mottu is aiming for the scores of Brazilians looking to work as couriers in the booming e-commerce market to make ends meet, but can’t afford the basic equipment to do so. With the goal of “serving the underserved”, the startup rents motorcycles for an average of 25 reais (US$ 4,40) a day to unbanked or credit blacklisted individuals and offers insurance and maintenance, while plugging couriers to a network of marketplaces and retailers looking to boost their last-mile logistics capability.

 

By Angelica Mari via Forbes

 

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Brazil wants to increase manufacturing of fertilizer

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Brasília – Brazil’s government will devise a policy to increase its manufacturing of agricultural fertilizer and minimize reliance on imported products. The country relies for some 80% of its fertilizer needs. An inter-ministerial work group was established to address the topic and met on Tuesday, 9, at Palácio do Planalto.

“Brazil has increased its agricultural output every year but enormously rely on imports of phosphorus and potassium. So, this working group was created,” Agriculture minister Tereza Cristina (pictured above) explained. She addressed the press after a meeting with the National Fertilizer Plan group.

 

Via Brazil-Arab News Agency

 

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Art for community development

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In underserved communities, adolescents and young people do not have qualified opportunities for work and income. The result is that many of them end up continuing their parents’ cycle of poverty. This one-year project will benefit 110 adolescents from Santa Luzia do Itanhy. It will provide an art & design residence with Ronaldo Fraga (well-known Brazilian stylist) and Miro Dantas (Brazilian artist) to introduce new illustration techniques using digital technologies.

 

By IPTI – Research Organization for Technology and Innovation INC

 

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A new app puts invisible communities in Brazil’s Cerrado on the map

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  • Thousands of Indigenous, quilombola, and traditional communities live in the Cerrado, the world’s most biodiverse tropical savanna. But many lack access to official titles and deeds, and are not registered on official maps.
  • As the agricultural frontier pushes into the northern part of the savanna, land-grabbing and violent attacks are increasing. Many of these communities risk losing their land and their resources uoon which they depend.
  • Now, a new smartphone app developed in collaboration with communities in the northern Cerrado and two Brazilian NGOs allows communities themselves to register their lands on the app, as well as important local sites and conflicts with farmers and land-grabbers.
  • The developers of the app aim to halt the rapid and unequal development that threatens the lives and livelihoods of those working to protect the savanna, and ultimately help conserve the last remaining tracts of native Cerrado.

By Sarah Sax via Mongabay

 

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Balancing economic growth and the environment: lessons from Brazil

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In many ways, Brazil is a global leader in the energy transition. Coupled with a strong domestic oil and gas sector that makes up almost 11% of its economy, more than 46% of Brazil’s energy mix is powered by renewable energy sources and Brazil also has the third- largest renewable electricity generation capacity globally. Last year, the World Economic Forum’s Energy Transition Index ranked Brazil at 45th out of 115 countries, driven by its strong performance in in areas such as near-universal energy access and access to clean cooking fuels, a high degree of energy security and the relatively low carbon-intensity of its energy mix.

 

By Stephanie Jamison and Roberto Bocca via World Economic Forum

 

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Brazil’s Renova gets DIP loan for 400-MW wind project

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March 8 (Renewables Now) – Brazilian renewables developer Renova Energia SA (BVMF:RNEW11) has received a BRL-362.5-million (USD 63.7m/EUR 53.4m) debtor-in-possession (DIP) loan to complete the 400-MW Phase A of the Alto Sertao III wind power complex.

The financing came from a bank credit note structured by Brazilian independent resource manager Quadra Gestao de Recursos Ltda, contracted by the company’s subsidiary Chipley SP Participacoes SA, Renova announced last week.

 

By Lucas Morais via Renewables Now

 

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Brazil’s innovation ecosystem holds strong on global index amid challenging year for many countries

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BRASÍLIA, Brazil, March 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Apex-Brasil, the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency, today shared that Brazil was able to maintain its overall rank on the 2021 Bloomberg Innovation Index during an extraordinary year. For the second year in a row, Brazil sustained a rank of 46th out of the world’s 131 most innovative countries and economies, performing particularly well in certain specialized sectors measured, such as manufacturing and productivity – solidifying the country’s innovation economy at a crucial moment in time.

During a year when innovation was, arguably, more important than ever before, Brazil’s consistency on the Bloomberg Innovation Index is a positive sign for the future. This is underscored by many countries decreasing in their innovation rank over the past year, largely due to business ramifications of the coronavirus pandemic, according to Bloomberg, which uses seven weighted metrics to review dozens of criteria in assembling the Innovation Index.

 

Via PR Newswire

 

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BRAZIL FEEDS SOME 10% OF WORLD’S POPULATION, RESEARCH FINDS

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SAO PAULO, March 4 (Reuters) – Farmers in Brazil fed some 10% of the world’s 7.76 billion population last year, a study released on Thursday by state-run agricultural research agency Embrapa found.

The study focused on Brazil’s grains and oilseeds production as these are considered basic food staples that can be either used for direct human consumption or as animal feed for meat processing, Embrapa’s statement said.

 

By Gabriel Araujo via Successful Farming

 

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Staples drove exports from Brazil during the pandemic

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Brasília – Exports from Brazil proved relatively resilient amid the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, underpinned by stronger sales of staple goods. According to the Brazilian Central Bank, a hike in exports of soya, especially in Midwest Brazil, and iron ore, in the North, whose prices went up.

Exports of manufactured goods slowed down, as a result of the global economic slump, and this impacted predominantly the Southeast and South. A Central Bank analysis of exports was made public this Thursday (4) alongside its regional reports.

 

Via Brazil-Arab News Agency

 

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Massive stimulus helps Brazil to limit losses

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The Brazilian economy contracted 4.1 per cent last year, one of the most resilient performances in Latin America, after a massive fiscal stimulus package tempered the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Official data released on Wednesday showed that the Brazilian economy grew 3.2 per cent in the fourth quarter last year from the previous quarter, when it expanded 7.7 per cent. That left the Brazilian economy 1.1 per cent smaller than it was in the fourth quarter of 2019, before the pandemic spread globally.

 

By Bryan Harris via Financial Times

 

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Ports in Brazil handled 1 billion tons in 2020

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São Paulo – Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, cargo throughput at ports in Brazil was up 4.2% in 2020 from 2019 to 1.15 billion tons, as per an annual statistical report released this week by the National Agency for Waterway Transportation (Antaq).

The numbers include throughput at state-run and private ports combined. State-run units accounted for 34% of throughput, while private facilities handled 66%. The majority of cargo – 775.5 million tons – was outgoing, i.e., exports, whereas 377.2 million was incoming, i.e., imports .

 

Via Brazil-Arab News Agency

 

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UPDATE 1-Brazil real slide not justified by fundamentals, central bank president says

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BRASILIA, March 2 (Reuters) – Brazil’s real has suffered more than other emerging currencies as investors adjust to changing liquidity conditions globally, but some of it has not been justified by economic fundamentals, central bank President Roberto Campos Neto said on Tuesday.

Speaking in an online event hosted by Arko Advice and Empiricus, Campos Neto said the central bank has large currency reserves and will continue to act as it sees fit, adding that it remains focused on using all the tools at its disposal to meet it inflation goals.

 

By Jamie McGeever and Gabriel Ponte via Reuters

 

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Brazil may host $5.4bn green hydrogen plant

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Australia-based hydrogen specialist Enegix Energy is planning to build a green hydrogen plant on 500 hectares of commercial land in the Port of Pecém, in the Brazilian, northeastern state of Ceará.

The company said that a memorandum of understanding for the ‘Base One’ project was signed in mid-February with the state governor Camilo Santana and that the planned facility should generate over 600 million kilograms of green hydrogen per year. “Enegix’s planned next-generation facility will be run completely using renewable energy, with zero emissions, and will harness the great renewable energy potential that Ceará has available, with solar and onshore and offshore wind to be realized, allowing Base One to be expanded to over 100 GW to meet global demand,” the Australian company said in a statement.

 

By Emiliano Bellini via PV Magazine

 

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Brazil to deliver 140 mln vaccines by end-May – lower house speaker

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BRASILIA, March 1 (Reuters) – Brazil’s Health Ministry will deliver 140 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines between now and the end of May, lower house speaker Arthur Lira said on Monday, without giving details on where they will come from.

Speaking in an interview with TV Record and later confirming on his Twitter account, Lira also said emergency monthly cash transfers to millions of poor Brazilians of 250 reais ($45) will be made through June.

 

By Lisandra Paraguassu via Yahoo Finance

 

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MercadoLibre to Invest Record $1.8 Billion in Brazil

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Latin American e-commerce powerhouse MercadoLibre Inc. is more than doubling its Brazilian investment this year, planning to deploy in 2021 the same amount it spent in the past four years combined.

The firm plans to pour a record 10 billion reais ($1.8 billion) into Brazil in 2021, up from 4 billion reais last year, to be spent mostly on expanding its logistics network, said Commerce President Stelleo Tolda in an interview with Bloomberg News. Investments in other Latin American markets should also grow, he added, without providing a full figure for the region.

 

By Vinicius Andrade via Bloomberg

 

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Report: Brazilian Consumers Think Digital And Want Merchants To Do The Same

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Brazil is known for its vibrant music culture, love of soccer and for being the largest country in Latin America in terms of both population and geography. The nation has other notable — if less conspicuous — distinctions, however: a widespread embrace of smartphones and a rapidly developing digital payments infrastructure.

These conditions help explain why the pandemic-driven digital shift that is transforming retail in advanced economies around the world has been a catalyst for major changes in Brazil as well. The nation’s consumers, much as those in other markets, have sought to avoid crowded stores and engage in safer, more efficient and more satisfying ways to shop. The share of Brazilian consumers who consider digital channels to be their preferred means of shopping has grown by more than 30 percent since the pandemic began and now accounts for 46 percent of its consumers overall.

 

Via Pymnts

 

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Brazil’s trade with Arab countries up 17%

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São Paulo – Brazil’s trade with the Arab countries climbed 17.3% in January from a year ago. The total amount reached USD 1.22 billion, and Brazil ran a USD 563.31-million surplus. The figures were made public by the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC).

Year on year, Brazil’s revenue from exports to the Arab countries climbed 7.4% to USD 891.85 million, keeping the Arab bloc as the 3rd largest destination of sales from Brazil, only behind China and the United States.

 

Via Brazil-Arab News Agency

 

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UPDATE 1-Brazil unemployment rate falls to 13.9% in quarter through December

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BRASILIA, Feb 26 (Reuters) – Brazil’s unemployment rate ended last year at 13.9%, figures showed on Friday, extending a recent dip as workers returning to the labor market found jobs, but the average jobless rate in 2020 was the highest since comparable records began in 2012.

That was down from 14.1% in the three months to November, statistics agency IBGE said, in line with the median forecast in a Reuters poll of economists and slipping further from the record 14.6% in the three months to September.
By Jamie McGeever via Yahoo Finance

Arabs the 2nd largest destination of food items from Brazil

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São Paulo – Exports from the Brazilian food and beverage industry to the Arab countries were down 8.7% in 2020 from the previous year. The bloc purchased USD 6.19 billion worth in products last year. Despite the decline, the Arabs remain as the second largest purchasing market of Brazil’s food industry, only behind Asia. The figures were made public on Wednesday (24) by the Brazilian Food Industry Association (ABIA).

The Brazilian food industry’s top purchasing countries include Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which ranked 6th and 8th, respectively. “There’s a major focus on Asia and the Arab countries, where we have decades-long partnerships and there’s a very fruitful, complementary economy, and we still have many opportunities to tap into,” ABIA board chair Grazielle Parenti said during a press conference.

 

By Thaís Sousa via Brazil-Arab News Agency

 

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Brazil’s RecargaPay Raises $70 Million To Expand Payments App

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Brazil’s RecargaPay has raised $70 million in a Series C funding round to expand its payments platform for consumers and small businesses. The funding round, led by IDC Ventures and Fuel Venture Capital, brings RecargaPay’s total funding to over $100 million. Other investors include Experian, LUN Partners and ATW, according to a press release.

“Founded in Brazil in 2010, RecargaPay set out to provide a comprehensive and user-friendly financial services ecosystem that would be accessible even to people who do not have bank accounts,” the press release reads. The company’s goal is to “democratize access to digital financial services for millions of new users.” PYMNTS recently noted that more than 45 million adults in Brazil remain unbanked. The firm will also use the funding to further develop Prime+, its subscription program.

 

Via Pymnts

 

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Brazil current account deficit 0.65% of GDP, smallest in 13 years

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BRASILIA (Reuters) – Brazil’s current account deficit in the year to January as a share of the overall economy shrank to its smallest in 13 years, official figures showed on Wednesday, thanks mainly to a decline in the primary income and services deficits in the month.

The current account deficit of 0.65% of gross domestic product in the 12 months to January was down from 0.87% the previous month and the smallest since February, 2008, central bank figures showed.

 

By Jamie McGeever via Reuters

 

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Brazil’s consumer confidence rises in February for first time in five months

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BRASILIA (Reuters) – Consumer confidence in Brazil rose in February for the first time in five months, a survey indicated on Wednesday, lifted by the start of a nationwide vaccination program against COVID-19 and prospects of the government resuming emergency income transfers to the poor.

The rise was most pronounced among consumers in the lowest income bracket, although the overall level of confidence was still below that registered at the end of last year, the Getulio Vargas Foundation’s (FGV) findings showed.

 

By Jamie McGeever via Reuters

 

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UPDATE 1-Brazil steelmaker CSN plans to raise prices by 25% in Q2

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SAO PAULO, Feb 23 (Reuters) – Brazilian steelmaker CompanhiaSiderúrgica Nacional (CSN) said on Tuesday that itexpects to raise its prices by an average of 25% in the secondquarter as it moves to shrink its debt.

CSN Chief Executive Benjamin Steinbruch said in a call toanalysts that believes the steelmaker’s debt rating could beupgraded in “weeks” as the company plans to reach itsdeleveraging goal in 45 days.
By Alberto Alerigi and Paula Laier via Yahoo Finance

Twitter starts rolling out Voice DM feature in India, Brazil and Japan

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Twitter on Wednesday announced it is testing voice messages in direct messages (DMs) up to 140-seconds long in India.

The experiment will be rolled out in phases to the audiences, making India one of three countries to have access to the feature, alongside Brazil and Japan.

According to the company, voice messages in DMs will make it easier for people to have conversations.

 

Via Business Insider India

 

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Brazil’s Santa Catarina gives prelim licence for 256.5-MW wind project

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February 22 (Renewables Now) – Brazil’s Santa Catarina State Environmental Institute (IMA) granted on Friday the preliminary environmental licence (LAP) for a 256.5-MW wind project.

The Calmon Wind Complex, as it is named, will require around BRL 1 billion (USD 185.7m/EUR 153.3m) in investments for the construction of 11 wind parks in total. Installation works will take 34 months, IMA estimates.

 

By Lucas Morais via Renewables Now

 

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Brazil Internet of Things Market, Competition, Forecast & Opportunities, 2021-2026

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DUBLIN–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The “Brazil Internet of Things Market by Platform (Device Management, Network Management and Application Management), by Component (Hardware, Services and Software), by Application, by Region, Competition, Forecast & Opportunities, 2026” report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com’s offering.

The Brazilian Internet of Things Market stood at USD 5.67 Billion in 2020 and is expected to grow at CAGR of 18.99% in the next five years to reach USD 16.43 Billion by 2026 on account of increase in adoption of cloud-based platforms, development of wireless networking technologies and surge in number of connected devices.

 

Via Business Wire

 

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Softbank leads $83 mln investment in Brazil education startup Descomplica

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SAO PAULO, Feb 18 (Reuters) – A group of investors led by Softbank Group has invested 450 million reais ($83 million) in Brazilian test-prep startup Descomplica, which has seen demand for its online learning services surge in the pandemic, the company said on Thursday.

Descomplica said it would use the funds to make acquisitions and develop new products, including 33 new courses by next year.

 

Via Reuters

 

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Four Brazil companies file for IPOs in flotation flurry

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SAO PAULO, Feb 18 (Reuters) – Four Brazilian companies filed for initial public offerings on Thursday, securities filings showed, adding to a flurry of flotations expected in the coming weeks and months.

The companies are online retailer Privalia, hospital Mater Dei, biofuel company FS and financial and automotive group Rodobens.
By Aluisio Pereira via Nasdaq

Partnership for first biologicals collaboration in Brazil

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Corteva Agriscience and Simbiose Agro, the largest producer of microbiological technologies in Brazil, announced today a multi-year collaboration benefiting Brazilian farmers.

Working closely together, the two companies will commercialize and develop Simbiose’s portfolio and pipeline of biostimulants and biological control solutions for crops such as sugarcane, soybeans, corn and other specialties. Additional details of the agreement were not disclosed.

 

Via Horti Daily

 

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Brazil: Industry 4.0 And Intellectual Property In Brazil

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The great technological advances of the last few decades, added to the world communication revolution with the popularisation of the internet, have resulted in an increase in data flows and the immediate transmission of information on a global scale. This scenario has allowed data to be elevated to the category of an essential economic asset, so that digitalisation has gained increasingly more space on the industrial development agenda.

Industry is extremely relevant in the Brazilian economic scenario. It currently represents 20.9% of national GDP, accounts for 70.1% of exports of goods and services, in addition to representing 72.2% of business investment in research and development (R&D) and 33% of federal taxes, not including social security revenues1.

 

By Bianca Kremer and Gustavo Piva de Andrade via Mondaq

 

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Cloud-focused company aims for growth in Brazil

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Claranet, a technology multinational focused on managed cloud services, has announced an investment of $100 million in its Brazil operation.

According to Brazilian technology site Tele.Síntese, the investment will support three aims: to continue with accelerated organic growth, which is claimed to have reached 37 per cent year on year over the past five years; to invest in improving internal performance; and to enable the acquisition of other companies in the sector.

 

By Vaughan O’Grady via Developing Telecoms

 

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Faro Energy to build 2.5 MW of PV plants in Brazil for retailer C&A

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February 16 (Renewables Now) – Faro Energy, a distributed solar company with global headquarters in London, and Brazilian retailer C&A Modas SA (BVMF:CEAB3) have signed a contract for the development of 2.5 MW of solar projects in Brazil.

Faro Energy plans to build two photovoltaic (PV) parks consisting of around 7,000 solar panels. The systems are expected to be up and running in the first half of 2021 and power 11 of C&A’s stores in the country’s capital Brasilia and Rio de Janeiro state.

 

By Lucas Morais via Renewables Now

 

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Brazil surpasses 4.7 GW of DG solar

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February 11 (Renewables Now) – Brazil’s installed solar distributed generation (DG) capacity has surpassed 4.7 GW, statistics by power sector regulator Aneel show.

The total DG capacity across the country went over 4.9 GW, as of Wednesday night, according to Aneel’s almost real-time update, with solar power being the most popular source, counting 401,199 grid-connected systems.

 

By Lucas Morais via Renewables Now

 

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Nokia backs a 5G Open RAN future for Brazil

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Nokia is furthering its Open RAN ambitions with a new partnership with the CPQD in Brazil, aiming to co-develop new 5G use cases for the new technology. These new use cases include fixed wireless access (FWA), smart cities, IoT for Industry 4.0, and critical networks, all of which will be customised specifically to the needs of the Brazilian market.
“This important partnership will explore the potential for innovative 5G use cases that will have real-world value in Brazil across a range of different areas, such as smart cities and fixed wireless access. Our RAN Intelligent Controller will play a critical role in this research, helping to explore and trial new cutting-edge use cases that will put Brazil at the forefront in the 5G era,” said Ari Kynäslahti, Head of Technology and Strategy at Nokia Mobile Networks.
By Harry Baldock via Total Telecom

Brazil farmers harvest 4% of soy area, a quarter of last year’s total – AgRural

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Drier weather in parts of Brazil’s Center-West allowed the 2020/2021 soybean harvest to gather momentum last week after disruptions caused by excessive rainfall, according to agribusiness consultancy AgRural.

As of Feb. 4, Brazilian farmers had managed to double the area harvested to 4%, from 2% in the previous week. Yet harvesting is still way behind historical averages for this time of the season, the consultancy said.

 

Via Hellenic Shipping News

 

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Brazil passes law giving autonomy to central bank

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Lawmakers in Brazil have voted to grant autonomy to the central bank in a move aimed at improving the country’s reputation among international investors by removing the risk of political interference in monetary policy.

The legislation was approved by federal deputies in the lower house of Congress on Wednesday, after an almost year-long delay following the coronavirus crisis and local elections.

 

By Michael Pooler and Bryan Harris

 

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Luiza Helena Trajano reúne empresários e lança movimento Unidos pela Vacina

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Luiza Helena Trajano, presidente do conselho do Magazine Luiza, decidiu começar o ano unindo um grupo de empresários para tirar do papel o movimento Unidos pela Vacina. Com o objetivo de imunizar todos os brasileiros contra a Covid-19 até setembro, o grupo pretende contribuir para que não haja entraves no transporte da vacina para todos os cantos do país.

A empresária conta que a ideia surgiu no final do ano passado, com a campanha de conscientização Vacina para Todos, do Grupo Mulheres do Brasil – do qual ela também é presidente. “A partir dali, tentamos entender como poderíamos ajudar e concluímos que era preciso partir para uma ação efetiva. Foi quando esse movimento passou por uma transformação. Trouxemos mais parceiros, como empresários e executivos de diferentes setores e organizações não governamentais. Assim surgiu o Unidos pela Vacina”, explica.

 

By Beatriz Calais via Forbes Brasil

 

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Saudi Arabia’s poultry imports from Brazil up

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São Paulo – Poultry exports from Brazil slid in January 2021. Nevertheless, some of the leading Arab importers stepped up their purchases. The Brazilian Animal Protein Association (ABPA) reported 35,800 tons shipped to Saudi Arabia, up 2%, with revenue climbing 4% to USD 58.5 million year-on-year in January.

Saudi Arabia was the premier Arab importer of poultry from Brazil in January. The UAE ranked second at 21,700 tons, up 3%, fetching USD 32.8 million, down 2%.

 

Via Brazil-Arab News Agency

 

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UPDATE 2-Brazil inflation slows in January, but 4.5% annual rate remains punchy

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BRASILIA, Feb 9 (Reuters) – Monthly inflation in Brazilslowed in January as a sharp fall in electricity prices draggeddown housing costs, official figures showed on Tuesday, but theannual rate of inflation remained high and significantly abovethe central bank’s year-end goal.

It was the third month in a row the benchmark annual IPCAconsumer inflation rate has been above 4%, having more thandoubled from the record low below 2% last May.

 

By Jamie McGeever via Yahoo Finance

 

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Brazil to test COVID-19 vaccination on city’s entire adult population

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SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Brazilian biomedical institute Butantan plans to vaccinate a city’s entire adult population of about 30,000 people against COVID-19 to test whether it lowers the infection rate, institute and government officials said on Monday.

Butantan, which is overseen by the Sao Paulo state government, will carry out the mass vaccination study in Serrana, a city in the interior of the state that has a high infection rate, according to a statement and news briefing.

 

By Reuters

 

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Brazil gets first active ingredients for AstraZeneca vaccine from China

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RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) – A first shipment of 88 liters of active ingredients to make AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine in Brazil arrived from China on Saturday, essential input to speed the country’s troubled vaccination program.

With those supplies flown into Rio de Janeiro on a cargo plane, the Fiocruz biomedical center can begin filling and finishing 2.8 million doses. The federally funded center expects to receive more ingredients this month to make a total of 15 million shots of the vaccine developed with Oxford University.

 

By Sergio Queiroz via Reuters

 

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Open Banking Intro, Safer Internet Day 2021, Indústria 4.0, CannaBusiness Summit Brazil 2021 & Muito Mais

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A Matera, empresa de desenvolvimento de tecnologia para o mercado financeiro, fintechs e gestão de riscos, realiza a live “Open Banking Intro” logo mais, às10h30, com a participação especial do Banco Central. O objetivo é reunir especialistas para esclarecer as principais características do open banking, para que seus impactos e oportunidades sejam visualizados com mais clareza. Entre os speakers, estarão Carlos Netto, CEO da Matera, João André Pereira, chefe do Departamento de Regulação do Sistema Financeiro do Banco Central, Márcio Alexandre, superintendente de governança de TI e segurança cibernética do Sicoob, e Fabiano Amaro, consultor de negócios da Matera. A mediação da conversa fica a cargo de Alexandre Pinto, diretor de inovação e novos negócios da empresa. A inscrição é gratuita.

 

Via Forbes Brazil

 

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7 Absolutely Beautiful Places In Brazil

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Brazil is a country of superlatives. The world’s fifth-largest country, it makes up nearly 50 percent of the South American continent and has 4,000 airports. Its main river, the Amazon, is the world’s largest by volume, growing up to 30 miles wide during the rainy season. Brazil has 21 UNESCO World Heritage sites and is one of the most bio-diverse countries in the world, with some four million plant and animal species, and new ones being discovered nearly daily. Its 3,287,597 square miles encompass cities, beaches, mountains, plains, forests, and every other habitat you could possibly think of.

Even if you lived in Brazil for 10 lifetimes and explored ceaselessly, you’d never see it all. What you can do though, is to try and see some of the most beautiful spots spread across the vastness. As beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and the definition of beauty varies greatly, I have chosen a mix of a little bit of every kind of beauty for you to pick and choose to visit next time you get down to Brazil.

 

By Ulrike Lemmin-Woolfrey

 

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Vehicle exports from Brazil up in January

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São Paulo – Vehicle exports from Brazil were up 21.9% year on year in January, National Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Association (Anfavea) reported on Thursday (4). Car sales reached 25,000 units last month. Month on month, though, they declined by 35.8%.

The same occurred with Brazilian vehicle production in January: it climbed year on year, but slid month on month. It was down 4.6% in January, from 209,300 to 1997,700 units. Year on year, it climbed by 4.3%.

 

Via Brazil-Arab News Agency

 

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Neoenergia looks to MPLS for smart grid expansion in Brazil

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Brazilian electricity company Neoenergia is modernising its communication networks with MPLS (Multi-Protocol Label Switching).

Neoenergia is to adopt MPLS in the networks of its four distribution concessionaries, Celpe in Pernambuco state, Coelba in Bahia, Cosern in Rio Grande do Norte and Elektro in São Paulo and Mato Grosso do Sul.

 

Via Smart Energy

 

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GREENSPOON MARDER CELEBRATES FORTY YEARS IN BUSINESS

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Fort Lauderdale, Fla. January 28, 2021 – Greenspoon Marder is pleased to announce that the firm is celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2021.

Founded in 1981 with a handshake over a kitchen table between Gerald Greenspoon and Michael Marder, Greenspoon Marder today is a leading Am Law 200 law firm. The firm first opened its doors in North Miami, and has since expanded to 11 offices in Florida, and more than a dozen additional locations including New York, Los Angeles, Denver, Las Vegas, and Portland.

Greenspoon Marder first gained national attention in real estate development, resort and timeshare development, condominium conversions, and finance and transactions. The firm has grown to offer a wide array of legal services with core strengths in real estate, litigation, timeshare & resort, corporate, tax, and regulatory compliance.

 

Read full press release here

Brazil favelas launch bank amid economic hit of pandemic

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The economic toll of the coronavirus pandemic has hit especially hard in Brazil’s favelas, but the country’s 10 biggest slums now have a plan to fight back: they are launching their own bank.

Dubbed the “G10 Bank,” the new financial institution is set to open later this month, offering micro-loans to small business owners struggling to survive the pandemic and debit cards to slum-dwellers excluded from the traditional banking system.

 

By Florence Goisnard via Yahoo Finance

 

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Programa Prefeito Amigo da Criança

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A campanha Prefeito Presente reforça o nosso objetivo de construir um Brasil onde todas as crianças e todos os adolescentes tenham seus direitos respeitados.

Sabemos que muitas vezes o Estado* é ausente na garantia de necessidades básicas. Por isso, queremos convocar os prefeitos de todo o país a fazerem parte do Programa Prefeito Amigo da Criança, implementando ações que garantam e permitam que as crianças e os adolescentes sejam protagonistas de suas próprias histórias.

 

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Brazil maker of Sputnik V vaccine sees greenlight on tests by next week

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BRASILIA (Reuters) – The Brazilian pharmaceutical company that will make Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine against COVID-19 expects regulatory approval for Phase III tests by this week or early next at the latest, its Chief Executive Officer Fernando Marques said on Tuesday.

Marques said the strong efficacy results from late stage trials in Russia, published on Tuesday by The Lancet – 91.6% effective against symptomatic COVID-19 – will help speed up approval in Brazil sought by his firm União Quimica.

 

By Anthony Boadle and Tatiana Bautzer via Reuters

 

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Number of new businesses up in Brazil

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Brasília – The number of new businesses in Brazil was up 6% in 2020 from 2019, according to the annual Business Map bulleting from the Brazilian Ministry of Economy. Last year saw 3,359,750 enterprises open in Brazil. The number of companies that went out of business is 1,044,696, resulting in 2.3 million active enterprises in the country. The number of companies that ceased to exist was down 11.3%.

According to the Ministry, the number reflects government measures designed to facilitate startups amid the Covid-19 pandemic, which led many to seek an income through entrepreneurship. The majority of active enterprises in Brazil – nearly 50% – are in the states of São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro.

 

Via Brazil-Arab News Agency

 

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Open Banking kicks off in Brazil

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Today (1) the first of four phases of Brazil’s Open Banking implementation has started, as part of the country’s broader agenda of modernization of the national financial ecosystem.

The initiative, led by the Central Bank of Brazil, also aims to boost market competition and increase financial education in the Latin American country. Under the model, use of open application programming interfaces (APIs) enable third-party developers to build applications and services around the participating financial institutions, with consumer data shared with their consent.

 

By Angelica Mari via ZD Net

 

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2021 Will Be a Key Year for Brazil’s Fiscal Reform Agenda

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Fitch Ratings-New York/London-01 February 2021: Brazil’s large deficit and high public debt burden underscore its continuing fiscal challenges notwithstanding last year’s somewhat better-than-expected performance, Fitch Ratings says. With general elections due in October 2022, this year is a key year to revitalize the government’s fiscal reform agenda for boosting budgetary flexibility and maintaining the credibility of the spending cap.

Data on Friday showed Brazil’s general government deficit more than doubled to 14% of GDP from about 6% in 2019. This was better than our forecast of 16.4% primarily due to under-execution of budgeted spending, which improved the central government outturn, and higher regional government surpluses. Central government revenue contracted by a nominal 10.2%, while primary spending grew 35% as Brazil implemented one of Latin America’s biggest Covid-19 support packages.

 

By Shelly Shetty and Mark Brown via Fitch Ratings

 

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Petrobras makes hydrocarbons discovery in block C-M-411 offshore Brazil

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Brazilian state-owned oil firm Petróleo Brasileiro (Petrobras) has made a hydrocarbon discovery in the wildcat well of block C-M-411 in the pre-salt Campos Basin offshore in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro state.

The hydrocarbon discovery was made at the well 1-BRSA-1377-RJS, informally known as Urissanê. It is located approximately 200km from the coast and at a water depth of 2,950m.

 

Via Offshore Technology

 

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Brazil’s railway sector expects USD 6 bn in investments

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São Paulo – Brazil’s railway sector expects a BRL 30 billion (USD 6 billion) in investments. This figure is particularly due to the renewal of concessions in some important lines. “It’s actually a conservative forecast, due to the renewal of contracts,” Brazil’s National Association of Rail Carriers (ANTF) executive director Fernando Paes told ANBA.

ANTF points out that these early contract extensions only could yield around BRL 30 billion. The renewals approved by the Investment Partnership Program (PPI) are expected to increase the share of the rail sector from 15% to 31% of all transportation in the country. “On one hand, we have this schedule of contract extensions. On the other, many of these companies are publicly traded,” Paes explained on other possibilities of new investors.

 

By Thais Sousa via Brazil-Arab News Agency

 

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The Best National Parks To Visit In Brazil

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Editor’s Note: *Due to the current Covid-19 outbreak, international travel is discouraged at the moment – this article is meant to serve as inspiration for a future trip once the pandemic has come to an end.*

A nation rich in culture, biodiversity, and natural beauty, there’s no shortage of spectacular destinations to visit all throughout Brazil. While many visitors choose to spend time celebrating Carnival in the streets of Rio, those who wish to experience the wild side of Brazil may be interested in a trek across some of the country’s most stunning national parks. From surging rivers to colossal canyons, the natural beauty of Brazil is truly a sight to behold.

 

By Jared Ranahan via Forbes

 

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Brazil to roll out national fertilizer plan

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São Paulo – Brazil’s federal government announced a new National Fertilizer Plan. A decree made public early this week on the Official Gazette mandates the establishment of a work group to devise the strategy.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply said the effort is intended to increase manufacturing and availability of domestically made fertilizer, to minimize reliance on imported product, and to add competitiveness to Brazilian agribusiness products in international markets. According to the Ministry, Brazil relies on imports for some 60% of its fertilizer needs.

 

Via Brazil-Arab News Agency

 

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Brazil expects to produce 14,5 million tonnes of chicken in 2021

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The Brazilian Animal Protein Association (ABPA) forecast estimates a domestic per capita consumption of 47 kilos, up 4.4% from in 2020 (45 kilos), but on the export front, no numbers are stated. However, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates a year-on-year increase of 2.1% in Brazilian exports compared 2020. Last year, Brazil exported 4,23 million tonnes of chicken meat.

 

By Daniel Azevedo via Poultry World

 

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Brazil ran a USD 6 bn surplus in trade with Arab League

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São Paulo – Brazil ran a USD 6.1 billion surplus in trade with the Arab League in 2020. The surplus is the difference between exports and imports. The result accounts for 12.2% of the USD 50 billion all-time record surplus Brazil reached throughout the year. It’s also a 16.2% increase from the surplus reached in Brazil-Arab League trade in 2019, as per figures from the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce(ABCC).

The entity reports that Brazil’s exports to the bloc of 22 countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) generated USD 11.47 billion in revenue, down 6.3% from 2019. The decline, however, was lower than in other relevant trade partnerships, such as the United States (-23.7%) and Mercosur (-17.7%).

 

Via Brazil-Arab News Agency

 

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Brazil’s Cade okays AES’ acquisition of 158.5-MW wind portfolio

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January 26 (Renewables Now) – Brazil’s competition regulator CADE has okayed the acquisition of a 158.5-MW wind portfolio by local power producer AES Brasil (B3:TIET11), formerly AES Tiete Energia SA.

The deal, approved without restrictions, is valued at BRL 806 million (USD 147.4m/EUR 121.4m), including BRL 277 million of net debt, AES Brasil said previously.

 

By Lucas Morais via Renewables Now

 

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REFILE-Sea group’s Shopee scales up Brazil operations, eyes Latam potential- sources

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SINGAPORE, Jan 25 (Reuters) – Shopee, the e-commerce arm of Southeast Asia’s Sea Ltd, is scaling up its operations in Brazil and evaluating the long-term potential of Latin American markets, according to two people with knowledge of the matter.

Shopee, the largest e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia according to market researchers, launched a small presence in Brazil in late 2019 as a pilot initiative of its cross-border team.

 

By Fanny Potkin via Yahoo Finance

 

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Brazil rate outlook rises after cenbank drops forward guidance – survey

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BRASILIA, Jan 25 (Reuters) – The outlook for Brazilian interest rates over the next two years rose to their highest in many months, a central bank survey of economists showed on Monday, following the bank’s decision last week to drop its ‘forward guidance’ pledge to keep them low for a long time.

The average forecast of the benchmark Selic rate at the end of this year rose to 3.50% from 3.25%, and the end-2022 forecast rose to 5.00% from 4.75%, according to the latest weekly ‘FOCUS’ survey of around 100 economists.

 

By Jamie McGeever via Yahoo Finance

 

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Engie contracts Siemens Gamesa to supply turbines for Brazil wind farm

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Renewables company Engie has signed a contract with Siemens Gamesa to supply supply turbines for a wind farm in Brazil.

Under the contract, the company will supply 70 of its SG 5.8-170 turbines with OptimaFlex technology. These will generate energy at the 434MW Santo Agostinho wind farm in north-east Rio Grande do Norte.

 

Via Power Technology

 

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Brazil Senate Willing to Discuss New Round of Covid Assistance

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Senators are likely to consider a new round of financial help for vulnerable Brazilians as soon as a new head of the upper house is elected in February, with one of the candidates for the job defending an urgent discussion about the theme and another saying she wouldn’t oppose the idea either.

Senator Rodrigo Pacheco, the front-runner in the race, on Wednesday said that if elected he would immediately start a discussion about what to do with this “part of the population living in extreme poverty, whose situation was aggravated by the pandemic.”

 

By Samy Adghirni and Simone Preissler Iglesias

 

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The pandemic has led many to swap urban living and working for more rural environments. But what happens when you try to do it in a developing nation?

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Leonardo de Azevedo decided to move to the countryside with his wife and two small children in May. The family ended up in a rural area, Lumiar, near the city of Nova Friburgo, about 150km (93mi) from the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro, where Azevedo works in the public prosecutor’s office. The idea was to get closer to nature, allow the children more freedom and seek greater security against the pandemic.

But the region had no broadband internet, leaving him dependent on mobile internet that came with speed and data limits. And, when his son had an accident and had to go to A&E, “we found out that in Nova Friburgo no service accepted our health plan”; they were forced to travel back to Rio de Janeiro for treatment.

 

By Raphael Tsavkko Garcia via BBC

 

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Majority of Brazil’s connected population uses digital citizen services

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The Brazilian government estimates that more than 60% of the country’s connected population – about 84 million people – is using digital citizen services.

The latest numbers from the Digital Government Secretariat (DGS) at the Ministry of Economy are based on research from the National Internet Steering Committee, which estimates that currently 134 million Brazilians have access to the Internet.

 

By Angelica Mari via ZD Net

 

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Brazil braced for IPO spree this year after bumper 2020

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Brazil’s stock market is gearing up for another rush of flotations in 2021, after an army of new investors helped spur the strongest year for initial public offerings in more than a decade.

An iron ore miner, a crematorium operator and an online furniture seller are among a list of 41 companies that have announced their intention to debut on São Paulo’s B3 exchange, which in spite of the Covid-19 pandemic chalked up 28 IPOs last year — the biggest number since 2007’s all-time record of 64.

 

By Michael Pooler via Financial Times

 

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BNDES okays funding for 40-MW biomass power plant in Brazil

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January 20 (Renewables Now) – Brazil’s National Development Bank (BNDES) has approved financing of BRL 941.6 million (USD 177m/EUR 146m) for the construction of a 40-MW biomass power plant and several upgrades planned by Grupo Sao Martinho SA (BVMF:SMTO3).

Named UTE Sao Martinho Bioenergia, the new biomass plant will use sugarcane bagasse as fuel. Located in the municipality of Pradopolis, Sao Paulo state, Sao Martinho should be able to generate some 210,000 MWh per year.

 

By Lucas Morais via Renewables Now

 

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OVERVIEW – Brazil’s ageing hydro infrastructure is solar’s economic opportunity

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January 20 (Renewables Now) – Brazil, the world’s second-largest producer of hydroelectric power, has an energy problem. While hydropower accounted for 70% of the country’s electricity generation in 2018, its primary source of renewable power is becoming less effective than it once was. Brazil needs to urgently diversify its energy mix to counter the power outages that are becoming a feature of daily life.

 

By Jamie MacDonald-Murray via Renewables Now

 

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Brazil’s Solarian Energy connects 5-MW solar plant in Sao Paulo

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January 19 (Renewables Now) – Brazilian solar energy firm Solarian Energy announced recently it has commenced the commercial operation of a 4.9-MW solar plant in Sao Paulo state.

The UFV Salto de Pirapora II, as the photovoltaic (PV) plant is named, is the company’s first to use solar trackers. It required an investment of BRL 17 million (USD 3.2m/EUR 2.6m) made in partnership with an unnamed foreign fund.

 

By Lucas Morais via Renewables Now

 

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Brazil to kick off COVID-19 vaccination plan

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São Paulo – Brazilian health regulator Anvisa approved emergency use of CoronaVac and the Oxford vaccine in Brazil. The first is produced by São Paulo’s Butantan medical center that is partnered with China’s Sinovac, while the latter was developed by AstraZeneca and the Oxford University with federally funded Fiocruz institute.

The decision was disclosed on Sunday (17) and, minutes later, Monica Calazans (pictured above), a nurse in São Paulo’s Emílio Ribas infectology hospital, became the first person to be inoculated in the country, receiving the Butantan’s vaccine, the Federal Nursing Service Council reported.

 

Via Brazil-Arab News Agency

 

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Brazil to be first country to get Covid vaccine from India, SII will supply 2 million doses

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New Delhi: Brazil is all set to become the first country in the world that will receive two million doses of Covishield from India next week that will be flown directly from Mumbai to Rio de Janeiro via a special flight, ThePrint has learnt.

The Jair Bolsonaro administration will be procuring the vaccine at a “special rate” under a deal that was finalised between the Brazilian government and Pune’s Serum Institute of India (SII) earlier this month, diplomatic sources told ThePrint. SII has manufactured the Oxford-AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine in India.

 

By Nayanima Basu via The Print

 

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Brazil’s BTG Pactual to raise $377 mln in share offering

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SAO PAULO, Jan 14 (Reuters) – Brazilian bank Banco BTG Pactual SA plans to raise at least 2 billion reais ($377 million) in a share offering, a securities filing showed on Thursday.

The bank will sell 22,222,222 new shares, comprising one common share and two preferred shares, in the follow-on. It may raise the offering by 25% depending on demand.

 

By Carolina Mandl via Yahoo Finance

 

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Nordex gets Brazil nod for 5MW model

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Nordex has obtained the accreditation in Brazil for the N163/5.X wind turbine model from National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES).

Wind farm developers in Brazil will be able to purchase N163/5.X wind turbines using the credit line known as FINAME, as well as other similar financing lines that use the BNDES accreditation system to define local content.

 

Via Renews.Biz

 

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China/Brazil sea freight prices soar, almost five times higher than six months ago

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Sea freight on the China-Brazil route has soared and reached an unprecedented US$ 10,000 per TEU, according to importers and shipping companies operating in the port of Santos.

”It is a record high; I had never seen freight reach that amount,” said Luigi Ferrini, Senior Vice President of Hapag-Lloyd in Brazil. A year ago, the cost of this same route was in the range of US$ 2,000 per TEU.

 

Via Hellenic Shipping News

 

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Brazilian Food Delivery Market 2020 – COVID-19 Has Accelerated Brazil’s Digital Transformation

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DUBLIN, Jan. 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — The “The Brazilian Food Delivery Market, 2020: A Benchmark of the Top 8 Companies” report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com’s offering.

Brazil’s digital transformation has been greatly accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in several types of solutions being launched into the food delivery market. The increasing use of smartphones and new technologies across various regions of the country, including small cities with few resources, has made food delivery services a routine element of the Brazilian lifestyle.

 

Via Cision PR Newswire

 

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Brazil: Brazil’s CNPE Establishes Guidelines For New Biodiesel Marketing Model

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On December 30, 2020, the National Energy Policy Council (“CNPE”)  published Resolution No. 14/2020 (“Resolution No. 14”), which establishes guidelines for the marketing of biodiesel in the national territory and provides for other measures.

Resolution No. 14 establishes that all biofuel necessary to comply with the mandatory percentage set forth by Law No. 13,033/2014 must be contracted by means of a marketing model, replacing the public auctions. The National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (“ANP”) shall be responsible for regulating the biodiesel marketing model, which became effective January 1, 2020.

 

By Bruno Triani Belchoir , Bárbara Eiroa Leite and Leandro Duarte via Mondaq

Brazil’s industry up 1.2% in November: IBGE

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São Paulo – Brazil’s industrial output climbed for the seventh month in a row, up 1.2% in November from October 2020. But year to date through November, it was down by 5.5%. In the twelve months through November, it declined by 5.2%. Despite the recent positive outcomes, industrial output is down 13.9% from the peak in May 2011.

Figures from the Monthly Industrial Survey made public on Friday (8) in Rio de Janeiro by statistic agency IBGE shows that the industry was up 2.8% from November 2019.

 

Via Brazil-Arab News Agency

 

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Almeida Advogados Launches Family Law and Wealth Planning Practice Area

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Dear Friend of the Firm,

We are pleased to inform you of the inauguration of our firm’s Family Law and Wealth Planning practice area.

Heading the practice area are our new partners Daniella Almeida and Felipe Ragusa, who departed from the much lauded São Paulo Family Law and Wealth Planning law firm Laiz Amaral de Andrade Advogados to join Almeida Advogados.

 

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MadeiraMadeira, the Brazilian answer to Wayfair or Ikea, is now worth $1 billion

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MadeiraMadeira, the Brazilian answer to Wayfair or Ikea, is now worth $1 billion after raising $190 million in late stage financing from investors led by SoftBank’s Latin American investment fund and the Brazilian public and private investment firm, Dynamo.

An online marketplace specializing in home products, MadeiraMadeira offers roughly 300,000 products so customers can build, furnish, renovate and decorate their homes.

 

By Jonathan Schieber via Tech Crunch

 

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Brazil: COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout In Brazil

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Although the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccines may be more important to certain employers (such as those in health care), employers in all  industries should monitor the development of the Government’s vaccine roll-out program, as the vaccine concerns public health. In this Legal Update, we answer some of the questions that employers may have.

 

By Aline Fidelis and Vinicius Rodrigues de Castro via Mondaq

 

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Brazil’s services sector expands in Dec for 4th month, but pandemic fears linger – IHS Markit

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BRASILIA, Jan 6 (Reuters) – Brazil’s services sector expanded in December for a fourth straight month and at a slightly faster pace than the month before, a purchasing managers’ survey showed on Wednesday, although underlying data painted a more mixed picture.

Services have lagged manufacturing and industry in the rebound from the COVID-19 crisis but have recently shown signs that the bounceback is underway, a view strengthened by hopes a vaccine will soon be available.

 

By Jamie McGeever via Reuters India

 

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Enel allowed to switch on 260 MW of wind parks in Brazil

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January 5 (Renewables Now) – Brazilian power sector watchdog Aneel has given the green light to the start of commercial operations of 260 MW of wind parks owned by local units of Italian firm Enel Green Power SpA.

Aneel’s approval allows the company to generate power from the EOL Ventos de Santa Angela 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 14 parks. These plants are situated in the cities of Queimada Nova and Lagoa do Barro, Piaui state.

 

By Lucas Morais via Renewables Now

 

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Brazil may add 9 GW of distributed solar over next two years

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“With the financial problems of our competitors, Aldo became the largest PV product distributor in Brazil this year”, said the president of Brazil’s largest PV product distributor and system integrator, Aldo Pereira Teixeira, in an interview with pv magazine. “Currently, our market share is around 35 to 36 percent.”

Aldo currently focuses on the sale of residential, commercial, and industrial photovoltaic systems and only 3 percent of the company’s revenue is concentrated on projects with a power greater than 1 MW, in which remote self-consumption is a priority. The situation of distributed generation in Brazil is still very promising, Pereira Teixeira added. “Brazil has 89 million consumer units and only 330,000 photovoltaic systems connected to the grid; we have a huge space to keep growing.”

 

By Emiliano Bellini via pv magazine

 

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Brazil scrambles for India-made vaccines to jumpstart inoculations

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BRASILIA/RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) -Brazil made a diplomatic push on Monday to guarantee an Indian-made shipment of British drugmaker AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine, hoping to avoid export restrictions that could delay immunizations during the world’s second-deadliest outbreak.

In parallel, Brazil’s private clinics struck a preliminary deal for an alternative injection made by India’s Bharat Biotech despite a lack of public results from late-stage trials.

 

By Ricardo Brito and Pedro Fonseca via Reuters

 

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Brazil and UK to cooperate on digital transformation and innovation

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An agreement has been signed between Brazil and the UK to accelerate digital transformation and innovation in public services delivery in the Latin American country.

Under the memorandum of understanding signed on December 29 by Acting British Ambassador to Brazil Liz Davidson and Brazilian digital secretary Luis Felipe Monteiro, the countries will be working together until March 2023.

 

By Angelica Mari via ZD Net

 

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China’s CEEC to build 869 MW of wind, solar parks in Brazil

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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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Brazil: Brazil Remains Wedded To LNG Despite Upset

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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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Accenture to work on sale of Brazil’s state-owned tech firms

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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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Foreigners Need Negative Covid-19 Exam to Fly to Brazil

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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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5 FinTech companies transforming the financial space in Brazil

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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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Beef exports from Brazil to end the year at a record high

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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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Brazil’s luxury real estate sees boom during pandemic

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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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Outlook for Good Growth Maintenance of AUM of Brazilian Asset Managers in 2021

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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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Brazil announces Covid-19 vaccination rollout plan

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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

Brazilian Enterprises Speed Up Digital Transformations as COVID-19 Changes Business Realities Overnight

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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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BNDES okays loan for 90-MW Powertis solar complex in Brazil

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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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Pix goes live: updated numbers on the new instant payment method in Brazil

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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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Enel commences construction of 1.3-GW renewables portfolio in Brazil

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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’s guide to taking a Brazilian brand international

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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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Record grain harvest forecast for Brazil in 2020-2021

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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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Mass adoption of AI can aid Brazil’s economic recovery, study says

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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 signs MoUs for renewable power projects in Brazil

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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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Tribute to Joseph Safra (1938-2020)

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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

Brazil’s coffee exports to Arab countries up 13%

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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 a Lone Bright Spot for Oil Demand Outside of Asia

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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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White House Coronavirus Task Force backs restoration of inbound travel from Brazil, UK and Europe, sources say

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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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Footwear exports from Brazil up 13.8% in November

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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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Driven by China, beef sales from Brazil up 9%

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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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Why This Startup In Brazil Is Super-Optimistic About The Future Of Coworking Spaces

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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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How emergency aid fueled economic recovery in Brazil

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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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Brazil energy sector to thrive next decade

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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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Brazil gets Chinese COVID-19 vaccine doses, Senate OK’s British vaccine funding

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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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Brazil’s services sector expands in November, but growth slows, IHS Markit says

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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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Cescon Barrieu’s Expansion to Canada

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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 Flesch, Ana 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 open to approving Covid-19 vaccines for emergency use

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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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Chubb and Nubank Launch Fully Digital Life Insurance Offering in Brazil

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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

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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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Brazil: General View Of The Project “Transfer Pricing In Brazil”

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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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Brazil’s new basic sanitation legal framework A pathway for the transformation of the sanitation sector in Brazil and for private investors to be part of the change

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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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Brazil trials facial recognition with retired public servants

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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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Monashees-backed Pier Raises $14.5M Poised To Lead Insurance In Brazil

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Brazilian digital insurance company Pier is now issuing its own policies following a $14.5 million Series A round of funding.

The company started with insurance for auto and smartphones and that provides coverage without a grace period or deductible costs and that can be contracted entirely online, Igor Mascarenhas, co-founder and CEO, told Crunchbase News.

 

By Christine Hall via CrunchBase

 

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Brazil eyes $100 billion annual exports to China within a decade – Guedes

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Economy Minister Paulo Guedes lauded the economic boost from Brazil’s policy mix of low interest rates and a weak exchange rate, forecasting that exports to China will reach $100 billion a year within a decade.

In two online live events, Guedes also reiterated his view that the economy is undergoing a “V-shaped” recovery and creating jobs, and said the government’s economic reform program will accelerate once this month’s local elections are done.

 

By Jamie McGeever and Marcela Ayres via Hellenic Shipping News

 

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Brazil on track to end recession early 2021, as private activity speeds up

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Brazil’s economy probably rebounded at a record quarterly pace in July-September and was on track for a better start to 2021 than previously thought, as businesses and households recovered from the first surge in COVID-19 cases.

But on a year-ago basis, gross domestic product (GDP) in Latin America’s No. 1 economy is still expected to shrink, as well as in the current quarter and modestly in the first three months of 2021, marking five straight quarters of contraction.

 

Via Merco Press

 

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Canadian Solar signs PPAs for 862 MWp of solar in Brazil

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November 24 (Renewables Now) – Canadian Solar Inc (NASDAQ:CSIQ) has recently signed power purchase agreements (PPAs) covering 862 MWp of new solar capacity in Brazil.

The first contract was sealed with Brazilian investment bank and energy trader Banco BTG Pactual SA (B3:BPAC11). Under its terms, Canadian Solar will supply electricity from a 170-MWp cluster of projects located in Minas Gerais state for a 12-year period.

 

By Lucas Morais via Renewables Now

 

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Crimefighting NGO tracks Brazil wildlife trade on WhatsApp and Facebook

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In the tropical forest surrounding Alter do Chão, a Brazilian town located on a languid stretch of the Amazon River and home to what is considered one of the most beautiful freshwater beaches in the world, monkeys, macaws, agoutis and armadillos co-habit in relative harmony.

About 33 kilometers west of the city of Santarém in Pará state, life’s slow pace in the village has long been a draw for weekend trippers and foreign tourists alike. But Alter do Chão and its surroundings, increasingly threatened by illegal loggers and poachers, is also a base for what may be one of the most innovative nonprofit organizations fighting animal trafficking in Brazil.

 

By Peter Yeung via Mongabay

 

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Brazil planning an 80% resumption of daily flights during December

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Brazil’s average daily flights fell from the original 2,500 to about 200 during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown period. In the months with the highest surge of the pandemic, Brazilian airlines reduced their operations by 99%.

But now, Brazil’s civil aviation sector appears to have bounced back from the strong impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and in December expects to be operating at 80% of the capacity it registered in the same month last year, Ronei Glanzmann, head of the National Civil Aviation Secretariat, said at a forum sponsored by the Ministry of Infrastructure.

 

Via Merco Press

 

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Brazil will sign non-binding letters of intent for Covid-19 vaccines with four companies and Russia’s sovereign fund

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Brazil’s health ministry said on Sunday it will sign non-binding letters of intent to purchase coronavirus vaccines from four companies and Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, adding that any purchase will depend on the approval of the nation’s regulators.

According to the ministry, officials met last week with representatives of Pfizer Inc, India’s Bharat Biotech, the Russian Direct Investment Fund, Moderna Inc and Janssen, a unit of Johnson & Johnson.

 

Via Merco Press

 

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Brazil’s Linx set to be acquired by StoneCo for $1.28 billion

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Shareholders of Brazilian software firm Linx have agreed to back an acquisition offer from NASDAQ-listed payments processor StoneCo.

The transaction is valued at 6.8 billion reais ($1.28 billion), making it one of the largest ever deals involving a Brazilian technology company. The approval of 63% of Linx’s shareholders for the takeover offer ends a bidding war that saw StoneCo competing with Brazilian ERP giant Totvs since August.

 

By Angelica Mari via ZD Net

 

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First doses of China’s CoronaVac COVID-19 vaccine arrive in Brazil

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SAO PAULO (Reuters) – The first 120,000 doses of CoronaVac, a COVID-19 vaccine developed by China’s Sinovac Biotech SVA.O that is being tested in Brazil, arrived at São Paulo’s international airport on Thursday morning, the state government said.

The doses will be stored in an undisclosed warehouse as the state awaits approval for use in Brazil by the national health regulator known as Anvisa.

 

Via Reuters

 

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BRICS backing Brazil’s UN Security Council bid

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Brasília – The BRICS – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – have expressed their support of Brazil’s bid for a seat as a rotating member of the United Nations Security Council in 2022 and 2023. The move was made public in the minutes of the 12th BRICS Summit Meeting (pictured above), held online on Tuesday (18).

The meeting minutes also espouse international cooperation to address the Covid-19 pandemic and equitable distribution of a safe, effective vaccine. The BRICS also call for a reform of the World Trade Organization (WTO) to enable the defense of developing countries, prevent protectionism by wealthy nations, and to work for a “more resilient” global supply chain.

 

Via Brazil-Arab News Agency

 

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Pfizer offers Brazil millions of doses of Covid-19 vaccine; record acceleration of contagion in the country

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Pfizer Inc said on Wednesday it had offered to provide Brazil with millions of doses of a COVID-19 vaccine in the first half of 2021, amid evidence the coronavirus is spreading more rapidly in South America’s largest country.

“Pfizer made a proposal to the Brazilian government, in line with deals we closed in other countries – including in Latin America, that would permit the vaccination of millions of Brazilians in the first half, subject to regulatory approval,” the company said in a statement.

 

Via Merco Press

 

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Brazil to receive China’s Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine, eyes Pfizer candidate

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BRASILIA (Reuters) – Brazil’s Sao Paulo state is set to begin importing the first of 46 million doses of China’s Sinovac vaccine against COVID-19 this week, while the federal government takes a more cautious approach with a vaccine developed by Pfizer Inc.

Federal health officials met with Pfizer representatives on Tuesday as Brazil seeks to secure vaccine supplies. The Health Ministry said in a statement that it would buy the Pfizer vaccine, currently in Phase 3 trials, if it was proven safe and was registered with health authority Anvisa.

 

By Ricardo Brito and Anthony Boadle via Reuters

 

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A company in Brazil made a controversial move to fight racism. Other CEOs should try it

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Although she’s not a household name in the United States, billionaire Luiza Trajano, the richest woman in Brazil, might very well become one soon if her radical new model to confront structural racism takes hold.

Trajano made her fortune with her eponymous Magazine Luiza (or Magalu as it is known) — Brazil’s sprawling 1,000-store department store chain with over 40,000 employees. She recently announced, together with her son, Frederico Trajano, the company’s CEO, a bold and highly controversial move: Its coveted trainee program, long considered a major stepping stone into Brazil’s corporate world, will now only admit Black Brazilians into its ranks in an effort to upend a system that oftentimes sidelines Brazilians of African heritage from rising up the corporate ladder.
By Arick Wierson via CNN Business

Brazil in 2021: The focus is on fiscal policy

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Brazil’s economic policy response to the pandemic was unusually aggressive by emerging market standards. The monetary easing was perhaps the most forceful in EM when you consider the current level of the policy rate of 2%, relative to the ten-year historical average of 10%. The persistent FX sell-off has been the primary side-effect of that easing, which is, arguably a minor concern in the current low-inflation environment.

Much more consequential has been the fiscal stimulus enacted, especially the household income transfers to help offset wage income lost to Covid-19 movement restrictions.

 

By Gustavo Rangel via Think.ING

 

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Facebook’s WhatsApp Gets Another Shot At P2P In Brazil As Google Shows Interest

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WhatsApp is getting another crack at grabbing a slice of Brazil’s fast-growing payments market.

Facebook’s messaging service will soon get a green light to start providing peer-to-peer (P2P) payment services in Brazil, Roberto Campos Neto, head of the country’s central bank, said at a news conference Monday (Nov. 16), Reuters reported.

Campos Neto also noted Brazil’s central bank has talked to other Big Tech firms like Google about their interest in offering instant payments services in the country, Reuters reported.

 

Via Pymnts

 

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Brazil Is Emerging As The World’s Leading Offshore Oil Producer

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Sharply weaker oil prices, the COVID-19 pandemic, and heightened geopolitical uncertainty have done little to blunt Brazil’s epic offshore oil boom. By September 2020 Brazil had soared to be the third-largest supplier of crude oil to China, the world’s second-largest economy. The scale of Brazil’s deep-water offshore oil boom is underscored by the pre-salt Tupi oilfield which for the third quarter of 2020 reached the impressive milestone of having pumped two billion barrels of accumulated oil production in the decade since commercial oil production began. A key reason for this is the rapidly growing popularity of the sweet medium crude oil grades produced from Brazil’s pre-salt oil fields, notably Tupi the world’s largest deep-water oilfield, and the Buzios field.

 

By Matthew Smith via Oilprice.com

 

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Uber to accept fast payments in Brazil in partnership with Ebanx

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SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Uber Technologies Inc started on Monday to take instant payments in Brazil in partnership with payments startup Ebanx, both companies said.

More than 60 million people had already signed up to the newly launched instant payments platform, so-called Pix, before its full operation started this Monday. It allows consumers and companies to make money transfers 24 hours a day, seven days a week, without requiring debit or credit cards.

 

Via Reuters

 

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Mercado Livre announces the opening of five additional distribution centers in Brazil

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This week, we saw Amazon’s announcement of the opening of three more logistics centers in Brazil – in three different states – which are expected to meet demand for Prime deliveries from the US retailer’s subscription service. Now, its Argentinian competitor in Brazil, Mercado Livre, has followed the same path and has announced that it will open five more distribution warehouses in the country.

According to the company, the five new centers will start operating in early 2021 and will be spread across three Brazilian states: Minas Gerais, Santa Catarina and São Paulo.

 

By Re: Jerusalem

 

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Of the Ten Best Universities in Latin America, Three Are Brazilian

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Among the ten best universities in Latin America, three are Brazilian public education institutions. The ranking released by the British consultancy QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) evaluated USP, Unicamp and UFRJ as the most prestigious in the country.

The survey, published annually, evaluated 410 educational institutions from 20 countries in the region. The ranking is led, as in the previous year, by the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile.

 

By Isabela Palhares via Folha de S. Paulo

 

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Saudi Arabia’s poultry imports from Brazil up 22%

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São Paulo – Saudi Arabia’s poultry imports from Brazil were a highlight in October at 44,900 tons, up 22% year-on-year. The information was made public by the Brazilian Animal Protein Association (ABPA) this Wednesday (11).

Last month saw 319,700 tons of poultry shipped abroad from Brazil, down 9.4% year-on-year. Exports fetched USD 446.8 million, down 21.2%.

 

By Thais Souza via Brazil-Arab News Agency

 

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Amazon grows delivery network in Brazil

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(Bloomberg)—Amazon.com Inc. is opening three new distribution centers in Brazil, marking its biggest logistics push in Latin America’s largest market as competition intensifies amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The expansion, which comes two months after the U.S. ecommerce giant launched its largest distribution center yet in the country, adds 75,000 square-meters to Amazon’s logistics infrastructure. It also gives it more bandwidth, raising to 500 the number of cities with deliveries in less than 48 hours—just shy of 10% of municipalities in Brazil.

 

Via Digital Commerce 360

 

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Footwear exports from Brazil up in October

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São Paulo – Brazilian footwear exports saw a slight month-on month growth in October, following a trend of gradual rebound from the economic impact of the pandemic. According to the Brazilian Footwear Industry Association (Abicalçados), October saw 10.43 million pairs of shoes shipped from Brazil, up. 28.6% month on month; revenue came out to USD 55.4 million, up 4.8%.

Year on year, though, volume was down 6.1%, and revenue 36.8%. Year to date through October, exports reached 74.9 million pairs of shoes, down 22.3%, for USD 545.35 million, down 33.6% from a year ago.

 

Via Brazil-Arab News Agency

 

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RPT-CHINA’S OCT SOYBEAN IMPORTS SOAR TO 8.7 MLN T ON RISING BRAZILIAN, U.S. CARGOES

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BEIJING, Nov 7 (Reuters) – China’s soybean imports jumped 41% in October from a year ago, according to data from the General Administration of Customs released on Saturday, as delayed Brazilian cargoes cleared customs and U.S. soybean arrivals grew.

The world’s top soybean importer brought in 8.69 million tonnes of the oilseed in October, up from 6.18 million tonnes in the same month of the previous year, as crushers booked Brazilian beans earlier on good crush margins and as more U.S. beans started to flow in, the data showed.

 

By Hallie Gu and Kevin Yao via Successful Farming

 

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Alexa celebrates a year in Brazil with the launch of sales of the fourth generation of the Echo line

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Amazon today celebrated the first anniversary of its personal voice assistant, Alexa. And, to celebrate, the American giant announced the start of sales of the latest generations of its Echo and Echo Dot smart speakers, announced worldwide in September.

The main novelty of this generation, the design of the cases has been changed, abandoning the format of the disc for a round construction. There’s a significant improvement in sound here, powered by a three-inch woofer, two tweeters, and Dolby processing that delivers stereo sound with high highs, dynamic mids, and deep lows, according to Amazon. In the case of the Echo Dot and Echo Dot with clock, there is also the function that activates the repeat mode with a single press.

 

Via Re: Jerusalem

 

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U.S. Seizes $24 Million In Cryptocurrency On Behalf Of Brazilian Government

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The U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) has announced yesterday (4) the seizure of virtual currency worth around $24 million on behalf of the Brazilian government as part of an investigation into a large-scale fraud scheme.

According to the Brazilian authorities, more than US$ 200 million was obtained through the cryptocurrency fraud scheme, which is believed to have impacted “tens of thousands” of investors.

 

By Angelica Mari via Forbes

 

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Brazil to lead MERCOSUR talks; Deeper cooperation in defence, space, Ayurveda and agriculture, says India’s envoy to Brazil

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To further strengthen their ties, India and Brazil elevated their bilateral relations to a strategic partnership in 2006 and since then the relationship has witnessed an upward trend. President Jair Bolsonaro was the chief guest at the Republic Day this year. The largest economy in Latin America, Brazil offers a huge market for a wide range of Indian manufactured goods. Also, it is a country with a lot of natural resources and can help India in various sectors especially in agri-tech, bio-energy, pharmaceuticals, oil and defence and space.

Suresh K Reddy who has in September this year assumed charge as Ambassador of India to Brazil talks with Huma Siddiqui on a wide range of topics. Following are excerpts:

 

By Huma Siddiqui via Financial Express

 

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Brazil have digital version of Real, confirms minister Paulo Guedes

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During a ceremony held on Wednesday (4), the Minister of the Economy, Paulo Guedes, confirmed that Brazil will also have a digital currency. The project is already under study by the Central Bank (CB) and will be a direct consequence of the adoption of the PIX.

Guedes didn’t even mention the details of the project, but the idea of ​​a digital currency has already been explored by several countries around the world. The most advanced example is Chinese, since the country’s government has already launched the digital yuan.

 

Via Re: Jerusalem

 

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Brazil Industry Posts Longest Streak of Monthly Gains Since 2012

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(Bloomberg) — Brazil’s industrial production rose for the fifth straight month in September, representing the longest streak of gains since 2012, as billions of dollars in fiscal stimulus spurs broad-based consumer demand.

Output rose 2.6% from August, above the median estimate for a 2.4% gain from economists in a Bloomberg survey. Industrial production increased 3.4% from a year ago, returning

 

By Mario Sergio Lima via Bloomberg Quint

 

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US soybeans being loaded in Louisiana for Brazil

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A U.S. grain export terminal near Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is loading about 38,000 tons of U.S. soybeans on a bulk cargo vessel for shipment to Brazil, according to Southport Agencies shipping lineup.

Brazil is the world’s top exporter of soybeans, so it almost never needs imports. This year, growers have sold huge volumes to top importer China, leaving little for domestic consumption. That has led to price rises for feed for animal farming and meatpacking operations in Brazil, and contributed to food inflation.

 

Via Merco Press

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Brazil’s Black Silicon Valley could be an epicenter of innovation in Latin America

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Over the last five years, Brazil has witnessed a startup boom.

The main startups hubs in the country have traditionally been São Paulo and Belo Horizonte, but now a new wave of cities are building their own thriving local startup ecosystems, including Recife with Porto Digital hub and Florianópolis with Acate. More recently, a “Black Silicon Valley” is beginning to take shape in Salvador da Bahia.

 

By Paulo Rogério Nunes and Tara Collier via Tech Crunch

 

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Brazil has a super port in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul

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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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Distributed Generation Provides Hope of Energy for the Poor in Brazil

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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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Microsoft announces tech training partnership with Brazilian government

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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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BNDES okays funding for 505 MW of solar in Brazil

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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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Brazilian anhydrous ethanol hits historical high amid bullish fundamentals

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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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Guedes Signs An Agreement to Finance US Exports to Brazil that May Reach US $ 1 billion

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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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Brazil invests in technology development

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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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Covid-19 prompts increase in contactless use in Brazil

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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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Brazil to play a stronger role in Arab food security

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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 plans huge expansion in Brazilian ETF market

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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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U.S. steps up cooperation with Brazil for post-pandemic recovery

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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

Agriculture giants team up on blockchain platform to track grains in Brazil

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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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BRAZIL TO DISCUSS ELIMINATING TARIFFS ON CORN AND SOY

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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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Enel allowed to fire up 96 MW of solar plants in Brazil

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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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Harnessing Food Waste to Empower Communities in Brazil

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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

Brazilian coffee exports hit record in September

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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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Tender launched for utility-scale floating PV in Brazil

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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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Large wind project to double renewable energy capacity in Brazil

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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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Who are the best rated mayors in 12 Brazilian capitals

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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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Jordan, Libya purchased more poultry from Brazil

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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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Foreign-backed consortium in talks for Petrobras gas fields in Brazil, sources say

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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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Beef exports from Brazil up in volume terms

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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 advances in digital competitiveness ranking

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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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Brazil GDP decline set for less than feared at 5.8%: IMF

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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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China’s Didi and WhatsApp team up in Brazil to compete with Uber

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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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Wind energy generates 19,000 jobs in Brazil

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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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Brazil runs record trade surplus

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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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Brazil: Brazil’s Comprehensive Privacy Law Now In Effect

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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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Brazil’s Sao Paulo signs agreement with Sinovac for COVID vaccine doses

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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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Solar under net metering reaches 3.6 GW in Brazil

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The Brazilian solar association ABSolar has carried out a study on grid-connected photovoltaic distributed generation, which in Brazil includes all PV systems not exceeding 5 MW in size installed under the net metering regime. In total, there is more than 3.6 GW of installed power of distributed generation from photovoltaic solar sources throughout the country, representing more than 18.2 billion reais (€2.81 billion) in accumulated investments since 2012 and more than 108,000 jobs.

According to the association, in the number of systems installed, residential consumers are in the lead, representing 72.5% of the total. That figure is followed by companies in the commerce and services sectors (17.7%), rural consumers (6.8%), industries (2.6%), the public sector (0.4%), public services (0.03%) and public lighting (0.01%).

 

By Pilar Sánchez Molina via PV Magazine

 

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Brazil’s LGPD Takes Effect – With Early Enforcement

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Brazil represents over half of all IT spend in Latin America, has the largest regional market for software outsourcing, employs a sizable IT workforce, manufactures consumer goods (including commercial airplanes and cars) and has an active consumer market of social media operated by global data aggregators. At a time when data privacy is becoming increasingly important to consumers, it seems only fitting that Brazil would adopt comprehensive privacy legislation to protect data privacy rights.

The General Data Protection Law, the first law of its kind in Brazil, is now in effect, and we are already seeing enforcement. Streamlining the legal framework on data protection, the law sets forth a number of requirements addressing legal bases for processing, individual rights, governance and accountability and data transfers. Here’s what you need to know.

 

Laura E. Jehl and Matthew R. Cin via The National Law Review

 

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Statkraft to build 519-MW wind complex in Brazil

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September 29 (Renewables Now) – Norwegian state-owned energy company Statkraft AS will invest roughly BRL 2.5 billion (USD 444.6m/EUR 381m) in the development of a 519-MW wind complex in Brazil.

Named Ventos de Santa Eugenia, the asset is expected to break ground in January 2021 and have its first turbines generating power in 2022. Full completion is set for 2023, boosting Statkraft’s capacity in the country to 967 MW.

 

By Lucas Morais via Renewables Now

 

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USTDA Supports Broadband Network Expansion in Brazil

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São Luís, Brazil – The U.S. Trade and Development Agency has awarded a grant to the Brazilian telecommunications company Equatorial Telecomunicações S.A.to facilitate the development of a broadband network backbone in the country’s northeast region. The project is specially designed to enhance connectivity and extend government services for more than three million people in Brazil.

“In today’s connected world – and particularly during the COVID-19 era – reliable internet and reliable access to digital services are more important than ever,” said Todd Abrajano, USTDA Chief Operating Officer and Head of Agency. “USTDA’s support for this project will connect millions more Brazilian citizens and businesses to broadband infrastructure and deepen Equatorial’s understanding and familiarity with innovative ICT solutions from U.S. industry.”

 

Via USTDA

 

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Brazil to join COVAX vaccine facility, as Chile, Israel, UAE also sign up

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BRASILIA (Reuters) – Brazil, which has the world’s second-highest coronavirus death toll, has decided to join the global COVID-19 vaccine partnership known as COVAX and will earmark 2.5 billion reais ($454 million) for securing vaccines through it, President Jair Bolsonaro’s office said.

Brazil plans to use the COVAX facility, which gives access to several vaccine candidates in development globally, to buy enough supplies to immunize 10% of its population by the end of 2021, the office said in a statement on Thursday. That should cover Brazil’s “priority populations,” it said.

 

Via Reuters

 

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Wheat harvested in Brazil’s semiarid for first time ever

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São Paulo – Wheat has been harvested in Ceará, a dry state with scant water resources in Northeast Brazil, for the first time in history. The farming project was developed by the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) in partnership with milling company Santa Lúcia. The first stage took place in a semiarid area, with a fast planting-to-harvest cycle and high yields.

Although the actual planting only started recently, the tropical cultivars (pictured above) that enabled the project started being developed 15 years ago. These varieties do not require much water, so they are well-suited to Ceará as well as the Arab countries across the Middle East and North Africa. “We have the genetic material for four varieties of tropical wheat. We picked the two that performed best, which were BRS404 and BR264,” Osvaldo Vieira, head of Embrapa’s wheat division Embrapa Trigo, told ANBA over the phone.

 

By Thaís Sousa via Brazil-Arab News Agency

 

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Pandemic accelerates wearables market in Brazil

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The wearables market in Brazil has seen an acceleration during the second quarter of 2020, according to new numbers from market analyst firm IDC.

Sales of devices grew by 21.1% between April and June in Brazil compared to the second quarter of 2019. During the period, 208,350 fitbands and smartwatches were sold, according to the report.

 

By Angelica Mari via ZD Net

 

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30ª Conferência Anprotec de Empreendedorismo e Ambientes de Inovação

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Entre os dias 23 e 25 de novembro próximo, ocorrerá a 30ª Conferência Anprotec de Empreendedorismo e Ambientes de Inovação, em formato online. O evento da Associação Nacional de Entidades Promotoras de Empreendimentos Inovadores (Anprotec) terá como tema central este ano “Ambientes de Inovação 4.0 – Desafios e Oportunidades na Nova Dinâmica Global”.

 

A Anprotec lançou uma Chamada de Trabalhos, escritos por até cinco autores brasileiros ou estrangeiros, a serem submetidos em duas categorias:

 

(a) artigos inéditos, com até 4.000 palavras, em português ou inglês, e com resumo em português e inglês;

(b) relatos de boas práticas em empresas e ambientes de inovação, em português com, no máximo, 1.500 palavras e resumo estruturado em português e inglês, que deverão narrar experiências e soluções criativas adotadas para a resolução de problemas e seus respectivos resultados.

Os artigos e relatos deverão estar vinculados a, pelo menos, um dos seguintes temas:

 

– Capital Humano: papel e desafios nos Ambientes de Inovação 4.0;

– Inovação Aberta: ecossistema de inovação como instrumentos de transformação das indústrias tradicionais;

– Tecnologia: o papel dos ambientes de inovação para a geração de tecnologia na nova dinâmica global;

– Cidades: ecossistemas de inovação como alavancas para o desenvolvimento urbano sustentável; S;

– Financiamento: novos modelos de sustentabilidade para os ambientes de inovação.

 

Os autores que obtiverem as maiores notas receberão as seguintes premiações:

– Melhor artigo completo: certificado para todos os autores e crédito de R$ 2.000,00 (dois mil reais) em cursos e eventos promovidos pela Anprotec;

– Melhor boa prática em empresa e ambiente de inovação: certificado e crédito de R$ 1.500,00 (um mil e quinhentos reais) em cursos e eventos promovidos pela Anprotec.

 

As inscrições poderão ser realizadas até o dia 28 de setembro na página eletrônica https://easychair.org/account/signin?l=5qxiJBnnkfkhWRUut0eEtc#
Mais informações sobre a Chamada estão disponíveis no edital em https://anprotec.org.br/site/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Chamada-de-Trabalhos_ConferenciaAnprotec2020.pdf

Brazil’s Sao Paulo likely to start COVID-19 immunization in December

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SAO PAULO (Reuters) – The governor of Brazil’s São Paulo state, João Doria, said on Wednesday the state is likely to start to immunize its population with China’s Sinovac vaccine for COVID-19 in mid-December, pending regulatory approval.

Brazil has the third-highest number of cases of coronavirus in the world, leading vaccine makers to seek out South America’s largest country to test their candidates.

 

By Eduardo Simões via Yahoo News

 

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Brazil cuts imports duties to zero on more COVID items

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São Paulo – More 12 products related to the fight against the coronavirus were included in the list of goods with temporary import tax exemption in Brazil. Last week, in addition to increasing the number of exempted products, the government extended the exemption for products included in the previous list. The resolution was in force until September 30 and was extended until October 30. COVID-19 vaccines were included in the list.

The 12 products that were added were hemostatic agent in gel composed of gelatin and thrombin, COVID-19 vaccines, parenteral feeding emulsion, multivitamins, glico-physiologic solutions, electrolyte solution with pH 7.4, four types of solution in PVC bags, and surgical hemostatic made with resorbable collagen.

 

By Guilherme Miranda via Brazil-Arab News Agency

 

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EBANX and PayPal expand digital wallet potential in Brazil

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Payment solutions company EBANX has integrated with PayPal in a bid to maximise the potential of digital wallets in Brazil.

The partnership will mean that EBANX reaches a customer market of over 50 million people, furthering its overall mission of opening up Latin America to global businesses and vice versa.

Founded in 2012, the company is an ardent believer in the power of democratised finance to drive culture, education and entertainment. Already connected with other leading digital payment platforms – Apple Pay and Google Pay – this latest development broadens consumer choice significantly.

 

By William Girling via FinTech

 

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Brazil industrial confidence surges to highest in almost 8 years -survey

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BRASILIA, Sept 21 (Reuters) – Brazilian industrial confidence jumped in September to its highest in almost eight years, a survey showed on Monday, underscoring the sector’s strong rebound from the coronavirus lockdown and divergence from the services side of the economy.

The Fundacao Getulio Vargas’s national industrial confidence index for September rose to a seasonally adjusted 105.9 from 98.7 in August, according to preliminary figures, the index’s highest reading since January 2013.

 

By Jamie McGeever via Nasdaq

 

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Delta and LATAM receive approval in Brazil for joint venture agreement

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PRESS RELEASE: Brasilia, Brazil – September 18, 2020. Delta Air Lines and LATAM Airlines Group S.A. and its affiliates (‘LATAM’) received regulatory approval* yesterday for their trans-American Joint Venture Agreement (‘JVA’) from Brazil’s competition authority, the Administrative Council for Economic Defense (CADE).

The proposed JVA between Delta and LATAM, which was presented to the CADE on July 14, 2020, was approved without conditions, following an evaluation of free competition considerations and taking into account the unprecedented economic impact of COVID-19 on the airline industry. This is the first approval for the JVA between Delta and LATAM since it was signed in May 2020.

 

Via The LoadStar

 

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Brazil To See Extra LNG Imports, Growing Natural Gas Demand Over Next Decade

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Brazil is set to be the center of new liquefied natural gas (LNG) demand activity in Latin America at least over the next decade, according to experts who spoke at a webinar Tuesday organized by the Institute of the Americas.

“Gas remains the transition fuel in Brazil because it allows for the highest possible penetration of wind and solar,” said Roberto Ferreira da Cunha, the director of consultancy BRG Energy & Climate for South America. He added that Brazil has 10 new LNG import plants in different phases of study.

 

By Christopher Lenton via Natural Gas Intelligence

 

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Brazil contracts 8.5m litres in 75th biodiesel auction

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September 21 (Renewables Now) – Brazil’s Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels Agency (ANP) announced on Friday that the country’s 75th complementary biodiesel auction contracted 8.5 million litres (2.3m gallons) in total.

The average price of BRL 5.723 per litre achieved in the tender resulted in a final contract value of around BRL 48.65 million (USD 9m/EUR 7.6m). In all, six producers offered some 9.5 million litres in the tender.

 

By Lucas Morais via Renewables Now

 

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Pompeo continues his South America tour with Brazil

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US State Secretary Mike Pompeo continues his Caribbean and South American tour on Friday with his visit to Brazil after completing final diplomatic meetings in Guyana.

After meeting with Guyana’s President Irfan Ali and his Cabinet on Thursday, Pompeo is scheduled to meet Foreign Minister Hugh Todd and Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Irwin LaRocque.

 

By Beyza Binnur Dönmez via aa.com.tr

 

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Viasat delivers satellite internet to 93% of Brazilians

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Viasat’s high-quality residential internet service has expanded to an additional 14 states in Brazil, delivering services to more than 93% of the country’s population.

Launched across seven states and the Federal district in July, Viasat expects that upon completion of the residential launch rollout by year-end, it will be the only satellite ISP capable of making high-speed internet available across the entire country.

 

By Melanie Mingas via Capacity Media

 

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Brazilian government aims to attract investments with digital transformation initiatives

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The Brazilian government is accelerating initiatives to catch up with the new demands presented by digital transformation and attract private sector investments to these projects, according to senior officials.

At industry event Painel Telebrasil yesterday (15), interim minister at the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI), Julio Semeghini, mentioned a number of projects aimed at “making the digital transformation reach the greatest number of Brazilians” and, at the same time, create commercial opportunities for sector players.

 

By Angelica Mari via ZD Net

 

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Q&A: using satellite navigation to revolutionise Brazil’s railway network with Inmarsat

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In the next few years, satellite navigation systems are set to become the norm in the world of railways. The EU, for example, is developing projects such as STARS, which aims to bridge the gap between the European Rail Traffic Management System and the European Global Navigation Satellite System through the use of satellite navigation.

In August, the Italian Railway Network installed a satellite-based management system on a regional line, making history in the EU.

 

By Ilaria Grasso Macola via Railway Technology

 

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Brazil Tariff Rate Quota for Ethanol Extended for 90 Days

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Brazil’s tariff rate quota for ethanol has been extended for an additional 90 days, starting September 14. After expiring on August 31, a 20 percent tariff was temporarily applied to all U.S. ethanol. U.S. corn and ethanol groups expressed disappointment in the move, saying, “we would have preferred Brazil abandon its ethanol import tariffs entirely and resume its free trade posture on ethanol.”

 

Via American AG Radio Network

 

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Brazil may begin using Chinese Covid-19 vaccine in January

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The vaccination of Brazilians against the Covid-19 virus, using a vaccine developed by Sinovac Biotech Ltd of China, could begin in January, the Globo website reports, citing a health official in the southeastern Brazilian state of São Paulo, Jean Gorinchteyn.

The Brazilian news website quotes Mr Gorinchteyn as saying he hopes 46 million doses of the vaccine, called CoronaVac, will be available in December.

 

Via Macauhub

 

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Brazil confident it can meet China’s growing appetite for iron ore

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Brazilian officials say there is no room for fear when it comes to the country’s capacity to keep up with Chinese demand for iron ore. Iron ore prices hit six-and-a-half year highs last week as the Chinese construction and manufacturing sector experiences levels of activity last seen almost a decade ago.

In the past three months China’s iron ore imports have climbed 20% year on year, while year-to-date they are up 11% compared to 2019.

 

Via Merco Press

 

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Short-term capacity contracts to boost competition on Bolivia-Brazil Gasbol pipeline

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New York — Brazil’s largest natural gas import pipeline will soon offer short-term transportation contracts for firm and interruptible capacity as regulators look to expand third-party competition and market access.

Following a Sept. 9 regulatory approval for the move, short-term capacity on the 1.1 Bcf/d Bolivia-Brazil Gasbol pipeline could be made available as early as October, the National Petroleum Agency said in a press release.

 

By J. Robinson via S&P Global Platts

 

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Brazil exports 4,000 head of cattle to Lebanon

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São Paulo – This Thursday (10) at the Rio Grande Port 4,000 head of cattle will start being loaded for shipping to Lebanon, alongside 22,000 head of cattle bound for Turkey. The animals hail from Estância del Sur farm, in Capão do Leão, an area near Pelotas in Rio Grande do Sul. The calves are cross-bred from European breeds such as Angus and Brangus. They have been sourced from different farms across the state, are aged from seven to twelve months, weigh about 250 kg each, and are uncastrated.

It will take at least five days to get all the animals onto the ship. According to Leila Vettorello, the general manager for sales and operations with port operator Sagres – which is responsible for shipping the 6,000 animals to Lebanon and 14,500 of the animals bound for Turkey –, the reason for that is the availability of trucks and the time it takes for them to get to the port. The Panamanian ship MV Nada can accommodate all of the cattle at once. The journey is expected to take 28 days. Operator Vanzin is responsible for the remaining 7,500 head of cattle going to Turkey.

 

By Bruna Garcia Fonseca via ANBA

 

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Brazil trials of Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine show promising results: governor

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SAO PAULO (Reuters) – The governor of Brazil’s São Paulo state said on Wednesday that Phase 3 clinical trials of a potential COVID-19 vaccine developed by China’s Sinovac Biotech Ltd have shown promising results and it may be available to Brazilians as early as December.

Governor João Doria added that Phase 2 trials of the potential vaccine had shown an immune response of 98% in the elderly.

 

By Eduardo Simões via Reuters

 

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Brazil has the potential to step up exports to Morocco

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São Paulo – There is a world of products that could be exported from Brazil to the Moroccan market. Such was one of the conclusions drawn in the webinar “Morocco and Brazil: Agribusiness Connecting continents,” hosted by the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) this Wednesday (9) and viewed by an audience of 880 people. The agricultural attaché at the Embassy of Brazil in Morocco, Nilson Guimarães (pictured above), made the argument during the online event hosted by ABCC president Rubens Hannun.

Guimarães said Brazil can supply more coffee and tropical fruit to Morocco, as well as genetic material for poultry and livestock and what he called Brazilian biodiversity products such as yerba mate, babaçu oil, Baru nut, Brazil nut and açaí.

 

By Bruna Garcia Fonseca via Brazil-Arab News Agency

 

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Brazil Says Central Bank Digital Currency Set For 2022 Rollout

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The race toward central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) is tightening, with Brazil reportedly looking to launch one by 2022 in a bid to help digitize payments. And although it’s not a winner-take-all competition, central banks first out of the gate might prove instructive to those who follow — particularly when it comes to new use cases or the goal of democratizing banking and digital payments.

Roberto Campos Neto, president of Brazil’s central bank, said his country’s new digital currency will work in concert with its new instant-payments system.

 

Via Pymnts

 

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Egypt-Brazil sales up 74% with Mercosur agreement

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São Paulo – Exports from Egypt to Brazil climbed 73.9% ever since Egypt reached a free trade agreement with the Mercosur in September 2017. Exports from Brazil to Egypt, on the other hand, were up 21.1%, as per a survey from Brazil’s National Confederation of Industry (CNI).

The agreement had its third anniversary on September 1st, 2020. Over 2,000 items have been made tariff-free in Mercosur-Egypt trade. As of this month, tariffs will be lifted on 463 items from Egypt to Mercosur, and 719 items from the Mercosur to Egypt.

 

Via Brazil-Arab News Agency

 

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Interview: Brazil to augment cooperation with China in strategic sectors, says VP

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RIO DE JANEIRO, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) — Brazil will continue to expand the benefits of their economic complementarity with China, the country’s Vice President Hamilton Mourao has said, calling for more investment and cooperation in strategic sectors.

“For more than 10 years, China has been our largest trading partner and an important source of investment for Brazil, especially in the energy and infrastructure sectors. Brazil, in turn, is a stable and reliable supplier of safe food for China,” he said in a recent interview with Xinhua.

 

Via Xinhua Net

 

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Brazil could have CBDC in two years, says central bank president

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The president of Banco Central — Brazil’s central bank — has announced Brazilians could expect to see a central bank digital currency before 2023.

According to a Sept. 2 report from news outlet Correio Braziliense, Brazil could be ready for a central bank digital currency (CBDC) in 2022. Roberto Campos Neto, the president of Banco Central, stated that the country’s central bank had already undertaken measures to modernize the Brazilian financial system which has made a CBDC the natural outcome.

 

By Turner Wright via Cointelegraph

 

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Experimental deliveries with drones approved in Brazil

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Latin American drone delivery company, Speedbird Aero, announced it has received regulatory approval from Brazil’s National Civil Aviation Agency, also known as ANAC, to operate two experimental drone delivery routes in Brazil.

Speedbird Aero operates a proprietary delivery drone with an integrated ParaZero parachute recovery system, and is now the first company in Latin America to win regulatory approval for a drone delivery operation.

 

Via Merco Press

 

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Mensagem escrita pelo Cônsul Geral do Brasil em Nova York, Embaixador Enio Cordeiro

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MENSAGEM DE 7 DE SETEMBRO

Dirijo-me a todos os membros da comunidade brasileira residentes na jurisdição do Consulado-Geral em Nova York nesta ocasião em que celebramos os 198 anos da Independência do Brasil.

Quero iniciar com um profundo e respeitoso agradecimento a todos os funcionários do Consulado-Geral que me acompanharam nos últimos três anos, desde fevereiro de 2018, e cuja dedicação e profissionalismo sempre foram amplamente reconhecidos pela comunidade brasileira. O Consulado-Geral está a serviço de todos e esse é o orgulho de todos nós.

Agradeço também especialmente à Câmara de Comércio Brasil-Estados Unidos e a todos os seus integrantes os contínuos esforços que pudemos conjuntamente desenvolver e as inúmeras oportunidades que tive de participar em atividades da Câmara voltadas a disseminar informações sobre o ambiente político e econômico no Brasil, fortalecer as relações comerciais, financeiras e de investimentos entre os dois países, e acolher altas autoridades brasileiras em visita a Nova York.

Por último, um sincero e agradecido reconhecimento às entidades de cunho laico e religioso que congregam de maneira solidária e cooperativa os cerca de 450 mil brasileiros que residem na jurisdição consular (os estados de Nova York, Nova Jersey, Pennsylvania, e o território britânico ultramarino das Ilhas Bermudas), com as quais o Consulado sempre desenvolveu importantes parcerias na prestação de serviços consulares e no atendimento das demandas comunitárias.

Neste ano celebramos a Data Nacional num momento especialmente difícil e que encerra enormes desafios para todos os brasileiros.
Desejo expressar a solidariedade do Consulado-Geral a todas as famílias brasileiras dolorosamente afetadas pela pandemia, com a perda irreparável de vidas humanas. Quero também reiterar nossa mais sincera disposição de contribuir para aliviar, na medida possível, as dificuldades com que se têm enfrentado os brasileiros residentes na jurisdição.

O Consulado-Geral nunca fechou inteiramente suas portas, mesmo nos momentos mais críticos da pandemia em Nova York. Foi mantido atendimento emergencial e mediante plantões durante os meses de março, abril e maio, especialmente com a prestação de serviços de apoio e documentação de viagem aos brasileiros que regressaram ao nosso País. Nossa página eletrônica foi constantemente atualizada com informações úteis para a comunidade, especialmente no que se refere à disponibilidade de voos, e foram prestados serviços de assistência e de registro civil para habilitar a emissão de documentos.

Desde maio, os serviços presenciais foram sendo progressivamente restabelecidos, observando as etapas de segurança determinadas pelas autoridades locais.

O atendimento pelos correios foi mantido durante todo o período.

Atualmente as equipes consulares têm assegurado atendimento presencial em todas as áreas durante quatro dias por semana, e de forma integral por teletrabalho. Os serviços presenciais são realizados mediante agendamento e através de uma nova plataforma eletrônica (e-consular), ferramenta ágil e moderna que permite a solicitação de serviços, o envio e a conferência “online” de documentos. A página eletrônica do Consulado foi também reformulada, para facilitar o acesso pelos consulentes.

O setor cultural do Consulado lançou recentemente o projeto “Brazilian Culture from Home”, iniciativa de promoção cultural em plataformas digitais e que cobre várias vertentes.

A primeira vertente consiste na publicação de edições especiais de nossa newsletter mensal, que renomeamos “Brazil Arts & Culture from Home”. A segunda vertente é a série #BrightenYourDay, que publica semanalmente produções audiovisuais sobre cultura brasileira nas mídias sociais do Consulado. A terceira consiste em postagens semanais nas redes sociais do Consulado de eventos relevantes na programação cultural brasileira em Nova York, como o lançamento de duas novas traduções de “Memórias Póstumas de Bras Cubas”, obra prima do escritor Machado de Assis. Por último, o Consulado-Geral retomou nesta semana o projeto “Arte no Consulado”, que tem por objetivo divulgar o trabalho de fotógrafos e artistas plásticos brasileiros residentes em Nova York. Convidamos a todos a que sigam e prestigiem essas iniciativas.

Na área educacional, o Consulado-Geral acaba de contratar professora que atuará em programas extracurriculares de ensino na United Nations International School (UNIS) e também desenvolverá atividades de promoção da cultura brasileira e de apoio ao ensino do Português como língua de herança na comunidade brasileira.

O Setor de Promoção Comercial e do Agronegócio segue trabalhando em quatro áreas prioritárias: promoção das exportações brasileiras de bens e serviços; captação de investimentos para projetos de infraestrutura no Brasil, sobretudo a carteira de projetos do Programa de Parcerias de Investimentos; promoção do turismo ao Brasil; e apoio e valorização do empreendedorismo na comunidade brasileira. O setor tem promovido e participado de eventos virtuais em coordenação com entidades e associações brasileiras, como a Câmara de Comércio, Secretaria do Programa de Parceria de Investimentos, APEX-Brasil, Sindimóveis, e ABIMAPI, entre outros.

No dia em que celebramos nossa Independência, os brasileiros devem refletir sobre os desafios que o momento nos traz e sobre a enorme tarefa que recai sobre todos nós, mas também de maneira muito especial sobre nossas autoridades e representantes.

Queremos superar com segurança as dificuldades acrescidas pelos efeitos econômicos da pandemia, que aprofundaram o desemprego e as desigualdades sociais. Queremos um País em que em que a dignidade do ser humano se sobreponha a todas as diferenças. Um País que se transforme com solidariedade, com espírito cívico e responsabilidade política. Um País em que todos se sintam plenamente representados, em democracia e sem exclusões. Um País transparente e responsável, que logre retomar o caminho do crescimento inclusivo.

É com essa profissão de fé que os Embaixadores brasileiros em serviço em Nova York, no Consulado-Geral, na Missão junto às Nações Unidas e no Escritório Financeiro, e o Conselheiro Militar nas Nações Unidas, depositaremos na manhã do 7 de setembro oferenda floral em tributo a José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva, estadista e Patriarca de nossa Independência.

Que tenhamos todos uma Feliz Data Nacional!

Brazil Has the Lowest Rate of Coronavirus Contagion since Late April

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Brazil is among the six South American countries that started this week with the transmission of coronavirus under control, according to calculations by Imperial College, a reference in epidemic monitoring.

The Brazilian transmission rate (Rt) estimated by the British epidemic monitoring center is the lowest since the end of April.

 

By Ana Estela de Sousa Pinto via Folha de S. Paulo

 

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First Gene Therapy Products Approved in Brazil

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Brazil has become the first among the Latin American countries to approve the marketing of gene therapy products. Specifically, the Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency (ANVISA) recently granted marketing authorization for Novartis’ gene therapy products Luxturna® and Zolgensma®. As published in the Brazilian Federal Register, Luxturna® received its marketing authorization on August 6th and a few days later, on August 17th, Zolgensma® received its marketing authorization. Prior to ANVISA’s final decision, both products had been approved by the Brazilian Technical Commission of Biosafety (CTNBio), which is responsible for evaluating biosafety of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in Brazil.

 

By Lisa L. Mueller via Lexology

 

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Brazil Announces Equal Pay For Women’s And Men’s National Teams

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Following Brazil’s exit from the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, Brazilian forward and legend Marta Vieira da Silva delivered a passionate message to the next generation.

“This is what I ask of all Brazilian girls,” she said. “The future of women’s football is depending on you to survive. It’s wanting it more. It’s taking care of yourself more. It’s training more. It’s being ready to play 90 minutes and able to play 30 minutes more.”

 

By Alana Glass via Forbes

 

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FROM SOY TO COFFEE, BRAZIL AG COMMODITIES RISE TO RECORD PRICES

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The price of Brazilian agricultural commodities such as soybeans, corn, coffee and rice has reached record levels as strong demand and a weak currency drove prices higher in local currency, according to data from Cepea, a research center linked to the São Paulo University. Brazil’s soybean quotes are up by more than 50% in nominal terms compared to the same period last year, as China continues to buy ever larger amounts of the oilseeds from Brazil, Cepea data showed.

 

By Roberto Samora via Successful Farming

 

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Brazil Has 12% Drop in Deaths by Covid-19 in August

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As the second country in the world most affected by the novel coronavirus pandemic, Brazil recorded a fall in total deaths in August compared to the previous month. There were 28,947 deaths from the disease in August against 32,912 in July, a decrease of 12%.

Worldwide, there were 180,649 deaths in August – 16% of this total in Brazil. According to the World Health Organization, 844,312 deaths have been registered since the beginning of the pandemic.

 

Via Folha de São Paulo

 

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Brazil seeks bigger sugar sales to US during ethanol quota talks

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The U.S. and Brazil have not yet reached a deal on U.S. demands to be able to sell the country more ethanol, but the Brazilian government is making clear what it is demanding in return, according to sources in both countries. Brazil wants more access to the lucrative and tightly guarded U.S. sugar market.

The Trump administration, prodded by U.S. lawmakers and lobbyists for America’s corn farmers and ethanol producers, is intent on convincing Brazil to drop its tariff on U.S. ethanol. Meanwhile, Brazil’s Bolsonaro administration is under pressure from the country’s sugar sector to protect farmers’ interests.

 

By Bill Tomson via Agri Pulse

 

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Brazil switches on 5.6-MWp DG solar system in Goias

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September 1 (Renewables Now) – The Brazilian government inaugurated over the weekend a 5.6-MWp solar power system consisting of 26 distributed generation (DG) arrays spread across Goias state.

Located in the municipality of Caldas Novas, the system should be capable of meeting the power demand of 4,265 families. It is owned by domestic hotelier group Grupo diRoma, the Ministry of Mines and Energy said on Sunday.

 

By Lucas Morais via Renewables Now

 

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Brazil reaches towards cybersecurity maturity

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After years of high-profile cyber-attacks, Brazil has received a glowing report for its cyber security maturity.

The Organization of American States (OAS) and the University of Oxford’s cyber security centre consulted with Brazilian government agencies and national Cybersecurity Incident Response Teams to evaluate the nation’s preparedness.

 

Via Anti Corruption Digest

 

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INFFINITO BRAZILIAN FILM FESTIVAL: NO LIMITS FOR BRAZILIAN CINEMA

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Largest and most important Brazilian film festival held outside of Brazil will stream more than 100 movies in the US, from September 26 to October 25.

For the first time ever, the Inffinito Brazilian Film Festival will stream more than 100 Brazilian productions in U.S. territories, from Puerto Rico to Alaska. This is the first time in the United States that audiences beyond Miami and New York will have access to the best films made recently in Brazil and explore the country’s culture through the art of cinema from the comfort of their homes. The program includes fiction and documentary feature films produced and released in 2019/2020, as well as short films, indigenous filmmakers productions, past festival winners and black films, all with English subtitles.

 

Find More Information Here

Hey, developers: Brazil is waiting for you

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Targeting the young, growing Brazilian market may be the smartest decision an app publisher can make this year. App installs have been growing at an impressive 30% year-over-year, easily the largest and fastest growth in the region. With the world’s sixth largest population, Brazil’s smartphone growth has exploded in recent years — up 11% in 2019. But it may have only scratched the surface in terms of where the market could go. In 2019, Brazil had a smartphone penetration of only 45.6%, dwarfed in comparison to top countries like the U.K., Germany, and U.S., which are around 80%.

 

By Matt Tubergen

 

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Brazil ETFs Jump on Easing Liquidity Concerns, Fiscal Economic Support

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Brazil country-specific exchange traded funds climbed Friday after a major institution of the Brazilian financial system moved to ease liquidity concerns and President Jair Bolsonaro aims to spend big on “Pro-Brazil” infrastructure to stimulate a beleaguered economy.

On Friday, the iShares MSCI Brazil Capped ETF (NYSEArca: EWZ) increased 4.3% and the iShares MSCI Brazil Small-Cap ETF (NasdaqGM: EWZS) advanced 3.4%.

 

By Max Chen via ETF Trends

 

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Roundup: Brazil’s industrial confidence continues to rise in August

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RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug. 27 (Xinhua) — Confidence among Brazil’s industrialists increased for the fourth consecutive month in August, almost fully rebounding from the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, a Brazilian economic think tank said on Thursday.

According to the Getulio Vargas Foundation (FGV), the Industrial Confidence Index rose by 8.9 points in August to 98.7, recovering 40.5 points or 93.8 percent of the 43.2 points it lost in March and April, when the pandemic started to take hold.

 

Via Xinhua.net

 

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BRAZIL TO ERASE IMPORT TARIFFS ON CORN, RICE AND SOYBEAN TEMPORARILY -REPORT

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SAO PAULO, Aug 27 (Reuters) – Brazilian government has decided to remove temporarily import tariffs on rice, corn and soybeans, an Agriculture Ministry official told local newspaper Valor Economico.

The move aims at fighting inflation, as prices for the three products have risen recently, according to the report.

 

By Carolina Mandl via Successful Farming

 

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Number of fintechs in Brazil grew 28% this year in comparison to 2019

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The number of fintechs operating in Brazil went from 604 in June last year to 771 in August this year, a 28% growth, according to the 9th edition of Radar Fintechlab survey.

FintechLab co-founder, Fábio Gonsalez, said that there is a high number of new firms present in this edition. Of the 771 companies present, 270 of them, about 35% ,were not included in the previous version of the report. “It is a strong indication that they are startups that are less than a year old. This proves once again that the ecosystem continues to find opportunities to improve services and create new solutions that are very strongly influenced by regulatory advances such as Open Banking and PIX, for example ”, he says.

 

By Marcelo Bradaschia via LABS

 

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From green to instant coffee, Brazilian innovates in Dubai

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São Paulo – In 2014, Brazilian businesswoman Maria Eduarda Becker (pictured above) began her journey in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. She arrived in the country as a barista and established herself as a leading professional there and in neighboring countries such as Saudi Arabia. Now, Becker owns Três Marias Coffee, a brand that she created to offer courses and training to coffee professionals and the public at large. She is also a partner of the trade company Ally Coffee in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and works with them to create market for green coffee, particularly from Brazil and Colombia.

The entrepreneur defends a broader view of the product, going beyond the current hype. “My slogan is ‘Specialty Coffee Made Simple.’ Is it special? Yes, because it’s high-quality. But countries like Brazil show that specialty coffee is made just like any other commodity. It’s just business. It’s made by businesspeople that want to grow and diversify the industry,” she told ANBA.

 

By Thaís Sousa via Brazil-Arab News Agency

 

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After Five Months, Brazil Finally Expands Covid-19 Testing

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Early in the pandemic, the World Health Organization emphasized testing in controlling the pandemic. The phrase, uttered by the Director-General of WHO, Tedros Adhanom, and reverberated around the world. The countries that have best faced the pandemic have had mass testing strategies. After five months, Brazil’s testing capacity is still in its infancy.

But the recent inauguration of a new testing unit at Fiocruz (Fundação Oswaldo Cruz) in Rio de Janeiro, with a processing capacity of up to 15,000 RT-PCR exams per day, and the expectation of opening another unit on Monday ( 24), in the metropolitan region of Fortaleza (CE), with a capacity of 10,000 daily samples, will finally elevate the country to the level of testing in countries such as the United States and England.

 

By Ana Bottallo via Folha de S. Paulo

 

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Arabs eligible to pursue graduate studies in Brazil in 2021

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São Paulo – Students from the Arab countries Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Lebanon and Syria are eligible to pursue graduate studies in Brazil in 2021. Enrolments will be accepted until September 30 for the selection process of Programa de Estudantes-Convênio de Graduação (PEC-G), the Secretariat for Higher Education at the Brazilian Ministry of Education said.

The PEC-G program is available to students from countries in Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, Oceania, Asia, and Europe with which Brazil sustains agreements. After completing the program, students are expected to return to their countries of origin. Seats are made available free of charge at Brazilian universities, which are tasked with informing the Ministry of Education how many seats are available, and in what courses.

 

Via Brazil-Arab News Agency

 

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Internet use increases among poor Brazilians

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There has been a significant increase in online access to financial offerings and government services in Brazil among low-income citizens, according to a study on the role of the Internet during the Covid-19 outbreak.

The study carried out by Cetic.br, research arm of the Brazilian Network Information Center (NIC.br) suggests that Internet access through all devices has gone up significantly and online traffic in Brazil has reached record levels in the last five months, peaking at 13,5 Tbps.

 

By Angelica Mari via ZD Net

 

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Brazilian Crypto Companies to Self-Regulate: Target a $100 Billion Market by Year-End

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Brazilian crypto companies have signed a code of self-regulation that aims to legitimize and to boost adoption of crypto assets in the country. The document was signed under the auspices of Abcripto, the country’s association of cryptocurrency companies.

According to regional media reports, Brazilian firms that specialize in cryptocurrency custody services, brokerage services, and exchanges “will now have to incorporate measures to prevent crime and money laundering on their platforms.”

 

By Terence Zimwara via Bitcoin.com

 

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Brazil Notes: Cross-Border Payments Unicorn Ebanx Launches Logistics Startup In The US

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Brazilian fintech Ebanx has launched a logistics startup in the United States as part of a strategy to get more international e-commerce firms to tap into the Latin American consumer market.

With its new logistics arm Leve, Ebanx is positioning itself as a strategic partner for retailers wanting to reach Latin markets and are not doing so due to the currently precarious experience consumers in those countries face when buying products from international e-commerce firms.

 

By Angelica Mari via Forbes

 

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Stimulating Brazil’s Bioeconomy

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SÃO PAULO – In the midst of the growing climate crisis, the world can no longer rely solely on old models of economic development. In this context, the concept of a bioeconomy – activities that produce relatively little carbon, using high-value-added processes – is gaining increasing prominence. But governments and civil-society actors face differing institutional and economic obstacles on the path to a true bioeconomy.

Given historical and current global energy-consumption trends, some European and North American countries have taken seriously the goal of developing renewable energy sources. On the other hand, some countries in the Global South, where agriculture represents the main source of greenhouse-gas emissions and biodiversity loss, face the challenge of establishing a bioeconomy based on new agricultural models.

By Pedro Frizo via Project Syndicate

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Brazil eyes blockchain to snap carbon credit logjam

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Brazil’s biofuels industry is considering blockchain technology to clear logjams that are preventing corn ethanol and biodiesel plants from issuing carbon credits.

According to a recent industry webinar, officials involved in talks between the government and industry leaders are mapping out the challenges of traceability – that is, the ability to document the production process of each corn ethanol or biodiesel plant all the way back to the tens of thousands of corn or soybean farmers that produce the feedstock grains.
”Blockchain technologies may be a solution for improving traceability,” Alexandre Alonso, head of the agroenergy department at the government’s crop research company Embrapa, adding that the approach would also protect proprietary information.
Blockchain, widely used in the cryptocurrency industry, is a digital system that preserves a record of transactions along a supply chain on to a peer-to-peer network for transparency.
Brazil began implementing its sweeping biofuels law known as Renovabio this year. But certification of biofuel plants to issue the carbon credits known as Cbios has lagged.

 

Via Argus

 

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Brazil sees early signs coronavirus spread is slowing

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BRASILIA/RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) – The spread of coronavirus in Brazil could be about to slow, the Health Ministry said on Wednesday, amid reports the transmission rate has fallen below the key level and early signs of a gradual decline in the weekly totals of cases and fatalities.

The cautious optimism comes despite figures again showing a steady rise in the number of confirmed cases and death toll in the last 24 hours, cementing Brazil’s status as the world’s second biggest COVID-19 hot spot after the United States.

 

By Ricardo Brito and Pedro Fonseca via Reuters

 

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Brazil approves final tests of J&J virus vaccine

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Brazilian health regulators said Tuesday they had approved Johnson & Johnson’s experimental vaccine against the new coronavirus for the final stage of clinical trials, the fourth vaccine to receive widespread testing in the hard-hit country.

The US pharmaceutical company’s subsidiary Janssen will test the vaccine on 7,000 volunteers across seven states in Brazil, part of a group of up to 60,000 worldwide, health regulator Anvisa said in a statement.

 

Via Asia Times

 

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Petrobras orders third FPSO for giant Mero field offshore Brazil

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RIO DE JANEIRO – Petrobras and its partners have committed to the third development phase of the Mero project in the Libra block in Brazil’s presalt Santos basin.

The company has signed a letter of intent with Malaysian contractor MISC Berhad for the charter and services for the FPSO Marechal Duque de Caxias for the Mero field, thought to hold up to 4 Bbbl of recoverable oil.

 

Via Offshore

 

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COVID, Boomers and Karens: Oh my!

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In the first program of this new monthly series, join Greenspoon Marder IP attorneys for a lively discussion around unique pop culture trademark issues.

You’ll hear about hundreds of pending trademark applications for “COVID,” and a bunch of trademark applications for “Ok, Boomer” and variations of “Karen.” Oh my, what a mess!

Aug 27, 2020 01:00 PM in Eastern Time (US and Canada)

 

Click here to Register

Why Brazil Increased Its Airline Bailout

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Last week, the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES) announced an increase in the airline bailout, from 2.4 billion reais (US$440 million) to 3.6 billion reais (US$660 million). Why did the bank do that? Also, what are the airlines thinking about financial support? Let’s investigate further.

Since March, Brazilian airlines and the BNDES have been negotiating on a bailout to help them during the COVID-19 crisis. However, the talks between the parties have had delays over and over again.

 

By Daniel Martínez Garbuno via Simple Flying

 

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Brazil imported 2.5 GW of PV panels in first half of 2020

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The Brazilian solar market seems not to have been significantly slowed down by the Covid-19 crisis, according to a new report from Brazil-based consultancy Greener.

The company’s analysts reported that total module shipments in the market in the first half of the year totaled 2,599 MW, with panel imports reaching 2,490 MW and domestic products accounting for 109 MW, which represents around 4.4% of the total market share.

 

By Emiliano Bellini via PV Magazine

 

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Brazilian startup to trial drones in food delivery

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Brazilian startup iFood has received authorization from Brazil’s National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) to start experimental flights with drones to support its food delivery service.

iFood’s partner companies Speedbird Aero and AL Drones had been working towards securing the authorization for nearly a year. The companies carried out rehearsals as part of the project with ANAC’s participation and received the Experimental Flight Authorization Certificate from the agency on August 5.

 

By Angelica Mari via ZD Net

 

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Brazil’s Bolsonaro faces tough choice on U.S. ethanol trade

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NEW YORK/SAO PAULO, Aug 14 (Reuters) – Brazil is facing a difficult choice between going up against a powerful local sugar lobby and angering a key ally, U.S. President Donald Trump, as a major decision on international ethanol trade looms.

A Brazilian tax-free ethanol import quota used entirely by U.S. producers is set to expire on Aug. 31, unless the government renews it. Allowing 750 million liters per year, it is a welcome volume for U.S. ethanol makers as the pandemic hit their business.

 

By Marcelo Teixeira, Stephanie Kelly, Roberto Samora and Caroline Stauffer via Reuters

 

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Brazil not yet ready to buy Russia vaccine, says health minister

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Brazil will require more information and talks before it commits to buying the Russian COVID-19 vaccine, which is at a very early stage, the country’s acting health minister said on Thursday.

With the world’s second-worst coronavirus outbreak, Brazil has become a magnet for drugmakers seeking partners to test their potential vaccines – and then produce and buy the successful candidates.

 

Via The Jakarta Post

 

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Brazil, Latin America’s Covid Hotbed, Leads Its Economic Rebound

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Brazil, home to the most severe Covid-19 outbreak in Latin America, is emerging with the region’s shallowest recession this year, thanks to a faster economic reopening and temporary stimulus measures.

The nation that trails only the U.S. as a global virus hotspot has seen key indicators including industrial output and retail sales outstrip economist expectations just as stores and factories resume operations and the government spends billions of dollars worth of emergency aid.

 

By Andrew Rosati via Bloomberg

 

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Brazil crop output to be up 3.8% this year: IBGE

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Rio de Janeiro – Brazil’s cereal, legume and oilseed output is expected to be 250.5 million tons this year. If the forecast from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) proves true, output will be 9 million tons and 3.8% bigger than in 2019.

The IBGE’s July forecast is up 1.3% from the one from June. The planted area estimate is 64.9 million hectares, up 2.6% year-over-year.

 

By Brazil-Arab News Agency

 

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Chile´s Senate approves trade pact with Brazil

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SANTIAGO (Reuters) – Chile´s Senate approved late on Tuesday a free trade agreement with Brazil, cementing the South American nation´s long-standing relationship with its top trade partner in Latin America.

The agreement, which builds on rules facilitating commerce already in effect between Chile and Mercosur bloc nations Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, is likely to boost thriving trade between the two nations.

 

By Dave Sherwood via WKZO

 

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Twitter tests automatic translations in Brazil

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Some Twitter users in Brazil may be seeing a timeline that’s purely in Brazilian Portuguese even if they’re following accounts that usually tweet in other languages. That’s because Twitter has started testing automatic translations in the region “to make it easier to understand the conversations [they] follow.” In a blog post by Twitter Brazil, the company said the feature will be on by default for a limited number of users on both iOS and Android. While Twitter already has a translation feature, users still have to click or tap a tweet to activate it.

 

By Mariella Moon via Engadget

 

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Bitcoin trading soars in Argentina, Brazil as local currencies weaken

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While DeFi may have some traders dreaming of complicated lending strategies and governance protocols, in certain parts of the world it’s still Bitcointhat promises a censorship-resistant way to protect against rapidly inflating local currencies.

According to a recent report from analytics firm Arcane Research, Bitcoin has just broken price records in Argentina, Brazil, and Turkey—with growth (in fiat terms) of 169%, 20%, and 5%, respectively, over the last two months.

 

By José Antonio Lanz via Decrypt

 

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Western Union Expands International Payment Services in Brazil

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SÃO PAULO, Brasil–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The Western Union Company, a leader in cross-border, cross-currency money movement and payments, today announced an expansion of services between its Western Union Business Solutions division and Banco SEMEAR in Brazil to offer the WU® GlobalPay for FI platform, the Company’s solution for financial institutions that enables customers to make international payments simply and efficiently.

GlobalPay for FI provides the benefits of international payment services without the need to invest in new banking systems infrastructure. Western Union Business Solutions’ online platform allows for processing transactions using a network that spans more than 200 countries and territories, and is available in more than 130 currencies. GlobalPay for FI is a simple and intuitive system that facilitates the creation of international payments.

 

Via Business Wire

 

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E-Commerce Gains hold in Brazil with 5.7 Million Consumers

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Stores have started to reopen after the social distance measures, but customers are returning to shopping slowly. The perception among executives in the commerce sector is that new consumers of different age and income groups have joined the ease of buying over the internet – and digital sales are expected to reach higher levels than pre-Covid.

Retailers recorded a loss of 36% in revenue during the pandemic, and the drop was not only more profound due to the performance of e-commerce, evaluate experts in the segment. Data released this Wednesday (22) by Neotrust / Compre & Confie, a market intelligence company, reflects this consumer movement.

 

By Paula Soprana via Folha de S. Paulo

 

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Brazil Consumer Prices Rose More Quickly in July on Fuel, Electricity

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SÃO PAULO–Brazil’s inflation accelerated in July from the previous month as fuel and electricity prices increased

Consumer prices increased 0.36% from June, the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, or IBGE, said Friday. Prices rose 2.31% from a year earlier. In June, prices rose 0.26% and increased 2.13% from a year earlier.

 

By Jeffrey T. Lewis via Market Screener

 

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Brazil’s Bolsonaro orders $360 million to be set aside for AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine

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BRASILIA (Reuters) – Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro issued a decree on Thursday that will set aside 1.9 billion reais ($356 million) in funds to purchase and eventually produce the potential COVID-19 vaccine being developed by AstraZeneca PLC and Oxford University researchers.

 

By Anthony Boadle and Pedro Fonseca via Reuters

 

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Brazil doubled oil exports during July

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Brazilian oil exports more than doubled in July to 8.19 million tons, compared to 3.76 million tons shipped in July 2019, according to data released by the Foreign Trade Secretariat, Secex.

The volume was the second-highest in 2020, behind the 8.4 million tons shipped in May, and it also approaches the monthly record registered in December 2019, when the country exported 8.5 million tons of oil.

 

Via Merco Press

 

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Brazil cuts its benchmark interest rate to an all-time low

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Brazil’s central bank cut its key interest rate by a quarter point to an all-time low and didn’t rule out additional reductions as policy makers seek to stimulate an economy ravaged by the coronavirus pandemic.

The central bank, led by its President Roberto Campos Neto, on Wednesday lowered the benchmark Selic to 2% following back-to-back reductions of 75 basis points, as forecast by 33 of 37 economists in a Bloomberg survey. The other four analysts expected borrowing costs to remain steady.

 

By Mario Sergio Lima via Al Jazeera

 

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Sugar exports from Brazil up nearly 100%

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São Paulo – Sugar exports from Brazil nearly doubled year-on-year in July, as per numbers from the Brazilian Ministry of Economy’s Secretariat of Foreign Trade (Secex). Exports were up 83% in revenue and 91% in volume.

Last July saw 3.4 million tons of sugar and molasses shipped from Brazil, up from 1.8 million tons in July 2019. Revenue climbed to USD 964.3 million in July of this year from USD 528 million in July 2019.

 

Via Brazil-Arab News Agency

 

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Getting Ready for Brazil’s New Data Protection Law (LGPD)

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Brazil’s new Data Protection Law (LGPD), modeled largely on the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), could go into effect as early as August 27, 2020. Once effective, organizations with operations in Brazil will be required to implement a comprehensive data protection program addressing employment related data, including, for example, data processing notices for applicants and employees, agreements with service providers that handle applicants’ and employees’ data, information security policies and procedures, processes for responding to employees’ requests to exercise their rights, and the designation of a “person in charge”.

The panel will explain the complex legislative maneuvering surrounding the LGPD’s effective date, describe key compliance requirements, and provide practical tips for addressing implementation.

To enhance the experience and the discussions, the panel would like to hear your concerns relating to these topics, so please send questions in advance to OSuarez@littler.com. Please forward your questions by July 31st.

 

Webinar is complimentary.

Our webinar audience capacity is limited – register soon.

Login information will be provided to participants the day before the webinar.

Speakers:

Renata Neeser, Shareholder
Philip L. Gordon, Shareholder | Co-Chair, Privacy and Background Checks Practice Group

August 6, 2020

Time Zones:

11:00 a.m. PT
12:00 p.m. MT
1:00 p.m. CT
2:00 p.m. ET
3:00 p.m. BRT

Duration:
60 Minutes

 

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Brazil leverages breakthroughs in technology, productivity and safety to lead global agriculture and livestock market amid COVID-19

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BRASÍLIA, Brazil, Aug. 3, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Apex-Brasil (the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency), together with its partners from the private sector, today shared critical insights outlining the country’s upward trajectory in agriculture and livestock production, despite recent challenges predicated by the COVID-19 pandemic. A series of seven factsheets highlights Brazil’s continued advancements in agricultural technology, productivity and safety, which have positioned the country to effectively manage through the current crisis and prepare for a post-pandemic future.

These factsheets come out at a pivotal moment when the global agriculture market has been severely impacted by COVID-19. In fact, there’s mounting evidence that suggests that an estimated 265 million people could face acute food insecurity by 2020 – up from an estimate of 136 million people prior to the pandemic. However, despite these alarming trends, Brazil’s agricultural growth is showing no signs of slowing down. According to IPEA (the Ministry of Economy’s Institute of Applied Economic Analysis), Brazil’s agricultural sector is estimated to grow by 2.5% this year, with some private sector analysts estimating it could reach as high as 3%.

 

Via PR Newswire

 

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Most optimistic Brazil GDP outlook in over a month: central bank survey

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BRASILIA (Reuters) – The gloom surrounding Brazil’s economy lifted for a fifth week in a row, a central bank survey of economists showed on Monday, with the average forecast for 2020 gross domestic product now showing a decline of 5.7%.

That compares with -6.5% a month ago, and while it would still comfortably represent the steepest annual downturn on record, it is the most optimistic outlook since May.

 

By Jamie McGeever via Reuters

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Brazil Central Bank Authorizes Tests of Facebook’s WhatsApp Pay, Mastercard and Visa Say

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SAO PAULO — Brazil’s central bank has authorized testing of payments via Facebook Inc’s messaging service WhatsApp in the country, Visa Inc and Mastercard Inc said on Friday, easing an outright ban on the service imposed last month.

The ubiquitious messaging service in Brazil was finally entering the arena of payments by launching the service on June 15, after years of questions on how Facebook would make money from WhatsApp.

 

By Aluisio Alves via The New York Times

 

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Brazil exports about a million tons of halal poultry

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The information was released this week by the “Comex do Brasil” website and shows Brazilian companies currently is the world leader on halal animal protein for both production and exports. “The Arab world is of great importance to the Brazilian economy. It is an extremely promising market and we need to strengthen our bilateral relations increasingly because this market still has a high potential”, said Ali Saifi, CEO of Cdial Halal, a certifying entity of halal practices.

 

Via Poultry World

 

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Brazil reopens to foreigners despite virus crisis

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Brazil reopened Wednesday to foreign visitors arriving by plane, hoping to revive its lockdown-devastated tourism industry despite the rapid spread of the new coronavirus in the country.

In a decree published in the government gazette, Brazil extended coronavirus-related bans on foreign travelers arriving by land or sea for another 30 days, but said the four-month-old restrictions “will no longer bar the entry of foreigners arriving by air.”

 

Via Macau Business.com

 

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Invest in Brazil Infrastructure – US Edition

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Discover the best investment opportunities in Brazil focusing on the US audience.

Time to invest wisely.
Join us August 11th at 10:30am (in Brazil GMT -3) for the Invest in Brasil Infrastructure – US Session. The event is part of a series of online seminars in 2020 that will present the best investment opportunities in the country. This time focusing on the US audience.

The Infrastructure sector is one of the priorities of the Brazilian Federal Government. In addition, the U.S.-Brazil CEO Forum has also included infrastructure as a priority topic in its recommendations. Follow in this event what Brazil has been doing to become more attractive to the American capital and show the best projects to leverage the country and bring return to its investors.

Follow this high-level debate and learn about the prospects for infrastructure in Brazil’s economic development and also learn about the best infrastructure projects available for investment.

Great projects; space for networking and renowned keynote speakers.

All in a single event. Online. Get connected.

Invest in Brasil.

 

INVEST IN BRASIL INFRASTRUCTURE –
US EDITION
Date: August 11th
Time: 10:30AM (in Brazil, GMT -3)
Location: Online, broadcast from Brasil and USA

 

Register Here

China’s Sinopharm to test potential COVID-19 vaccine in Brazil

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RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) – Chinese drug company Sinopharm and Parana state have agreed to launch the fourth major COVID-19 vaccine trial in Brazil and will seek regulatory approval in the next two weeks, the Brazilian partners said on Wednesday.

A trial by Sinopharm would join Phase III trials already announced in Brazil by AstraZeneca, Sinovac Biotech and a Pfizer partnership with BioNTech.

 

By Pedro Fonseca via Reuters

 

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Five fishing ports in Brazil to be privatized

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Brasília – Brazil’s federal government has included five state-run fishing ports in its privatization effort, the Investment Privatizations Program (PPI). A decree published in the Official Gazette this Tuesday (28) provides that ports in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte; Aracaju, Sergipe (pictured); Vitória, Espírito Santo; and Santos and Cananeia, in the state of São Paulo.

 

Via Brazil-Arab News Agency

 

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As Pandemic Rages, Brazil Sees Busiest IPO Market Since 2007

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(Bloomberg) — One of the world’s worst hotspots for the coronavirus is also seeing the fastest pace of initial public offerings in more than a decade.

From builders to retailers, five Brazilian companies are due to hold IPOs over the next two weeks, the highest number for any fortnight since 2007, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. An education firm, which is going public in the U.S. but has yet to announce a pricing date, could boost the tally to six.

By Vinicius Andrade, Andre Romani Pinto and Felipe Marques via Bloomberg Quint

 

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Egypt to import chicken products from Brazil

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São Paulo – High-priced beef on international markets has triggered a quest for more affordable protein in Egypt, and this has helped pave the way for sales of Brazilian-made chicken products to the Arab country. About a week ago, Egypt gave the greenlight to imports of poultry-based products from Brazil. The category includes items such as nuggets, canned chicken meat, chicken sausages and chicken mortadella. Sales have also been cleared for the processed turkey product known as ‘blanquet’ in Brazil.

“Strong demand for beef in China caused prices to go up quite significantly, by 19.2% year-on-year through May, so demand for cheaper proteins is going up,” the agricultural attaché at the Embassy of Brazil in Cairo, Cesar Simas Teles, told ANBA. He noted that total shipped volume of poultry from Brazil to Egypt climbed 27% year-on-year in H1.

 

Via Brazil-Arab News Agency

 

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How Employers Can Support Working Parents During Reopening & Beyond

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Event Summary

Following this unprecedented time in history of dismantling what was once “normal” means many businesses are being called to innovate. Employers have this moment to harness these challenges head on and create new systems to support their employees safely for future success.

According to the Department of Labor, 97.5% of the workforce has at least one working parent. Reopening the office for these particular employees requires more than a return to normal. It requires reinvention and accelerating operational solutions that counter uncertainty and set your workplace up to thrive.

Our digital speaker event features an incredible lineup of leading-edge voices and companies that offer support, information and real solutions to strengthen the workplace for your working parent employees. From safety and cleanliness to mental health, legal and financial support and even integrated family care, Back to Business: How Employees Can Support Working Parents During Reopening The Office & Beyond is an afternoon discussion not to be missed by any employer.

Hosted by the Co-Founder + CEO of WRK/360, Mary Beth Ferrante, we hope you will join us for this powerful exchange of ideas and information.

Event Schedule

  • Are We Returning to the Office? An opening statement by host, Mary Beth Ferrante
  • Supporting the Mental Health of our Parents and Children post Shelter-in-Place with Ms. Nelly Johnson, LMFT, Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health
  • Legal Considerations for Navigating COVIDs New World of Work with TiLT COO, Kait Feeney
  • Return to Work Success Stories to Inspire Your Workplace Plan with Quiana L. McCray, Leader, People & Culture
  • Flexible, Financial Support for Working Parents with Arvorie Co-Founder + CEO, Pedro Silva
  • Innovating Integration of Family Care at the Office as a Benefit with Ahmni Co. Founder + CEO, Jess Zaino
  • Audience Q + A moderated by host, Mary Beth Ferrante

 

Date And Time

Thu, July 30, 2020

1:00 PM – 3:00 PM EDT

Brazil 2020 GDP outlook improves again to -5.8% – cenbank survey

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BRASILIA, July 27 (Reuters) – The outlook for Brazil’s economy improved for the fourth week in a row, a central bank survey of economists showed on Monday, with signs of recovery from the worst of the crisis lifting some of the heavy gloom that had built up in recent months.

Brazil’s gross domestic product will shrink 5.8% this year, according to the central bank’s weekly ‘FOCUS’ survey of around 100 economists, compared with a GDP fall of 5.95% forecast last week and 6.5% a month ago.

 

By Jamie McGeever via Market Screener

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RPT-CHINA’S SOYBEAN IMPORTS FROM BRAZIL RISE TO RECORD IN JUNE

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BEIJING, July 26 (Reuters) – China’s soybean imports in June from top supplier Brazil soared to a record high, according to customs data released on Sunday, driven by growing demand for soybeans as China’s pig herd recovers after deadly outbreaks of African swine fever.

The world’s top soybean buyer brought in 10.51 million tonnes of the oilseed from the South American country in June, up 91% from 5.5 million tonnes in the previous year, data from the General Administration of Customs showed. The June figures were also up 18.6% from May imports from Brazil at 8.86 million tonnes.

 

Via Successful Farming

 

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Brazil ranks high in UN e-government index

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Advances made over the last year and particularly during the Covid-19 outbreak positioned Brazil as one of the fast-movers in digital government globally, according to the latest United Nations E‑Government Survey.

Brazil is one of the 18 countries in the Americas that ranked in the “very high” group of the report’s E-Government Development Index (EGDI) group for the first time, along with Argentina, Chile and Costa Rica.

 

By Angelica Mari via ZD Net

 

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BRAZIL BUYS RUSSIAN WHEAT AFTER EXPANDING EX-MERCOSUR QUOTA

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MOSCOW/SAO PAULO, July 22 (Reuters) – Russia shipped two wheat cargoes to Brazil this month, totaling 60,000 tonnes, in the first trades of their kind this year, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

Purchases of the Russian cereal, confirmed by sources at trading firms Sodruzhestvo and Glencore, followed a new tariff-free quota for Brazilian wheat imports from outside the Mercosur bloc, which includes neighboring Argentina, Brazil’s main wheat supplier.

 

By Polina Devitt, Olga Popova and Roberto Samora via Successful Farming

 

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Brazil eliminates import duties for cells, modules, inverters and trackers

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Brazil’s Resolution No. 70, of July 16 – published on Monday in official journal Diário Oficial da União – will remove import duties for goods including several types of PV module, inverter and solar tracker.

The measure, taken by the Foreign Chamber of Commerce of the Ministry of Economy, listed 101 types of exempt solar module as well as some three-phase inverters and trackers.

 

By Pilar Sánchez Molina via pv magazine

 

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Brazil set to test Chinese coronavirus vaccine

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Sao Paulo (AFP) – Brazil will begin advanced clinical testing of a Chinese-made vaccine against the new coronavirus Tuesday, issuing the first doses to around 900 volunteers, officials said.

The coronavirus vaccine, developed by private Chinese pharmaceutical firm Sinovac, is the third in the world to enter Phase 3 trials, or large-scale testing on humans — the last step before regulatory approval.

 

Via Yahoo News

 

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‘Brics’ bank lends Brazil $1 bln to soften COVID-19 economic blow

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RIO DE JANEIRO, July 20 (Reuters) – The New Development Bank of the “BRICS” group of leading emerging economies will lend Brazil $1 billion to help combat the economic damage from the COVID-19 crisis, the institution said on Monday.

The funds will be allocated to the federal government’s emergency aid payment program, which the NDB estimates could benefit 5 million informal workers, low-income families and unemployed people.

 

By Rodrigo Viga Gaierd via Reuters

 

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Brazil boosts oil exports to Asia as global rivals make record cuts

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RIO DE JANEIRO/MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Brazil increased crude exports to Asia in the first half of the year, stealing a slice of a coveted developing market from global rivals who made record cuts to shipments to match the unprecedented fall in demand caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

The rise reflects Brazil’s growing clout among global oil producers as its massive offshore projects come online. Brazil is expected to deliver one of the biggest increases to global supply in the next five years from nations outside of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, according to the International Energy Agency.

 

By Sabrina Valle and Marianna Parraga via Reuters

 

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CORONAVIRUS/Taiwan donates 100,000 face masks to Brazil to fight COVID-19

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Sao Paulo, Brazil, July 17 (CNA) Taiwan earlier this week donated 100,000 surgical face masks to Manaus, a city in Brazil which has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.

To help the city’s residents fight the disease, Chang Tsung-che (張崇哲), Taiwan’s representative to Brazil, on Tuesday donated the face masks to the city on behalf of the Taiwanese government in a virtual meeting with Marcelo Magaldi, director of Manaus’s health department.

 

By Tang Ya-Ling and Frances Huang via Focus Taiwan

 

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JP Morgan invests in Brazil’s FitBank

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JP Morgan has acquired a minority stake in Brazilian fintech startup FitBank, according to local reports. Details of the investment were not disclosed.

Founed in 2015, FitBank describes itself as the largest open banking outfit in Brazil, providing a white label platform that lets banks and fintechs offer bill payment, online treasury, banking, financial management, transfers and escrow services.

Via Finextra

 

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How Social Impact Start-ups Are Solving Brazil’s Covid-19 Challenges

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The persistent problem of inequality in Latin America leaves citizens more vulnerable to the coronavirus. Innovative platforms move towards balancing the scales.

In the current crisis, Brazil is unfortunately the country with the second highest number of cases, surpassing one million Covid-19 positive tests by mid-June. A month later, more than 70,000 lives have been lost.

 

By Fabian Salum and Felipe Monteiro

 

Read full article here

News from Brazil

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Hello everyone and welcome to this month’s News from Brazil.

As a way to share with our clients, partners and friends worldwide what has been going on in Brazil lately, Drummond Advisor’s team have compiled the news and articles you will find below.

All the best,

Pedro Drummond.

 

BC reduces interest rates for the 8th time, at 2.25% per year, the lowest level in history

Agribusiness grows, reduces economic slump and should be the engine of recovery

Supreme considers constitutional Outsourcing Law

Oxford vaccine against Covid-19 will be tested in Salvador; in total, there will be 5,000 volunteers in Brazil

BC announces credit line for micro, small and medium-sized companies

Guedes says he will launch Renda Brasil program and confirms extension of emergency aid in 2 months

EMERGING MARKETS-Brazil stocks at over 4-mth high; Chilean c.bank meeting awaited

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July 15 (Reuters) – Brazilian stocks hit a more than four-month high on Wednesday as signs of progress in developing a coronavirus vaccine invited more buying into risk-driven assets, even as COVID-19 cases piled.

The Bovespa stock index .BVSP rose about 1% to its highest level since early March, propped up by financial and energy stocks.

 

By Shreyashi Sanyal and Ambar Warrick via Nasdaq

 

Read full article here

Escritório Mattos Filho abre unidade em Campinas

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É com grande satisfação que convidamos você a participar de mais um capítulo da nossa história. No dia 23 de julho, em um webinar, o Mattos Filho inaugura um novo endereço, em Campinas, marcando presença em seis cidades, ao lado de São Paulo, Brasília, Rio de Janeiro, Nova Iorque e Londres.

Os participantes do webinar terão a oportunidade de conhecer mais a respeito dos objetivos e relevância do novo projeto, além de assistir à palestra do economista José Roberto Mendonça de Barros, que abordará as perspectivas econômicas e de investimento na região.

José Roberto Mendonça de Barros é economista, professor e fundador da MB Associados, uma das principais empresas de consultoria econômica do Brasil.
Com doutorado em Economia pela USP e pós-doutorado no Economic Growth Center pela Yale University, José Roberto participou de projetos como a estruturação do Novo Mercado para a Bovespa e integrou conselhos e comitês de grandes organizações. Foi secretário de Política Econômica do Ministério da Fazenda entre 1995 e 1998 e recebeu, em 1998, o título de “Economista do Ano” e, em 2019, o prêmio Ney Bittencourt de Araújo de “Personalidade do Agronegócio”.

Palestrantes Mattos Filho
Roberto Quiroga – Sócio-diretor
João Colussi – Sócio
Vilma Kutomi – Sócia

*Evento ministrado em Português.
———————————–

O Mattos Filho está comprometido em proteger o direito de privacidade de dados de todos que nos fornecem informações pessoais.

Coletamos e mantemos seus dados para a execução de nossos serviços e para fornecer conteúdo relevante para seu negócio, conforme
estabelecido em nossa Política de Privacidade.

Jul 23, 2020 06:00 PM in Sao Paulo

Brazil Retailer Raises at Least $1 Billion in Share Sale

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(Bloomberg) — Lojas Americanas SA, the Brazilian retailer controlled by billionaire trio Jorge Paulo Lemann, Marcel Telles and Carlos Alberto Sicupira, raised at least $1.1 billion in a share sale, four people familiar with the transaction said.

The firm sold preferred shares at 34.50 reais ($6.43) each, the people said, asking not to be named because the information isn’t public yet. It also sold voting stock at 29.78 reais apiece, the people said. That would mean it raised at least 5.83 billion reais. The deal also includes a possible over-allotment that could increase the amount to as much as 7.9 billion reais, according to calculations based on the prospectus.

By Vinicius Andrade, Felipe Marques and Rachel Gamarski via Yahoo Finance Canada

Read full article here

Brazil Scientists To Tackle Coronavirus In New Research Center

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Brazil is one of the most hardest hit by the deadly and fast spreading new SARS coronavirus, so it makes sense that they would invest heavily in rolling it back, making sure nothing like this ever happens again.

Brazil’s new Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM) open this week to new research projects related to the study of the SARS2 coronavirus. Located in the interior Sao Paulo state city of Campinas, CNPEM is also home to Sirius, the R$1.8-billion particle accelerator, which is Brazil’s biggest and most complex scientific structure to date.

 

By Kenneth Rapoza via Forbes

 

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Departure of Minister Marco Antonio Nakata as Deputy Consul General at the Consulate General of Brazil in New York

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The Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce announces the departure of Minister Marco Antonio Nakata as Deputy Consul General at the Consulate General of Brazil in New York, transferred back to Brazil to resume his activities at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Brasília.

Born in São Paulo, Minister Nakata received a degree in Administration from the University of São Paulo and studied at Rio Branco Institute, the Brazilian diplomatic institute (1994-95).  At the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he worked in the Protocol Department and the Press Office of the Minister.  He was posted in London, Tokyo, Moscow, Rome, Bratislava, and New York.

As Deputy Consul General, Minister Nakata was responsible for consular, cultural, educational, press, and administration affairs.  He was always available to assist Brazilians and Americans traveling to Brazil during this trying period and played a fundamental role in facilitating the return of Brazilians during quarantine while helping those in need of urgent consular services.

The Chamber thanks Minister Nakata for his outstanding service and his strong support of the Chamber. We wish him well in his endeavors in Brazil.

Brazil Central Bank Must Adapt Regulation to Big Tech Companies, Director Says

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SAO PAULO — Brazil’s banking regulation must adapt to big technology companies to ensure competition in the financial arena, central bank director Joao Manoel Pinho de Mello said on Monday in a webcast with newspaper Valor Economico.

In June, the central bank issued a rule saying it could require market participants to receive prior approval to operate in payments. Simultaneously, it suspended the newly launched WhatsApp payment service by Facebook Inc in Brazil.

 

Via The New York Times

 

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Brazil schedules A-1 energy auction

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July 13 (Renewables Now) – Brazil’s Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) announced on Friday that it plans to hold a new energy auction on December 4, 2020, provided there is demand from domestic power distributors.

Through a decree published in the Official Gazette, the government confirmed that the auction is dubbed as A-1 Existing Energy Auction. It will contract power from all available power plants in the country. The energy will be negotiated in Brazil’s regulated market in the form of volume of electricity.

 

By Lucas Morais via Renewables Now

 

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ISRO PREPARES TO LAUNCH BRAZIL’S AMAZONIA-1 SATELLITE ABOARD PSLV IN AUGUST THIS YEAR

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The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is gearing up to lift off Brazil’s Amazonia-1 satellite next month onboard the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)

As per a report in the Financial Express, Amazonia-1 will be the first satellite for Earth Observation that is designed, assembled and tested in Brazil.

 

Via Tech 2

 

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Raising $22.5 million, Liftit looks to expand its logistics services in Brazil, Mexico, Chile and Ecuador

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The Colombian trucking and logistics services startup Liftit has raised $22.5 million in a new round of funding to capitalize on its newfound traction in markets across Latin America as responses to the COVID-19 epidemic bring changes to the industry across the region.

“We’re focusing on the five countries that we’re already in,” says Liftit chief executive Brian York.

 

By Jonathan Shieber via Tech Crunch

 

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Cisco Partners With Brazilian Government To Digitize Brazil

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Cisco Systems is a company that’s developed a reputation for having one of the most wide-reaching and successful CSR programs. The networking giant invests heavily in the global communities it operates in, through job creation, skills training, disaster response, non-profit partnerships, and much more. A few years ago I caught wind of another program that, while not officially under the company’s CSR umbrella, is still representative of Cisco’s commitment to leveraging its technology to make a positive difference in the world. That program is Cisco’s Country Digital Acceleration program, or CDA for short, in which Cisco partners with various countries’ leadership, industry and academia in the interest of accelerating their national digitization efforts. I recently wrote in detail about the program here, if you’re interested in more background. That brings us to the recent announcement, made in late May, that Cisco has partnered with the government of Brazil as part of its CDA program. Let’s take a closer look at what we can expect from the partnership.

 

By Patrick Moorhead via Forbes

 

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Brazil’s beef exports set to increase, to China

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Exports of fresh and frozen beef from Brazil have been strong in 2020, and are set to stay that way.

The USDA has been expecting production and exports to be higher in 2020. In its April outlook, Brazil’s beef production was forecast to increase by 1.1% to 10.3 million tonnes in 2020. Beef exports were forecast to increase by 8%, to 2.5 million tonnes (cwe), driven by continued demand from China and Hong Kong. Consumption was forecast to fall by 1%, although it may be that this is conservative.

 

By Duncan Wyatt via AHDB

 

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Brazil starts producing Swedish Gripen jets

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WASHINGTON — Brazil has officially begun manufacturing fighter jets with the start of production at a new facility that makes sections of the Saab Gripen, Swedish aerospace company Saab announced Tuesday.

Saab Aeronáutica Montagens, a new manufacturing plant located near Sao Paulo, has begun producing Gripen E/F aerostructures, including the tail cone and front fuselage for the single-seat Gripen E version of the jet. It will eventually also make the brakes, rear fuselage, wing box and front fuselage for the two-seater “F” model, Saab stated.

 

By Valerie Insinna via Defense News

 

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Brazil’s Oil Giant Has A Creative Solution For Its Gas Flaring Problem

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Brazil’s state-owned oil firm Petrobras aims to make better use of the associated natural gas in its prolific oil-rich pre-salt area by having offshore liquefied natural gas (LNG) units to process the gas, whose production has been rising with growing oil output in the area.

Offshore LNG liquefaction could be a solution to the associated gas from oil fields 100 miles off the coast and could reduce flaring, Viviana Coelho, Corporate Emissions and Climate Change Manager at Petrobras, said at a webinar, as carried by Reuters.

 

By Tsvetana Paraskova via Oilprice.com

 

Read full article here

Will Record Low Interest Rates Help Brazil’s Small Businesses?

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Not long ago, I got a call from a New York-based accountant asking if what he was seeing was true: a Brazilian savings account statement showing double-digit monthly returns. “Oh yes,” I told him. It was absolutely normal – and the best deal in town! Just leave your cash parked in a bank and watch it grow.

Fast forward just a couple of years and, well, things have changed. At 2.25%, the basic interest rate has been cut eight times in a row since last year. If you’re an old Brazilian like me, a rate that low sounds like science fiction.

 

By Cecilia Tornaghi via Americas Quarterly

 

Read full article here

“WOMEN IN THE BRAZILIAN AUDIOVISUAL”

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“WOMEN IN THE BRAZILIAN AUDIOVISUAL”

Inffinito Film Festival free online screening series
38 Brazilian premieres and classics at www.inff.online

The Infinito Film Festival’s screening series “Women in the Audiovisual” is ON. It’s a free online event showing 25 features and 13 shorts by renowned Brazilian filmmakers. Among them, Anna Muylaert, Rosane Svartman, Tizuka Yamasaki, Sandra Kogut, Mini Kerti, Sabrina Rosa, Flávia Castro, Christiane Jatahy, Adriana L. Dutra, and Tata Amaral. The films represent the female presence in the audiovisual and provoke reflection on gender equality in the sector. Some movies are must-see classics, and others premiering now at the Inffinito platform’s www.inff.online.

Feature films run at scheduled times, and once it starts, viewers must watch within 4 hours.  The shorts are available for viewing any time until the end of the exhibition on July 31.

 

—– 🎬 —–

The renowned Brazilian Film Festival is confirmed, with the 24th edition in Miami and 14th edition in New York taking place in September and October 2020.

This year Inffinito adopted a new name and format for the Brazilian Film Festival. We are now the “Inffinito Film Festival” (INFF).

INFF will continue our 24-year tradition bringing the most recent Brazilian productions to Miami and New York with outdoor programming on Sept 12 and 19 in Miami and on Oct 17 and 18 in NYC.

For the Festival online version, INFF will present feature films and shorts in competition, festival winners retrospective, debates, and lectures about the audiovisual market at the Inffinito’s new platform inff.online and Lives at social media – from September 13 to October 16.

Brazil central bank chief sees start of ‘V-shaped’ recovery, limited room for rate cuts

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BRASILIA (Reuters) – Brazil’s economy looks to have begun a “V”-shaped recovery from the worst of the COVID-19 crisis, central bank president Roberto Campos Neto said on Thursday, citing the latest energy, traffic and tax collection data as well as double-digit credit growth.

Speaking in a live online event hosted by newspaper Correio Braziliense and Itau bank, however, Campos Neto also cautioned that economic rebounds in other countries that have started in similar fashion have recently shown signs of fading.

 

By Marcela Ayres and Jamie McGeever via Reuters

 

Read full article here

Cargill mapping project in Brazil meant to help control deforestation

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Cargill Inc. last week announced it has mapped out its entire supply chain for soybeans in Brazil, where the destruction of forest to make land to grow the crop has produced an environmental conflict with global attention.

With the maps, executives at the Minnetonka-based agribusiness giant say they are learning more about where, and by whom, forest land is being converted. “The objective is to transform our supply chain, or the farming sector, to be deforestation- or conversion-free,” said John Hartmann, Cargill’s top executive for sustainability in supply chain.

 

By Evan Ramstad via Star Tribune

 

Read full article here

Brazil Eases WhatsApp Ban — But It’s Still Suspended

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The payments feature of the popular messaging platform WhatsApp remains suspended in Brazil, despite local regulators easing restrictions placed on its owner, Facebook.

On June 24, Brazil’s Administrative Council for Economic Defense, known locally by its Portuguese acronym ‘CADE’ suspended an agreement between Facebook and Brazilian payment firm Cielo to process payments for WhatsApp.

 

By Samuel Haig via Cointelegraph

 

Read full article here

Brazil to test Sinovac’s potential vaccine against COVID-19 in six states

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SAO PAULO (Reuters) – A potential coronavirus vaccine developed by China’s Sinovac will be tested in Brazil by 12 research centers in six Brazilian states, the governor of Sao Paulo state, Joao Doria, said on Wednesday, adding the trials still need to be approved by local health vigilance agency Anvisa.

The study – first announced on June 11 – is led by Instituto Butantan, a research center funded by the state of Sao Paulo. The agreement with Sinovac includes not only trials but also the transference of technology to produce the coronavirus vaccine locally.

 

By Eduardo Simões via Reuters

 

Read full article here

Brazil’s oil output grows by 7.8 pct in 2019

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RIO DE JANEIRO, June 30 (Xinhua) — Brazil’s oil output grew by 7.8 percent in 2019 compared with the year before, averaging 2.8 million barrels a day, the state-run National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP) said Tuesday.

The increase was mainly driven by deep-sea oil drilling in the Atlantic Ocean pre-salt deposits, where Brazil has giant reserves which are just beginning to be exploited.

 

Via Xinhua News

 

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With Green Light From Regulators, TransferWise Accelerates In Brazil

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Money transfer unicorn TransferWise is accelerating its business in Brazil after receiving the authorization from the Central Bank to operate a foreign exchange broker. Present in the country since 2016, the fintech had been waiting for the green light from the local regulators for two years.

According to the fintech, which had been operating as a foreign exchange correspondent in partnership with local banks, it has handled over BRL 26 billion in money transfers since it started operating in Brazil.

 

By Angelica Mari via Forbes

 

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Nubank growth hits another level as pandemic drives digital in Brazil

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The shift to digital platforms has been a pronounced feature of the global pandemic – with tech stocks hugely outperforming stock market benchmarks throughout the world – but in emerging markets there have been specific drivers turbo-charging this phenomenon.

Digital bank Nubank, founded seven years ago in Brazil with the launch of a no-fee credit card managed by an app, has grown its total client base to more than 25 million. The bank launched its digital current account in 2017, which now has more than 20 million account holders.

By Rob Dwyer via Euromoney

 

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BRAZIL DATA: Ethanol output surges to record high in May

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Rio de Janeiro — Brazilian ethanol production hit the highest level ever recorded in May amid expectations for a record sugarcane harvest and biodiesel output rebounded from coronavirus-related lows, according to data released June 29 by the National Petroleum Agency, or ANP.

Sugar mills produced 8.46 billion liters of ethanol in May, more than double the 4.05 billion liters produced in May 2019, the ANP said. That was the highest output recorded by the ANP since its inception in 2000. May’s ethanol production also more than doubled the 3.87 billion liters produced in April, the ANP data showed. The jump was driven by the accelerating sugarcane crush, which got off to a bit of a late start because of poor weather and social-distancing measures implemented in mid-March.

 

By Jeff Fick via S&P Global Platts

 

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Brazil industrial confidence posts record rise in June

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BRASILIA, June 29 (Reuters) – Brazilian industrial confidence rebounded sharply in June, the biggest ever rise, on growing hopes for recovery in the second half of the year, but still consistent with levels associated with severe recession, a survey showed on Monday.

The Fundacao Getulio Vargas’s national industrial confidence index jumped to 77.6 in June from 61.4 in May, with the rise of 16.2 representing the largest month-on-month increase since the series began in 2009.

 

By Jamie McGeever via Nasdaq

 

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Brazil signs agreement to purchase millions of AstrZeneca Oxford University vaccine to fight Covid-19

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Brazil announced over the weekend that it had signed a US$ 127 million agreement to start producing locally an experimental vaccine developed by AstraZeneca that has shown promise to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

The AstraZeneca vaccine is considered the world’s leading candidate and most advanced in terms of development to obtain licensure and become an official vaccine against the disease, according to the World Health Organization.

 

Via Merco Press

 

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CHINA’S MAY SOY IMPORTS FROM BRAZIL HIT HIGHEST MONTHLY TOTAL IN 2 YEARS

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BEIJING/SINGAPORE, June 26 (Reuters) – China’s soybean imports from top supplier Brazil soared in May to their highest in two years, according to customs data released late on Thursday, as backed-up cargoes that were delayed by bad weather in Brazil cleared customs.

China, the world’s top soybean importer, brought in 8.86 tonnes of Brazilian soybeans in May, the highest since May 2018 and up 41% from last year’s 6.3 million tonnes, data from the General Administration of Customs showed.

 

Via Successful Farming

 

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Brazil Opens Drive-in to Help People Cope With COVID-19

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Brazil has converted a football (soccer) stadium into a drive-in movie theater, its latest effort to lift national morale as the country struggles with the coronavirus pandemic.

The Palmeiras football club’s converted stadium in Sao Paulo accommodates up to 300 cars.

Alessandro Tessari, a fan of the football team said, he could never imagine he would be watching a movie in the stadium.

 

Via VOA News

 

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Brazil tops demand for free access to essential online services during pandemic

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Mobile operators in emerging markets such as Brazil and South Africa are experiencing increased traffic and demand for free data as the coronavirus pandemic drives users online. That’s according to recent online search data from Upstream’s Zero-D, an ad-funded free mobile internet platform designed to keep users connected to the digital world even when they have run out of data.

Demand for free access to essential online services is highest in Brazil, with searches for “internet gratis” (free internet) surpassed only by searches for “Facebook” in the data from March 2020 to May 2020. In addition, Free Fire, a free online video game which took Brazil by storm in 2019, continues to dominate the entertainment category. Searches for “Free Fire” surpassed “Netflix” by more than 664 percent in Brazil, presenting mobile operators in the region with a unique challenge.

 

Via Total Telecom

 

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Brazil passes bill easing privatization of water utilities

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Brazil’s Senate passed a bill Wednesday paving the way to privatize state-owned water and sanitation companies and attract more private investment to the badly languishing sector.

The bill, which President Jair Bolsonaro plans to sign, aims to bring better service to the 35 million Brazilians who lack clean drinking water and 100 million whose sewage gets dumped raw, without ever being treated, its sponsors said.

 

Via Macau Business.com

 

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Brazil ecommerce jumps 57% in first five months of 2020 fueled by COVID-19

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SAO PAULO, June 23 (Reuters) – Brazilian e-commerce has risen by 56.8% in the first five months of 2020 from a year earlier, reaching 105.6 billion reais ($20.50 billion) in sales revenue, a survey showed on Tuesday, as more consumers have shifted to online shopping during the coronavirus pandemic.

The number of online orders grew by 65,7% in the same comparison, mostly driven by three categories: cosmetics and perfumes, furniture and eletronics, according to data compiled by Brazilian ecommerce consultancy Compre&Confie and industry body ABComm.

By Gabriela Mello via Yahoo Finance

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UPDATE 1-Brazil’s central bank unveils wide range of credit-boosting measures

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BRASILIA, June 23 (Reuters) – Brazil’s central bank on Tuesday announced a series of measures to potentially pump hundreds of billions of reais into the economy, boosting credit in particular to micro, small and medium-sized companies struggling in the coronavirus crisis.

The measures include allowing banks already extending loans to small and medium-sized enterprises, known as SMEs, to reduce reserve requirements, lowering banks’ requirements for contingent liabilities provisions, and possibly allowing firms to use real estate as collateral for new loans.

 

By Jamie McGeever via Reuters

 

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UPDATE 1-Brazil central bank sees rates ‘close’ to lower limit, stresses inflation goal commitment

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BRASILIA, June 23 (Reuters) – Brazil’s central bank sees little scope to reduce interest rates much further, with the current record low of 2.25% considered “close” to the level from which additional cuts could fuel financial market instability, according to meeting minutes released on Tuesday.

The minutes of the June 16-17 meeting of the rate-setting committee, known as Copom, showed that while the economic shock from the COVID-19 pandemic is disinflationary and inflation expectations continue to fall, policymakers urged caution in easing much further.

 

By Jamie McGeever via Reuters

 

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New Proclamation Formalizes Temporary Ban on Entry for Nonimmigrants Seeking to Enter on H-1B, H-2B, L-1, and J-1 Visas

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On June 22, 2020, and citing economic recovery needs and unemployment due to the pandemic, President Trump issued “Proclamation Suspending Entry of Aliens Who Present a Risk to the U.S. Labor Market Following the Coronavirus Outbreak,” outlining expected new temporary restrictions on H-1B, H-2B, J-1, and L-1 nonimmigrant worker visas, which are among the most popular temporary U.S. worker visas. Section 1 of the proclamation takes effect immediately (continuation of bar on certain immigrant visa entry) and the remainder (containing new restrictions on nonimmigrant workers), takes effect on June 24, 2020 (12:01 a.m.). The new proclamation will expire on December 31, 2020, and may be continued as necessary.

The proclamation comes on the heels of Proclamation 10014 of April 22, 2020 (“Suspension of Entry of Immigrants Who Present a Risk to the United States Labor Market During the Economic Recovery Following the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Outbreak”), which suspended the entry of aliens on immigrant visas, subject to certain exceptions, for a period of sixty (60) days. The June 22, 2020 proclamation continues and amends Proclamation 10014 to incorporate new restrictions on the entry of nonimmigrant temporary visa holders, including those with H-1B, H-2B, J-1, and L-1 visas, subject to certain exemptions.

 

By Jorge Lopez and Elizabeth Whiting via Littler

 

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Brazil’s Northeast surpasses 10 GW of peak wind on June 21

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June 23 (Renewables Now) – Wind farms in Brazil’s Northeast have generated 10,121 MW at 1021 local time on June 21, thereby breaking the Northeast’s record for wind generation, the National Electric System Operator (ONS) announced.

The volume produced by wind farms during that day was enough to meet 100% of the Northeast region needs, currently at 8,500 MW, and generate an 18% surplus. The previous record was of 9,755 MW, registered seven months earlier on November 12, 2019.

 

By Lucas Morais via Renewables Now

 

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Startups Focused On Human Resources Take Off In Brazil

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A new report on HRtechs, technology companies focused on Human Resources (HR), has revealed the segment is the third most active in Brazil, after fintechs and mobility, as well as the main companies in activity as well as startups to watch.

According to the study produced by innovation center network Distrito, there are 373 startups active in the HR space, which concentrated 11.6% of the capital invested in startups in 2019 – fintechs claimed 35.6% of the total investment last year, while mobility startups attracted 14.4%.

 

By Angelica Mari via Forbes

 

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Brazil recreates Ministry of Communications

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Brazil’s Ministry of Communications has been recreated and a new minister has taken over to lead agendas such as the country’s upcoming 5G auction.

The son-in-law of a well-known Brazilian TV presenter, Fábio Faria was named the new communications minister yesterday (17). Faria will be accountable for the national telecommunications policy, as well as the national broadcasting policy and the communications activity relating to the federal government, which relies heavily on channels such as social media.

 

By Angelica Maria via ZD Net

 

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Nebraska/Brazil partnership eyes expansion of preschool science instruction

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Lincoln, Neb. —Tucked away from the busy city streets of São Paulo, Brazil, young learners are exploring a colorful garden with spades, magnifying glasses and other tools. They gather around their preschool teacher who is holding a freshly dug worm in her hands. They observe the wriggling creature together. After the excited shrieks subside, the teacher begins to ask them questions.

Their curiosity leads to a conversation — an opportunity to learn about science.

 

By Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources University of Nebraska-Lincoln

 

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AZUL, LATAM BRAZIL ANNOUNCE CODESHARE, FLYER PROGRAM

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MIAMI- Azul Brazilian Airlines (AD) and LATAM Airlines Brazil (LA) have announced a codeshare partnership with a shared frequent flyer program to increase their presence in Brazil’s domestic market.

Both carriers were competitors in the region alongside GOL (G3), but the latest agreement consolidates various recent individual moves from each to now strengthen their presence and network offer.

 

By Sofia Marrero via Airways Mag

 

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Brazil’s BizCapital raises $12 million for its online lending service

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BizCapital, an online lender based in Brazil, has raised $12 million from a clutch of investors including the German development finance institution, the corporate venture capital fund of MercadoLibre and existing investors Quona Capital, Monashees, Chromo INvest and 42K Investments.

“This latest round reinforces investors’ confidence in BizCapital’s ability to innovate in the Latin American credit market amid challenging circumstances caused by Covid-19,” said Francisco Ferreira, the company’s chief executive, in a statement. “We have seen four times as many business credit inquiries on our site year over year, and we are ready to serve them.”

 

By Jonathan Shieber via Tech Crunch

 

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Brazil hits 16 GW of installed wind capacity

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June 17 (Renewables Now) – Brazil’s installed wind power capacity has reached 16 GW, reaffirming its position as the second largest source of electrical generation in the country, the National Wind Energy Association (Abeeolica) announced earlier this week.

Brazil now has 637 operational wind parks, according to the association. It says the country will have at least 24 GW of installed wind power capacity by 2024, taking into account only contracts already in place through auctions and the free market. “With new auctions, this number will be higher,” Abeeolica’s CEO, Elbia Gannoum, said.

 

By Lucas Morais via Renewables Now

 

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Brazil joins China in quest for vaccine

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Brazil and other countries including Malaysia, Canada and the UK will join China’s efforts to strengthen global cooperation in COVID-19 vaccine trials, as the Institute Butantan in Brazil plans to cooperate in Phase III clinical trials for an inactivated COVID-19 vaccine candidate developed by a Chinese company.

Beijing-based Sinovac Biotech and Instituto Butantan, a leading Brazilian producer of immunobiologic products, have agreed to collaborate in Phase III clinical trials of CoronaVac, Sinovac’s inactivated vaccine candidate against COVID-19.

 

By Hu Yuwei and Leng Shumei via Global Times

 

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Syngenta to roll out new digital ag tools in Brazil

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SAO PAULO, June 16 (Reuters) – Switzerland-based seed and crop protection company Syngenta has chosen Brazil as the initial market for a new digital agriculture services platform intended to make local grain growers more competitive, a Syngenta executive told Reuters.

Because of lockdowns and social distancing, crop consultants including seed advisers and agrochemical distributors have been unable to visit farms, making technology more important to assess field conditions, said Greg Meyers, the company’s chief information and digital officer.

 

By Ana Mano and Roberto Samora via Reuters

 

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WhatsApp finally launches payments, starting in Brazil

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After months of talks and trials, WhatsApp has finally pulled the trigger on payments in its app. Today the Facebook-owned messaging service announced that users in Brazil would be the first to be able to send and receive money by way of its messaging app, using Facebook Pay, the payments service WhatsApp owner Facebook launched last year.

WhatsApp says in its blog post that the payments service — which currently is free for consumers to use (that is, no commission fee taken) but businesses pay a 3.99% processing fee to receive payments — will work by way of a six-digit PIN or fingerprint to complete transactions.

 

By Manish Singh and Indrid Lunden via Tech Crunch

 

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Brazil adopts real-time analytics to present Covid-19 data

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The Brazilian government has launched a new portal powered by real-time data analytics to report the evolving picture on the Covid-19 outbreak, following controversy over moves to suppress the release of such information in what is the current global epicenter of the pandemic.

Earlier this week, data relating to the pandemic had, without warning, been removed from the health ministry website and the government announced it would stop releasing historical numbers on cumulative deaths and the number of infections. The decision sparked outrage as it was seen as an attempt to cover up the worsening health crisis in the country.

 

By Angelica Maria via ZD Net

 

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Ecommerce company sells products from Brazil to Arabs

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São Paulo – A company called Metro Brazil sells Brazilian products to Arab consumers online. Owned by Syrian entrepreneur Alaa Kara Ali (pictured above), the business was started in 2017, two years after he had relocated to Brazil. Ali lives in São Paulo and has two Brazilian children. “I wanted to make a bridge between Brazil and the Middle East,” he told ANBA in interview by email.

Ali, who is also the company’s CEO, wanted to resell Brazilian products such as garments, underwear and accessories. He started on his own and now has a staff of 32 employees and exports to other regions beyond the Middle East. The company used to sell just to Arab countries but saw a demand from other regions, then started delivering orders all over the world. “Now we have clients on Europe, the USA, Canada, Australia and others,” he said.

 

By Bruna Garcia Fonseca via Brazil-Arab News Agency

 

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Brazil prepares to resume Angra 3 project

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First concrete was poured for Angra 3 – a 1405 MWe (gross) pressurised water reactor – in 2010, resuming a project that had first begun in the 1980s before a lengthy suspension. The project was again suspended in mid-2015. Two nuclear power units – Angra 1 and 2 – supply about 3% of Brazil’s electricity. The units are operated by Eletrobras subsidiary Eletronuclear.

Following a meeting of the PPI council yesterday, PPI Special Secretary Martha Seillier told reporters in Brasillia that the private partner in Angra 3 must be a minority stakeholder. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro had also attended the PPI meeting, she said.

 

Via World Nuclear News

 

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Chinese vaccine maker inks deal in Brazil for final testing

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China’s leading coronavirus vaccine developer signed an agreement with a drugmaker in Brazil to conduct further testing of its shot’s efficacy, as the global race intensifies to come up with the first viable candidate to prevent Covid-19.Beijing-based Sinovac Biotech Ltd. is teaming up with Instituto Butantan to conduct the final phase of a three-part human testing of a vaccine it developed against the novel coronavirus, the company said in a statement. A Sinovac spokesman said it will need to obtain regulatory approval in Brazil before conducting the trial.

Once approved, Sinovac and Instituto Butantan will kick off the trial involving 9,000 people in July. The Brazilian drugmaker will get to license the Chinese vaccine and make it available in the South American country, Sinovac said.

 

Via Hindustan Times

 

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Totvs and SAP lead enterprise software market in Brazil

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The enterprise software market in Brazil is led by local firm Totvs and SAP, according to new research by Brazilian business school Fundação Getúlio Vargas about the local information technology market.

The report, which polled more than 2,600 businesses nationwide, shows Totvs as the leader with 33% of the overall ERP market. The Brazilian company is closely followed by SAP: the German software giant has a 32% slice of the market, according to the FGV study, now in its 31st edition. Oracle ranks third, with a market share of 12%.

 

By Angelica Mari via ZD Net

 

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Brazil forecasted to harvest 245,9 million tons of cereals and oil seeds

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According to the Systematic Survey of Agricultural Production (LSPA), released on Tuesday, June 9th, by the IBGE, the country will harvest 245.9 million tons of cereals, legumes and oilseeds by the end of the year, up 1.8% (4.4 million tons more) compared to 2019.

Rice, corn, and soy account for 92.2% of this amount. But the high dollar encourages other crops, such as wheat. The May estimate for the 2020 agricultural crop suffered a reduction of 0.5% compared to the previous month, influenced by the drought in the south of the country, but remains at a record level.

 

Via Merco Press

 

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Architecture in the Periphery: Teaching Women to Build Houses in Brazil

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The spirit of the women who participate in the movements fighting for housing in Brazil is as hard as lime and wood. As a majority in land occupations, they vigorously coordinate organizational and political practices of settlement and popular housing construction. It is no wonder that many of the occupations of the MST (Landless Rural Workers’ Movement) or the MTST (Homeless Workers’ Movement) carry the names of women such as Dandara, a quilombo leader from the colonial period.

 

By Cecília Garcia via Arch Daily

 

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Shell looks to Brazil solar power sales from farms that are due online in 2023

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BRASILIA (Reuters) – Royal Dutch Shell PLC <RDSa.L> is ready to start negotiating with potential clients the sale of future solar power on Brazil’s free energy market from its first farms due to start operating in 2023, Shell’s solar business development manager for Latin America said.

In a telephone interview on Monday, Maria Gabriela da Rocha said the startup date would depend on the negotiations and was part of Shell’s strategy to move into renewable energy, betting on industries’ increasingly wanting to sign long-term clean energy contracts.

By Luciano Costa via Yahoo Finance

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New debentures decree in Brazil to help add 36 GW of renewables by 2030

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June 9 (Renewables Now) – Brazil’s Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) expects that in the next 10 years, roughly 36,000 MW of renewable energy capacity will be implemented thanks to a new protocol for the issuance of green debentures.

The 10,387 decree, published last week, creates new mechanisms for the issuance of debentures in order to finance infrastructure projects that provide relevant environmental or social benefits for the country, the ministry stated.

 

By Lucas Morais via Renewables Now

 

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Most Brazil Projects Progress Despite the Pandemic

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With nearly 700,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19, Brazil trails only the U.S. as the most-impacted country, but in pushing to maintain economic activity, leaders have allowed construction to continue.

Projects have not shut down in most of Brazil’s 27 states, including Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Minas Gerais—its three largest economies.

 

By Augusto Diniz via Engineering News-Record

 

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Return to Work Protocols for São Paulo, Brazil

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On May 27, 2020, the Governor of the State of São Paulo, Brazil unveiled the details for reopening the state. The plan, called Conscious Restart, divides the state into 17 areas. Each area can enter into a new reopening phase every 15 days, depending on the number of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths, and the area’s hospital/ICU capacity. Each phase allows certain industries or sectors to restart operations with restrictions, which will be relaxed at each phase. The phases are marked in colors, from red (most restricted) to blue (“controlled normal”).

Starting June 1, 2020, several areas will enter Phase 2 (orange), including the City of São Paulo (but not the adjacent municipalities), as per the chart below:

 

By Renata Neeser Via Littler

 

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Brazil avoids 515m tonnes of CO2 emissions with ethanol

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June 8 (Renewables Now) – Brazil has avoided more than 515 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent emissions between March 2003 and May 2020 thanks to the use of ethanol, local sugarcane industry association Unica announced on Friday, analysing statistics by the National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels.

 

By Lucas Morais via Renewables Now

 

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E-commerce gains one virtual store per minute in Brazil

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Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, Brazil has been opening more than one virtual store per minute. In just over two months, 107,000 new establishments were created on e-commerce for different products, such as food, beverages, clothes, shoes and cleaning products, according to a survey carried out by the Brazilian Association of Electronic Commerce (Abcomm), reported by O Estado de S. Paulo.

 

Via LABS

 

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Brazil retailer Centauro raises $176 million in follow-on offering: sources

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SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Brazilian sporting goods retailer Centauro priced its shares at 30 reais each in a follow-on offering aimed at raising 900 million reais ($175.84 million) to finance acquisitions, two sources with knowledge of the matter said.

Shares in Grupo SBF SA (CNTO3.SA), as Centauro is formally known, closed the trading day on Thursday trading at 31.50 reais, which implies investors in the share offering had a roughly 5% discount.

 

By Carolina Mandl via Reuters

 

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Foreign investment returns to Brazil in May, first since July 2019

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Brazil posted a net foreign exchange inflow of US$ 3.1 billion in May, central bank figures showed on Wednesday, its first net inflow since July last year.

The figures showed a surplus of almost US$ 4 billion from trade-related FX contracts and an outflow of US$ 882 million from financial FX contracts, resulting in the biggest monthly inflow since February last year.

 

Via Merco Press

 

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Brazil To Be First To Test Oxford’s Covid-19 Vaccine

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Hard hit Brazil will be the first nation to test the Oxford University vaccine for the new SARS. Two-thousand volunteers working on the front lines against the virus will be chosen for the trial, which will begin in Sāo Paulo this month.

Denis Mizne, executive director of the Lemann Foundation, the group that is financing the São Paulo trials, called it “an important milestone” for Brazil. The Foundation was funded and created by Jorge Paulo Lemann and his family. Lemann became a billionaire thanks to investments in Brazilian beer giant AmBev and Heinz through his private equity firm 3G Capital.

 

By Kenneth Rapoza via Forbes

 

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Nordex Group posts Brazil wind power order for 90 MW

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Nordex has received an order from its new customer, COPEL – Companhia Paranaense de Energia, for the supply and construction of 26 AW132/3465 wind turbines in Brazil. The order also includes the Servicing of the machines, with a contract term of 20 years.

The 90 MW wind farm “Jandaíra Copel” will be built in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, near the city of Jandaíra in eastern Brazil. The Nordex Group will manufacture the 26 turbines at its production facility in Simões Filho. The turbines will be built on 120 metre concrete towers, which the Group will manufacture at its local plant in Areia Branca, not far from the site. The company will also source the rotor blades locally. Completion of the wind farm is planned for 2022.

 

Via Reve

 

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LATAM Cargo delivers 50 tonnes of essential hospital goods to Brazil

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LATAM Cargo in partnership with VTC LOG transported 50 tonnes of essential hospital goods to combat Covid-19 in Roraima, Brazil, on May 29 and 30. In addition, respirators will also be sent to Rondônia.

The transportation was carried out in three flights using Boeing 767 aircraft (a freighter and a passenger airplane adapted for cargo transportation) and Boeing 777 aircraft (also adapted for cargo). They left São Paulo/Guarulhos airport for Manaus, where the cargo will continue its trip in order to be delivered in both states.

 

Via Stat Times

 

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UN-Habitat data mapping ensures assistance reaches the most vulnerable in Brazil’s slums

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Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, June 2020 – Some 2,500 vulnerable and sick older people living in the slums of Brazil’s largest city, received hygiene kits to support them during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Social Territories Programme, implemented by the City of Rio de Janeiro, with the support of UN-Habitat, organized the distribution of the kits in 10 informal settlements known as favelas.

The kits, which include sanitizer, liquid soap, deodorant, shampoo and toothbrushes, donated by UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund, were given to older vulnerable people, those who are bedridden and with heart problems in Alemão, Maré, Chapadão, Pedreira ,Vila Kennedy, Lins, Penha, Cidade de Deus, Jacarezinho and Rocinha. The materials were distributed alongside food baskets of staple goods.

 

Via ReliefWeb

 

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GDP OF AGRICULTURE SHOULD REPEAT POSITIVE RESULT ON THE 2ND. QUARTER

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The good performance in the production of soy and rice pulled the 1.9% growth of agriculture in the first quarter of 2020 compared to the same period 2019, according to the Confederation of Agriculture and Livestock of Brazil (CNA).

This result, published on Friday (29) by the IBGE, shows that the sector was the only positive performance in the first three months of this year, unlike the Brazilian economy, which fell 0.3% in the first quarter over the same period 2019, reflecting the coronavirus pandemic impacts.

 

Via DATAGRO

 

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E-commerce sales reach all-time high in Brazil

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E-commerce sales in Brazil have achieved an all-time high as a result of the Covid-19 outbreak, according to a new study referring to activity during April 2020.

Sales for the month practically doubled, with an increase of 98.74% in April in relation to the same month in 2019. Additionally, there was an 81.64% revenue boost for companies operating in digital sales that same month, according to an index produced by the Brazilian Chamber of Electronic Commerce (BCEC).

 

By Angelica Mari via ZD Net

 

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Pandemic Heroes: Brazil’s Thiago Firmino

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If you go up Santa Marta hill in Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro, you get a treat: the most amazing view of the famous statue of Christ and the Sugar Loaf, and you can take a selfie with a statue of Michael Jackson, who filmed parts of his “They Don’t Care About Us” video there. Jackson became possibly the first international superstar to go up the narrow lanes, unpaved passages, and cramped corners of the stacked bare zinc-roof cabins that make up this neighborhood.

Here, like in most favelas in Brazil, public services are all but nonexistent. So when the pandemic hit, a resident decided to act.

 

By Cecilia Tornaghi via Americas Quarterly

 

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Brazil steps up sugar production and exports

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São Paulo – The Brazilian 2020-21 sugarcane crop is just beginning but is promising and can allow Brazil to have a large sugar export supply. According to the “Fortnightly Monitoring of the Center-South Region Crop” through May 16 released by the Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA), the sugarcane grinding through mid-May surpassed 103 million tonnes, up 21.67% from a year ago. Out of this, 45.3% of the processed sugarcane was directed to the sugarcane production, up from 32.19% in the 2019-20 crop. These figures refer to Brazil’s Center-South production, which amounts to 59% of the Brazilian total.

The change in the ethanol-sugar production ratio is related to a change in the market demand. According to Grupo Tereos board member and Federation of Industries of the State of São Paulo (FIESP) chairman Jacyr Costa Filho, the Russia-Saudi Arabia oil price war in early March and the COVID-19 pandemic have reduced oil and gas prices, which affected the ethanol competitiveness. The product is used as a fuel in Brazil. Moreover, the demand for fuels in general has dropped.

 

By Marcos Carrieri via Brazil-Arab News Agency

 

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Brazil’s Ag Exports to China are Booming

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The first four months of 2020 were profitable for Brazilian ag exporters. Brazil’s agricultural exports to China were worth $31.4 billion from January through April. MercoPress reports that it marked a 5.9 percent increase year-over-year.

The growth in agricultural exports to China resulted in a more than 11 percent increase in export volume, while the index price actually suffered a drop of 4.7 percent. The Brazilian Department of Trade and International Relations says those sales numbers broke the record for the largest amount ever shipped between January and April.

 

Via Hoosier Ag Today

 

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Government of Brazil signs agreement with Cisco to boost digitization

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The Brazil Ministry of Science, Technology, Innovations and Communications signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Cisco via a virtual event on May 27th—the agreement works to boost digitization and accelerate technology skills development in the country. Hosted over Cisco TV, the event included Brazil’s Executive Secretary Julio Semeghini, Secretary of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Paulo Alvim,  and Secretary of Telecommunications Vitor Menezes Minister Marcos Pontes, Secretary Vitor Menezes, Cisco’s Global Innovation Officer Guy Diedrich, SVP and Brazil Country Sponsor John Kern, Cisco President Latin America & SVP in the Americas Jordi Botifoll , and Brazil Country Manager Laercio Albuquerque.

As a part of this agreement, Cisco announced the launch of “Brasil Digital e Inclusivo”, the company’s Country Digital Acceleration (CDA) program that will spur the creation of initiatives and projects in education, healthcare, agribusiness, public safety, cybersecurity, smart cities, energy and manufacturing. Among the initiatives, the program will support Brazilian public healthcare system with telemedicine and remote patient monitoring digital platform, develop new talents in cybersecurity operations through the Cisco Cyber Education Program, help transform education with innovative smart and connected schools, and build an Industry 4.0 Experience Center to be used on professionals training on industrial networking and cybersecurity technologies for Industry 4.0.

 

By Stephanie Chan via Newsroom.cisco.com

 

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Brazilian ethanol prices recover in May following gasoline price rise

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Santos — Hydrous ethanol price in Center-South Brazil started an upward price trend on May 13, mostly supported by the increases in the gasoline price ex-refinery and since then is moving up on a daily bases.

The Brazilian ethanol market was hit by the so-called perfect market turmoil, of consumption crises triggered by the coronavirus pandemic and the collapse in the international oil prices started on March 8. Both combined facts capped the ethanol price in the weeks prior to the beginning of the new Center-South crop 2020-21, adding a further negative tone for the pricing environment.
By Nicolle Monteiro de Castro via S&P Global Platts

These Girls From Brazil Built A Suicide Prevention App For Gen Z

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A team of Brazilian girls have turned a school project into an mobile app aimed at confronting the world’s second leading cause of death among 15-29 year-olds: suicide.

Generation Z, the generation who began to be born in the mid-nineties, has the highest recorded suicide rate in history, as well as a higher risk for mental illness than the previous generation. Teen girls, in particular, are three times as likely as boys to experience depression.

 

By Andrew Wight via Forbes

 

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History Repeats As Brazil Delivers Another Iron Ore Boom

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Brazil’s worsening Covid-19 crisis is making waves in the commodities world with reduced iron ore shipments from the South American country lifting the price of the steel-making material by 30% to almost $100 a ton.

There could be more to come with some analysts forecasting a return to last year’s peak price of $125/t, an unexpected rise also caused by events in Brazil.

 

By Tim Treadgold via Forbes

 

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HOUSE APPROVES NEW RULES FOR BANKRUPTCY PROTECTION DURING PANDEMIC

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The full House approved late on Thursday (21) a bill that creates transitional rules for companies in bankruptcy and also to try to prevent other companies were experiencing difficulties to reach this point, which prior to bankruptcy, informs the “Agency Brazil.” The bill goes to the Senate. The measures cover situations that have occurred since March 20 this year and some are expected to last until the end of the state of public calamity due to pandemic COVID-19, scheduled to end on December 31, 2020. However, the terms do not apply to contracts and obligations of cooperative actions taken by the cooperatives to their members.

By substitute approved by the deputies, for 30 days from the effective date of the future law, are suspended judicial or extrajudicial executions of guarantees, lawsuits involving arrears after March 20, 2020, the declaration of bankruptcy, the unilateral termination or contract review activities. Also, it is suspended for the period, the penalty fee for late payment provided for in contracts in general and those arising from non-payment of taxes.

 

Via Datagro

 

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CONGRESS AUTHORIZES ADDITIONAL CREDIT OF R $ 343.6 BILLION TO GOVERNMENT SPENDING IN 2020

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With the votes of senators on the afternoon of Thursday (21), Congress completed passage of the bill authorizing the executive branch to open additional credit in the amount of R $ 343.6 billion, inform the agencies’ House and Senate ” .

There were 74 votes in favor and none opposed. Most of this money – R $ 213.7 billion – will be used to pay pensions, pensions and other social security benefits. The PLN 8/2020 now goes to presidential approval. In the morning, the deputies approved this project by 451 votes in favor and 1 opposed.

 

Via DATAGRO

 

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Brazil’s pork exports increase with 28.4% despite pandemic

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Brazil’s pork exports rose 28.4% in the first 4 months of 2020, despite the Covid-19 pandemic. Between January and April 2020, the sector shipped 280,800 tonnes of pork – compared to 218,700 tonnes in the same period of 2019.

Pork exporters all over Brazil earned around US$ 650.3 million in the 1st 4 months, spread out over all types of products. That number is even 53.5% higher than registered for the same period of 2019, when it was US$ 423.6 million.

 

By Danieal Azevedo via Pig Progress

 

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Brazil ETFs Rally on Central Bank Support, Goldman Sachs’ Bullish Outlook

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Brazil country-specific exchange traded funds surged Thursday after the Central Bank of Brazil stated its intent to increase support of the real currency and Goldman Sachs argued that this emerging market was a prime cheap opportunity.

Among the best performing non-leveraged ETFs of Thursday, the iShares MSCI Brazil ETF (NYSEArca: EWZ), the largest Brazil-related ETF, increased 4.3%.

 

By Max Chen via ETF Trends

 

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At Fiat Chrysler’s Brazil plant, production resumes with safety checks

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BETIM, Brazil (Reuters) – Before going to work these days, employees at the Brazilian unit of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCHA.MI) have to get a health check using a mobile app every morning.

It is one of several measures the automaker has implemented to fight the novel coronavirus in South America’s top auto producing country. Carmakers in Brazil cautiously restarted production this month, concerned not just about the virus spreading, but also about whether there will be any demand for the cars amid the health crisis.

 

By Washington Alves and Marcelo Rochabrun via Reuters

 

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Brasil e Estados Unidos aprofundam Diálogo Comercial

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Videoconferência realizada na quinta-feira passada (14/5) reuniu representantes brasileiros e norte-americanos para a sessão plenária da 18ª edição do Diálogo Comercial Brasil – Estados Unidos. As delegações dos dois países abordaram questões que afetam o comércio de bens e serviços e reafirmaram a importância de remover barreiras não-tarifárias para o crescimento do intercâmbio bilateral.

A delegação brasileira foi chefiada pelo secretário de Comércio Exterior do Ministério da Economia, Lucas Ferraz, que conduziu os trabalhos com o subsecretário de Comércio Internacional do Departamento de Comércio (DoC) dos Estados Unidos, Joseph Semsar. A reunião contou, também, com a participação dos embaixadores do Brasil em Washington, Nestor Forster, e dos Estados Unidos no Brasil, Todd Chapman.

 

Via gov.br

 

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UPDATE 1-BUNGE’S BRAZIL UNIT SIGNS CONTRACT TO ACQUIRE TWO SOY PLANTS FROM IMCOPA

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SAO PAULO, May 20 (Reuters) – Bunge’s Brazil unit has signed a contract to acquire two soy crushing plants from Imcopa, according to a statement sent to Reuters on Wednesday, marking another step to consolidate its position as Brazil’s largest soybean crusher.

Imcopa, which is operating under bankruptcy court protection, confirmed the signing of the contract and said the aim of the sale is to keep the plants running and protect jobs, according to a separate statement.

 

By Ana Mano via Successful Farming

 

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Brazil introduces open banking

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Brazil is the latest country to embrace open banking, rolling out a new regulation enabling licensed institutions to share customer data.

Under the new rules, banks, payment institutions and others licensed by the Banco Central do Brasil, can share – at the customers’ discretion – registration and transactional data from individuals or legal entities.
Via Finextra

Brazil maritime trade surplus widens as ports remain open, farm exports strong: ATP

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SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Brazil recorded a $19.7 billion maritime trade surplus in the first four months of the year as imports by value fell as the real currency weakened and exports of agriculture goods remained strong, a port operators group said on Monday.

The surplus is 14.56% wider than in the same period of 2019 despite the crisis caused by the novel coronavirus, which has disrupted transport systems worldwide, said ATP, which represents Brazilian private-sector terminal operators including miner Vale and grain merchant Bunge .

 

By Ana Mano via WHTC

 

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VTEX has top tips on how to reshape e-commerce during Covid-19

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Contxto – Yes, yes, you’ve heard it at least a dozen times already. Coronavirus (Covid-19) is accelerating the uprise of e-commerce. But that’s not all.

Self-isolation means users have grasped the utility of ordering something from the comfort of their couch. In addition, they’ve also sought out more meaningful experiences that give them a sense of connection despite being stuck at home. And because of this, Brazilian VTEX, says there’s no going back for businesses, digital or not.

 

Via Contxto

 

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Data privacy awareness grows in Brazil

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The level of awareness and concerns over data privacy online is growing in Brazil, with more users looking to increase control over how their data is handled, according to new research.

According to a global study on data privacy by cybersecurity firm Kaspersky, 74% of Brazilian Internet users polled have reported trying to remove their personal data from websites and social media platforms.

 

By Angelica Mari via ZD Net

 

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Brazil Makes Inroads Towards Digital ID

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The Brazilian government has launched a new app that unites the social security card and driving license as part of its digital identification and citizen service delivery plan.

The launch follows a move towards making the social security number the main proof of ID for Brazilians: since last year, it is used to access government services. This includes the emergency aid scheme announced in April for financially vulnerable citizens.

 

By Angelica Mari via Forbes

 

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Brazil Rescue Aid for Airlines to Reach $680 Million

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(Bloomberg) — The rescue package to airlines in Brazil will total about 4 billion reais ($680 million), according to people familiar to the matter.

The package, which was presented to airlines on Wednesday, includes credit from development lender BNDES, which will provide 60%, or no more than 2.4 billion reais, the people said, asking not to be named because the discussions are private. Other banks will provide another 10%, or no more than 400 million reais, they said, adding that the companies will have to seek at least the remaining 30%, or 1.2 billion reais, from investment funds via capital markets.

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

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Brazil April sugar exports hit 3-year high; line-up more than triples on year: Williams

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Santos — Brazil exported 1.283 million mt of sugar in April, the highest for the month since 2017, as it ramps up sugar production after maximizing ethanol production in the last two seasons (April-March), according to data from shipping agency Williams published Thursday.

The Brazilian sugar line-up as of Wednesday was showing named vessels were expected to export 2.6 million mt up until June 29, more than triple the amount in the same period of both 2019 and 2018, Williams said.

 

By Nicolle Monteiro de Castro via S&P Global Platts

 

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Brazil seeks opportunities in space technology

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The Brazilian Space Agency (AEB) is seeking to evolve its space technology capability and identify new opportunities for new projects that can potentially bring socioeconomic benefits, in areas such as analysis of satellite data.

With a view of identifying opportunities around technology solutions based on space systems and building proximity to the industry to develop projects in the field, the AEB, an autarchy linked to the Ministry of Science, Technology, Innovations and Communications (MCTIC) signed a protocol of intentions with Visiona, , a joint venture between Brazilian aerospace firm Embraer and state-owned telecoms company Telebras.

 

By Angelica Mari via ZD Net

 

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China’s record Brazil soyabean imports impede US trade target

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Brazil’s soyabean shipments to China hit a monthly record of more than 9m tonnes in April, casting doubt on whether Beijing can meet the first-year targets of its trade deal with Washington.

Soyabeans are at the heart of US-Chinese agricultural trading, accounting for almost two-thirds of American exports to China in 2017, prior to the trade war. In January’s US-China phase one trade agreement Beijing pledged to buy at least $80bn of US agricultural products over two years, including $36.5bn in 2020 — $12.5bn more than it spent in 2017.

 

By Emiko Terazono and Sun Yu via Financial Times

 

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How Leitíssimo used genetics to build a premium milk brand

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Craig Bell, the co-founder of premium milk company Leitíssimo, likens his product to a time machine. “We have a lot of consumers who told us that ‘this stuff actually tastes nice, this stuff reminds me of my uncle or my granddad or my father’,” he says.

This, he adds, is partly because in a country that has become one of the world’s breadbaskets in recent decades, Brazilians still have a connection to the rural environment.

 

By Andres Schipani via Financial Times

 

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Brazil’s tech moonshots target social problems

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For Marcos Toledo, the notion of a “moonshot” should be interpreted differently in Brazil.

While tech giants and scrappy start-ups in the US and China can afford to reach for the stars with ambitious projects like spaceships and autonomous vehicles, Brazilian groups should focus on helping those closer to home, says the managing partner of Canary, a venture capital group in São Paulo.

 

By Bryan Harris via Financial Times

 

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Poultry exports from Brazil up 5.1%

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São Paulo – Poultry exports from Brazil were up 5.1% year-to-date through April from a year ago, the Brazilian Animal Protein Association (ABPA) reported.

This was the increase in terms of shipped volume. Year-to-date through April, Brazil exported 1.36 million tonnes of raw and processed poultry, from 1.29 million a year ago.

 

Via Brazil-Arab News Agency

 

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The best lifeboat for concessionaries to be sailing on now

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Our members Lefosse Advogados wrote this very interesting piece on transport infrastructure in times of COVID-19. Please see below:

 

As we all know, transport infrastructure utilities are facing a storm. The drastic drop in demand due to the effects of COVID-19 is causing dramatic unprecedented losses. The future looks bleak while the government’s inertia leaves the concessionaires adrift.

 

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Brazil Expects To Finalize Airline Support Package Next Week

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The Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES) and Bradesco (one of Brazil’s largest banks) are putting together a financing package for the country’s airlines. It is expected that a final agreement will be reached by the end of next week with the disbursement expected to take place in the second half of June. With airlines around the world suffering from decreased demand, they are left to explore various options to raise funds and keep operations going.

 

By Chris Loh via Simple Flying

 

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Brazil expects beef exports to set a new record in 2020 in volume and value

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Brazilian beef exports in 2020 will likely set a new record in terms of volume and value despite the novel coronavirus pandemic, Antônio Camardelli, president of beef group Abiec, said on Thursday.

No beef plants in Brazil were paralyzed because of the outbreak of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, he said during a live video session, adding that demand from China remained strong.

 

Via Merco Press

 

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Brazil approves quantitative easing to fight coronavirus woes

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Brazil’s Congress on Thursday ratified a landmark constitutional amendment allowing the central bank to begin what is expected to be the emerging market world’s biggest quantitative easing programme to fight the economic hardships of the coronavirus pandemic.

The country’s central bank has until now been banned by law from engaging in monetary financing — essentially buying bonds at government debt auctions — but was allowed to purchase them on the secondary market to provide money supply. Under the new measures, the central bank has been granted crisis-fighting powers to buy a range of private and public assets, including government and corporate bonds, to ensure liquidity and shore up an economy expected to shrink 5.3 per cent in 2020.

 

By Andres Schipani and Bryan Harris via Financial Times

 

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Brazil expects exports to China to help mitigate the contraction of the country’s economy

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Brazilian Economy Minister Paulo Guedes said that according to initial estimates, the country’s economy would shrink 6% as a result of the recession caused by the new coronavirus pandemic, but now, thanks to the increase in exports to China, expectations are of a retraction of only 4% this year.

“Brazil was going to fall 6%, of which 2% was to be the external shock and 4% due to internal slowing down, although the 2% external shock we anticipate will not be happening”, the minister told a video virtual hearing of the of the Lower House and Senate combined committee that is monitoring and following the COVID-19 situation.

 

Via Merco Press

 

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Brazil’s annual basic interest rate cut to record low

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RIO DE JANEIRO, May 6 (Xinhua) — The Monetary Policy Committee of Brazil’s central bank (Copom) announced Wednesday its decision to cut the annual basic interest rate (Selic) from 3.75 to 3.0 percent, the lowest since the country adopted an inflation-targeting framework in 1999.

This has been the seventh consecutive rate cut by the central bank since July last year. The latest cut was made due to the harsh effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Brazilian economy.

 

Via Xinhua Net

 

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MercadoLibre to invest over $700 million in Brazil as coronavirus boosts e-commerce

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SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Latin American e-commerce company MercadoLibre is one of the few firms not scaling back spending amid the coronavirus pandemic and plans to move forward with a planned 4 billion reais ($717 million) investment in Brazil this year, an executive told Reuters on Tuesday.

After seeing a sharp drop in demand in the second half of March, the Argentina-based company reported strong sales in April with an increasing number of consumers shopping online while social distancing measures were in place.

 

By Aluisio Alves via WKZO

 

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How One of Brazil’s Largest Favelas Confronts Coronavirus

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The onset of the coronavirus pandemic in Brazil’s favelas, shantytowns that sprawl around the country’s largest cities, has left the 11.4 million Brazilians living in these densely-populated neighborhoods in a particularly vulnerable position.

In addition to their usual problems — violent shootouts, open sewage, military-style police operations against drug traffickers — they now struggle to embrace social distancing guidelines while living side-by-side in haphazard constructions and crowded homes.

 

By Shannon Sims via Bloomberg

 

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BRAZIL SOYBEAN EXPORTS HIT RECORD IN APRIL

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SAO PAULO, May 4 (Reuters) – Brazilian soybean exports in April reached 16.3 million tonnes, an all-time record for a single month and an increase from 9.4 million tonnes in same month last year, according to average daily export data released on Monday by the government.

The previous record was 12.35 million tonnes, set in May 2018. Brazil, the world’s largest exporter of soybeans, had shipped 11.64 million tonnes of soybeans in March, according to government data, as local farmers finish collecting another bumper crop.

 

By Roberto Samora via Successful Farming

 

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Egypt now allowed to ship citrus to Brazil

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São Paulo – Brazil opened up its market to citrus fruit from Egypt. The Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply published on April 27 a ruling on the matter in the Federal Gazette. This was the only step pending in the process, as reported by ANBA in early April. As a result, as of this Monday (4) authorization is in place for the shipping of citrus from Egypt to Brazil, in line with requirements agreed upon by Egyptian authorities and Brazil’s Ministry of Agriculture (click here for the ruling in Brazilian Portuguese).

 

Via Brazil-Arab News Agency

 

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Coronavirus crisis fuels Brazil e-commerce shift as malls suffer

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SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Brazil’s battered retailers are starting to reopen after weeks of coronavirus lockdown but may exit the crisis transformed, with the e-commerce sector strengthened and brick-and-mortar chains facing an uphill path to normality.

That is potential good news for major local online retailers B2W Companhia Digital SA, Magazine Luiza SA and Via Varejo SA, despite increasing competition from international players Mercado Libre and Amazon.com in Latin America’s largest market.

By Gabriela Mello via Yahoo Finance

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U.S. government announces US $950,000 in assistance to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 in Brazil

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Brasilia, May 1, 2020:   The United States is providing US $950,000 (approximately R$ 5.21 million) in new economic support funds to incentivize private sector investments in mitigating non-health COVID-19 impacts on rural and vulnerable urban populations in Brazil with a focus on the Amazon region. This assistance builds upon past U.S. investment in Brazil, which totals more than US $617 million over the past 20 years, including nearly US $103 million for health. These funds will be programmed by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), working through its private sector and civil society partners and in coordination with the Brazilian government.

 

Via U.S. Embassies and Consulates in Brazil

 

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Enterprises in Brazil Embrace the Salesforce Cloud Model

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SÃO PAULO, Brazil, April 30, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Businesses in Brazil are increasingly turning to Salesforce products to save money while they look for service providers to help consolidate their disparate installations, 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™ Salesforce Ecosystem Report for Brazil finds enterprises in Brazil increasingly interested in cloud-based solutions from Salesforce, with the country becoming a fast-growing market for Salesforce products, especially among mid-market customers who are increasingly investing in cloud applications.

Via Yahoo Finance

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Brazil’s musicians offer ‘little seed of happiness’ via shutdown sessions

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The Brazilian guitarist Cainã Cavalcante was gearing up for tours of Cuba, Colombia and the United States when coronavirus struck.

Now, like thousands of musicians in the land of samba and bossa nova, he is in lockdown – trapped at home with six instruments, an empty gig schedule and a burning desire to resist the global health crisis with his strings.

 

By Tom Phillips via The Guardian

 

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EMBRAPA LAUNCHES WORK ON AGRICULTURAL DYNAMICS IN THE CERRADO

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The week full 47 years, Embrapa launches the first volume of “agricultural dynamics in the cerrado: analysis and projections”. Involved 29 authors from different institutions. The analyzes have considered the period of the past four decades to projections for the next 20 years.

The research that led to the work was coordinated by Embrapa, in collaboration with the National Institute for Space Research (INPE) and the Institute of Applied Economic Research (IPEA), entitled Agricultural Dynamics in the Cerrado. The result is a retrospect of the region, analysis of challenges and opportunities that can base the decision public and private decision, thus favoring sustainable agricultural development.

 

Via DATAGRO

 

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Meat giants from Brazil are ready to cover American shortfalls

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Brazil’s JBS, the world’s biggest meat company, has a message for U.S. carnivores: We’ve got you covered.

Amid a rash of slaughterhouse shutdowns in the U.S. related to the coronavirus pandemic, the chief financial officer of JBS said his company can scale up exports from Australia and has idle capacity in Brazil for beef shipments to the U.S.

By Fabiana Batista and Tatiana Freitas via San Antonio Express News

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IRS Issues New Guidance Addressing COVID- 19 Travel Disruptions and the Impact on U.S. Tax Residency

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Lisa Goldman, CPA, TEP, M.Tax | Rebeccah Fontaine, J.D., LL.M of Berdon LLP Beth Tractenberg, J.D. | Zvi Hahn, J.D., LL.M, LL.B. | George McCormick, J.D., LL.M. of Steptoe & Johnson LLP

In our recent advisory—COVID-19 and the Unintended Resident; the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly— we alerted non-U.S. citizens unable to leave the United States due to COVID-19 travel disruptions of the potential tax implications of their unintended stay in the country. The IRS apparently heard the call and recently issued Revenue Procedure 2020-20 that provides guidance and relief for foreign individuals and corporations as it pertains to U.S. tax residency.

 

Read the full document here

Brazil’s ANP issues new end-of-life rules for oil, gas fields

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Brazil’s National Petroleum Agency, or ANP, issued Monday new rules and procedures for deactivating mature oil and natural gas fields that should result in about $5 billion in investments over the next five years as Latin America’s biggest producer shutters legacy assets amid the dramatic economic downturn caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

The measures represent “a benchmark for the industry, with the modernization and simplification of procedures will create new business opportunities and more investment in the country,” the ANP said in a statement.
By Jeff Fick via S&P Global Platts

GOVERNMENT PUBLISHES MORE STANDARDS TO FACILITATE ACCESS TO CREDIT DURING THE PANDEMIC

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The Federal Government issued another set of rules to facilitate access to credit and minimize the economic effects of the pandemic COVID-19, informs the “Agency Senate.”

MP

According to the Provisional Measure 958/2020 published in the Official Gazette (DOU) on Monday (27), it was determined that until September 30, 2020, public banks are not required to fulfill certain obligations in time to renew and new loans. Before the MP, for example, without proof that the person voted in the last election, it was paid their fine or that if properly justified, the voter could not borrow to financial institutions. Now, such a requirement is temporarily suspended.

 

Via DATAGRO

 

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BNDES APPROVES R $ 1.1 BILLION FOR COMPANIES AFFECTED BY PANDEMIC

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The release of working capital facilities to companies affected by coronavirus pandemic totaled R $ 1.1 billion, today reported on Thursday (23) the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES), informs the “Agency Brazil” . The amount is equivalent to 22% of R credit line of $ 5 billion announced last month to help micro, small and medium enterprises.

 

Via DATAGRO

 

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Brazil steps up imports amid the pandemic

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São Paulo – Amid the crisis wrought by the Covid-19 pandemic, which has countries around the world embracing self-isolation among other measures, Brazil stepped up its imports in some sectors this month. Foreign purchases went up for items including sanitary equipment and accessories, livestock, pipes, tubes and hoses, wheat, coal, fertilizers, taps, ethylene polymers and electric generators.

 

Via Brazil-Arab News Agency

 

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Tech driving Brazil solar project efficiency as GCL SI anticipates market rebound

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Module-level technologies are driving strong efficiency readings within Brazil’s portfolio of solar projects, data from the country’s industry regulator is finding.

GCL SI expects the market to rebound from any lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the market boasting a strong pipeline of projects and appetite for solar PV.

 

Via PV Tech

 

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COVID-19 Return to Work Initiative

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Our member Littler Mendelson PC is offering important tips to help employers navigate the Covid 19 pandemic.

As the federal, state, and local governments are starting to unveil their return-to-work plans, employers are anxious to resume operations and get employees back to the workplace. At Littler, we understand that the “next normal” looks different for every organization, each with its own unique workforce, business goals, and concerns. To address these and other issues stemming from the current pandemic, Littler continues to build on its COVID‑19 offerings through comprehensive resources that can help employers start the return-to-work conversation.

 

Access all of the resources here

Brazil Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband 2020: Brazil Gains Further Increases in Bandwidth – ResearchAndMarkets.com

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The “Brazil – Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband – Statistics and Analyses” report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com’s offering.

The Brazilian fixed-line market continues to suffer from consumers substituting services for mobile and VoIP solutions, the latter offerings being treated as value-add and thus not being regulated. As a result, VoIP services are offered by many providers.

Via Yahoo Finance

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Interview: Chinese truck maker Foton eyes online sales in Brazil

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SAO PAULO, April 20 (Xinhua) — Chinese truck maker Foton is moving to online sales in Brazil, due to an expected rise in demand for light commercial vehicles driven by the boom in online sales and home delivery services.

“Due to the lockdown, online sales have become more important, and that is a trend that is here to stay,” said Luiz Carlos Mendonca de Barros, president of Foton’s board of directors in Brazil, Latin America’s largest economy, in an interview with Xinhua.

 

Via Xinhua Net

 

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Volkswagen in Brazil to keep factories closed through April

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SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Volkswagen AG (VOWG_p.DE) said on Monday it will keep its factories in Brazil, South America’s top auto producer, shut through the end of the month, but that a decision has not been made on whether it will reopen them in May or later.

The automaker has just reached a tentative deal with its unions that will keep workers net salaries intact, Volkswagen said. Gross salaries will be reduced but Brazil’s government will help make up the difference with subsidies.

 

By Marcelo Rochabrun via Reuters

 

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Brazil set to start QE cautiously but may need to bring out ‘bazooka’

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BRASILIA (Reuters) – Brazil appears set to embark cautiously on unconventional monetary policy using small interventions to tackle dysfunction in bond markets, as it does with foreign exchange, but the severity of the crisis may ultimately force it to emulate the dramatic steps taken in the United States and Europe.

Congress is debating a bill to grant the central bank emergency powers to carry out “quantitative easing” or QE as part of its crisis-fighting arsenal, allowing it to buy public and private financial assets during national emergencies.

By Jamie McGeever via Yahoo Finance

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BRAZILIAN AGRIBUSINESS EXPORTS TO CHINA ARE PRESERVED

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The Brazilian agribusiness exports to China are and [will] be preserved, says the study “Prospects of China’s economic development post-covid-19 and impacts on the Brazilian economy,” prepared by Inovasia Consulting. “We have not detected by China retreat requests to agricultural product orders from Brazil,” says Felipe Zmoginski, survey coordinator.

The survey was conducted between the months of February and March with interviews collected in China and use of data from Tsinghua University and the National Statistics Office of China. According to Zmoginski, the food chain has been little affected in China, with importers seeking to anticipate any supply problem.

 

By DATAGRO

 

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MercadoLibre’s financial arm to extend loans to small businesses in Brazil

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SAO PAULO, April 15 (Reuters) – MercadoLibre’s financial services arm, Mercado Pago, is extending a 600 million-real ($114 million) credit line to help Brazilian medium and small businesses face the sharp drop in economic activity caused by the new coronavirus crisis.

“We aim to help sellers in our platform, mainly small businesses,” said Pedro de Paula, head of Brazil credit at MercadoLibre, an operator of online marketplaces.

 

By Aluisio Alves via Reuters

 

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