Civil Society Outreach Program in Brazil: Fostering Debate on FTAA and Free Trade through Conferences in Secondary Cities
Overview
Brazil represents an important market for the United States; hence Brazil’s commitment to establishing the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) is considered key to the U.S. successfully negotiating the establishment of the FTAA. It is clear that Brazil will be paying very close attention to the key issue of how free trade (trade liberalization) under the FTAA will impact on economic growth and poverty reduction in a country where more than 50 million live in poverty. In 2003, USAID/Brazil proposed a new Economic Growth Strategic Objective (SO) focused on trade-led employment generation. Accordingly, LAC/RSD coordinated with USAID/Brazil to provide core funding and interim support under the LAC Trade “Rapid Response” contract to assist the Mission in beginning to implement its new SO. Specifically, USAID/Brazil asked CARANA to support a series of conferences on FTAA and Free Trade themes in secondary cities throughout Brazil in 2003 and 2004. These conferences are in line with USAID/Brazil’s Strategic Objective 11 for FY 2003-2008 and LAC/RSD’s SO 17 (“Enabling Environment for Market Access Strengthened”). CARANA supported a series of “FTAA Outreach Events” (of approximately one-day duration) in key Brazilian cities (Belem, Curitiba, Florianopolis, Fortaleza, Porto Alegre, Recife, and Salvador). To the maximum extent feasible, these events were designed to foster the constructive participation of Brazilians who participated in the “Mexico/NAFTA Trade Visits.” These events included speakers from Mexico, Chile, the U.S., and Canada as well as Brazil. The specific purpose of these events was to provide Brazilian experts and trade leaders a forum to debate issues related to free trade and to provide a venue for open discussion concerning the expansion of free trade in Brazil. Counterparts
CARANA worked in close coordination with USAID/Brazil and the following federations of industry and commerce in Brazil: | SEBRAE (Serviço Brasileiro de Apoio às Micro e Pequenas Empresas) | | FIEPA(Federação das Indústrias do Estado do Pará) | | FIERGS (Federação das Indústrias do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul) | | FIEC (Federação das Indústrias do Estado do Ceará) | | FIEB (Federação das Indústrias do Estado da Bahia) | | FIEPE (Federação das Indústrias do Estado de Pernambuco) | | FIEPR (Federação das Indústrias do Estado do Paraná) | | FIESC (Federação das Indústrias do Estado de Santa Catarina) | | AmCham Bahia | Timeframe
These events were held intermittently from May 2003 to October 2004. Activities
CARANA worked closely with Brazilian Counterparts, USAID/Brazil and, where appropriate, the Mexican General Consulate in Sao Paulo to put together the following comprehensive conferences on FTAA and Free Trade-related topics: EVENT
Counterpart Institution
City, Date | Speakers
Themes Covered | DISCUSSAO SOBRE ALCA: UMA VISAO INTERNACIONAL
AmCham Bahia
Salvador, Bahia
May 28, 2003 | Ambassador Luís Lauredo
Executive Director of the FTAA Ministerial Meeting in Miami, November 2003
“ALCA/Forum das Américas – De Visão a Realidade” Professor Rafael Fernandez de Castro
Instituto Tecnológico Autônomo do México - ITAM (Cidade do Mexico)
“Efeitos Colaterais do NAFTA nas Relações México–Estados Unidos; Comentários sobre a Indústria Automotiva” Professor Thomas A. O’Keefe
George Washington University
“O Impacto do Livre Comércio nas Pequenas Empresas” Dra. Graciela Aguilar
Director of Agricultural Planning and Research, Ministry of Environment, Mexico
“O Impacto do NAFTA no Setor Agrícola Mexicano” | DISCUSSAO SOBRE ALCA: UMA VISAO INTERNACIONAL
Federação das Indústrias do Estado do Ceará (FIEC)
Fortaleza, Ceará
August 19, 2003 | Ambassador Luís Lauredo
Executive Director of the FTAA Ministerial Meeting in Miami, November 2003
“ALCA/Forum das Américas – De Visão a Realidade” Dr. Jonathan Heath
Chief Economist, LatinSource Mexico
“Impactos Macroeconómicos de la Apertura Comercial y el Acuerdo de Libre Comercio en México” Sandra Rios
Coordinator of International Trade Integration Unit, National Confederation of Industry, Brazil
“A ALCA na Visão da Coalizão Empresarial Brasileira” Sergio Melo
National Director for the Special Export Program – Chamber of International Trade (CAMEX)
“O Impacto do Livre Comércio nas PME’S” | DISCUSSAO SOBRE ALCA: UMA VISAO INTERNACIONAL
Federação das Indústrias do Estado de Pernambuco (FIEPE)
Recife, Pernambuco
August 21, 2003 | Ambassador Luis Lauredo
Executive Director of the FTAA Ministerial Meeting in Miami, November 2003
“ALCA/Forum das Américas – De Visão a Realidade” Dr. Jonathan Heath
Chief Economist, HSBC Mexico
“Impactos Macroeconómicos de la Apertura Comercial y el Acuerdo de Libre Comercio en México” Sandra Rios
Coordinator of International Trade Integration Unit, National Confederation of Industry, Brazil
“A ALCA na Visão da Coalizão Empresarial Brasileira” Sergio Melo
National Director for the Special Export Program – Chamber of International Trade (CAMEX)
“O Impacto do Livre Comércio nas PME’S” | DISCUSSAO SOBRE ALCA: UMA VISAO INTERNACIONAL
Federação das Indústrias do Estado do Paraná (FIEPR)
Curitiba, Paraná
October 8, 2003 | Ambassador Luís Lauredo
Executive Director of the FTAA Ministerial Meeting in Miami, November 2003
“ALCA/Forum das Américas – De Visão a Realidade” Dr. Jonathan Heath
Chief Economist, HSBC Mexico
“Impactos Macroeconómicos de la Apertura Comercial y el Acuerdo de Libre Comercio en México” | DISCUSSAO SOBRE ALCA: UMA VISAO INTERNACIONAL
Federação das Indústrias do Estado de Santa Catarina (FIESC)
Florianopolis, Santa Catarina
October 9, 2003 | Ambassador Luís Lauredo
Executive Director of the FTAA Ministerial Meeting in Miami, November 2003
“ALCA/Forum das Américas – De Visão a Realidade” Dr. Jonathan Heath
Chief Economist, HSBC Mexico
“Impactos Macroeconómicos de la Apertura Comercial y el Acuerdo de Libre Comercio en México” | INTEGRACAO COMERCIAL: UMA VISAO INTERNACIONAL
Federação das Indústrias do Estado do Pará (FIEP)
Belem, Pará
April 27, 2004 | Dra. Alejandra Garcia Brahim
Ministra da Embaixada do México no Brasil, Brasília
“México e seus Tratados de Livre Comércio” Dr. Jonathan Heath
Chief Economist, HSBC Mexico
“Os Impactos Macroeconômicos da NAFTA na Economia do México” Sr. Paulo Rocha
Director of HRM International, Miami, USA
“Estratégias de Entrada no Mercado dos Estados Unidos” Sr. Mário Marconini
Senior Partner, MM Associados and International Trade Consultant
“A Inserção do Brasil no Comércio Internacional” | INTEGRACAO COMERCIAL: UMA VISAO INTERNACIONAL
Federação das Indústrias do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul (FIERGS)
Porto Alegre, Rio Grand do Sul
April 29, 2004 | Patrick Duddy
U.S. Consul General, São Paulo Sr. Salvador Arriola y Barrenechea
Mexican Consul General, São Paulo Dr. Jonathan Heath
Chief Economist, HSBC Mexico
“Os Impactos Macroeconômicos da NAFTA na Economia do México” Sr. Paulo Rocha
Director of HRM International, Miami, USA
“Estratégias de Entrada no Mercado dos Estados Unidos” Sr. Luiz Suplicy Hafers
Advisor, Sociedade Rural Brasileira Sra. Susana Kakuta
Director of Operations, SEBRAE/RS | ESTRATÉGIAS DE ACESSO AO MERCADO AMERICANO
Federação das Indústrias do Estado do Ceará (FIEC)
Fortaleza, Ceará
October 18, 2004 | Dra. Sharon T. Freeman
Director of the Washington, DC Government's International Business Development Office at the DC Chamber of Commerce and the Chair of the DC Chamber's International Committee Dr. Roger Leeds
Director of the Johns Hopkins University Center for International Business and Public Policy, School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) | ESTRATÉGIAS DE ACESSO AO MERCADO AMERICANO
Federação das Indústrias do Estado do Pará (FIEPA)
Belem, Pará
October 20, 2004 | Dra. Sharon T. Freeman
Director of the Washington, DC Government's International Business Development Office at the DC Chamber of Commerce and the Chair of the DC Chamber's International Committee Dr. Roger Leeds
Director of the Johns Hopkins University Center for International Business and Public Policy, School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) | ESTRATÉGIAS DE ACESSO AO MERCADO AMERICANO
Federação das Indústrias do Estado da Bahia (FIEB)
Salvador, Bahia
October 21, 2004 | Dra. Sharon T. Freeman
Director of the Washington, DC Government's International Business Development Office at the DC Chamber of Commerce and the Chair of the DC Chamber's International Committee Dr. Roger Leeds
Director of the Johns Hopkins University Center for International Business and Public Policy, School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) | Results
In 2003 and 2004, CARANA conducted a series of ten very successful, high-profile events on the FTAA and Free Trade related issues in the key secondary cities of Belem, Curitiba, Florianopolis, Fortaleza, Porto Alegre, Recife and Salvador. These conferences reached a direct audience of over 1000 key opinion-makers from Brazil’s private sector, business sector leaders and active members of each of the Federations of Industry and Commerce in their respective regions. Through live radio broadcasts, television interviews, and extensive press coverage for each of these events, the messages and dialogue reached hundreds of thousands of interested listeners in each of these cities. The debates and discussions from these events helped to build public awareness for the opportunities and challenges for the private sector as Brazil considers policies favorable to more liberalized trade. Relevant Documents
Download this page in PDF format here.
C.10.10.1-2 Brazil Report on FTAA Event Bahia.pdf
C.10.10.1-3 Brazil Salvador Invitation.pdf
C.10.10.1-4 Brazil Fortaleza Invitation.pdf
C.10.10.1-5 Brasil Heath Presentation.pdf
C.10.10.1-6 Brasil Dellamea Presentation.pdf
C.10.10.1-7 Brasil Roche Presentation.pdf
C.10.10.1-8 Brasil SEBRA Presentation.pdf
C.10.10.1-9 Brasil FIERGS Presentation.pdf
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Project Activities 
