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.

 

A PwC Brasil e a Fundação Dom Cabral (FDC) têm o prazer de anunciar sua parceria para o desenvolvimento de um dashboard personalizado que revela o índice de Transformação Digital através do ITDBr!

O ITDBr é um índice nacional que mensura e analisa os avanços, percepções e perspectivas sobre os principais pilares corporativos que impulsionam a transformação digital. Ele oferece dados personalizados para grandes e médias organizações, além de startups em diversas indústrias no Brasil.

O público-alvo desta pesquisa são os gerentes e cargos superiores das áreas de tecnologia, TI, inovação ou transformação digital. 

Como forma de agradecimento pela participação, os participantes receberão em primeira mão os resultados da pesquisa e terão acesso ao dashboard exclusivo para análise de seu posicionamento. Esta é uma oportunidade única de obter insights valiosos sem custo adicional.

O preenchimento do questionário pode ser realizado até o dia 22/03 e leva menos de 20 minutos para ser concluído.

Não deixem de participar! Juntos, estamos impulsionando a transformação digital no Brasil.

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.

On March 6th, wednesday, the story of The Medulloblastoma Initiative (MBI) will be presented to the Permanent Council of the OAS (Organization of American States – Organización de los Estados Americanos) in Washington D.C., during the session dedicated to World Rare Disease Day.

The event will feature three main speakers. Among them is the founder of MBI, Fernando Goldsztein.

MBI results from Fernando’s approach to Dr. Roger J. Packer, from Children’s National Hospital in Washington D.C., one of the world’s leading specialists in pediatric brain tumors worldwide. Today, MBI is a philanthropic initiative that finances a consortium with 13 research laboratories, bringing together renowned scientists from around the world — from the USA, Germany, and Canada.
For this important meeting, MBI was the organization chosen by the OAS to represent the fight of the 300 million people affected by rare diseases around the world.

During his speech, Fernando will present MBI’s unique approach to philanthropic engagement and will shed light on urgent topics, such as the toxicity of available treatments for the most common type of pediatric brain tumor and the need for funding for scientific research. It will also invite governments, the scientific community, and civil society itself to reflect on the relevance of these themes in the context of rare diseases.

It will be a great honor for MBI to speak on behalf of the millions of people with rare diseases at this event.

The session will be broadcast live – with interpretation in Spanish, English, French and Portuguese – on the OAS Website (www.oas.org)

Check out the event link: https://lnkd.in/dyv8-GvF

Via The Meduloblastoma Initiative

Learn more

 

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.

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.

 

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)

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.

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, 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

 

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.

 

 

 

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.

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 (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

Tribute to Dario Vasconcellos Campos
(September 24, 1930 – February 6, 2024)

On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce, we regretfully inform you of the passing, on February 6, 2024 at the age of 93, of Dario Campos, former Vice Consul of Brazil in New York and longtime Chamber member and supporter.  Dr. Campos’ longstanding support of Chamber activities and enthusiastic participation in our programs, well into his 90s, denote his high level of dedication and commitment to the Chamber.

After serving as Vice Consul of Brazil in New York, Dr. Campos was appointed Senior Economic Advisor by the Consulate General of Brazil in New York, during which time he worked in liaison with foremost economic policy institutions in the United States.  Following, he served as a consular official and Director of the Cultural Council of the Brazilian Endowment for the Arts.

Dr. Campos’ previous positions include Cultural Attaché to the Brazilian Embassy in Tunis, Tunisia and Delegate Ad Hoc of Brazil to the 7th World Congress of Public Relations in Boston, MA.  Fluent in many languages, Dr. Campos was appointed Examiner of Arabic, German, and Russian during the selection of foreign service officers at Instituto Rio Branco in Brazil.  He also served as Professor & Consultant of Tourism Administration at the Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro and Universidade de Brasília.

Dr. Campos graduated in Decision Science from Wharton School at The University of Pennsylvania, in Hotel Management from Cornell University, and in Human Relations & Public Speaking from Dale Carnegie Institute of New York.  He held a Ph.D. in Economics, a Ph.D. in Philosophy & Social Sciences, and four master’s degrees: MBA / MPS in Tourism, MA in Economics, and MA in Philosophy & Social Sciences.

Dr. Campos received many high distinctions from the Brazilian Army, Navy, Air Force, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs – and was the 2014 recipient of the Chamber’s Special Merit Award.  While conducting postdoctoral research in economics, he participated in countless forums and international conferences on economics, tourism, technology, and sustainability.

Dr. Campos is survived by his wife, Marion Asch Campos.  His steadfast commitment and contributions to the Chamber strengthened ties between Brazil and the United States and furthered our mission of promoting trade and investment between the two nations.  His presence, company, and sense of humor will be greatly missed.

Pesquisa sobre as perspectivas de implementação do International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB)

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.

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 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

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

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

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

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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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.

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

Read full article

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 e mais controversa)

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:

Tribute to H.E. Henry A. Kissinger

(May 27, 1923 – November 29, 2023)1997 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 November 29, 2023 at the age of 100, of H.E. Henry A. Kissinger, American politician, diplomat, political scientist, geopolitical consultant, and longtime Chamber affiliate and supporter.  Kissinger served as United States Secretary of State and National Security Advisor under the presidential administrations of Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford and was the Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce’s 1997 Person of the Year honoree, representing the United States.

Born in Fürth, Bavaria in 1923, Kissinger and his family fled Nazi Germany in 1938, briefly landing in London and ultimately, the Washington Heights section of Upper Manhattan as part of the German-Jewish immigrant community.  Kissinger served in the United States Army, during which time he became a naturalized US citizen.  He excelled academically, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Harvard College (1950), a Master of Arts from Harvard University (1951), and a Doctor of Philosophy from Harvard University (1954).

Serving under the presidential administrations of Ricard Nixon and Gerald Ford, Kissinger played a prominent role in United States foreign policy between 1969 and 1977, easing geopolitical tensions with the Soviet Union during the Cold War, orchestrating an opening of relations with China, engaging in “shuttle diplomacy” in the Middle East to end the Yom Kippur War, and negotiating the Paris Peace Accords, which prompted the withdrawal of American forces from the Vietnam War.  After leaving government, he established Kissinger Associates, an international geopolitical consulting firm.

Over the course of his career, Kissinger wrote numerous memoirs, articles, and books on diplomatic history, public policy, and international relations – and received countless awards and distinctions, including the 1973 Nobel Peace Prize for his work negotiating a ceasefire in the Vietnam War and the 1997 Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Gerald Ford.

Kissinger’s dialogue 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.  His force of character, influence over wartime diplomacy and global affairs, and domination across a breadth of major foreign policy issues endure.

Kissinger is survived by his wife, Nancy Maginnes Kissinger; two children, David and Elizabeth; and five grandchildren.

Glauber Rocha’s
BLACK GOD, WHITE DEVIL

Glauber Rocha’s 1964 political western BLACK GOD, WHITE DEVIL opens Friday, November 17 in a new 4K restoration at @filmforumnyc! A landmark work of militant cinema from Brazil’s most influential Cinema Novo filmmaker. “An ecstatic panorama of furious visions and revolutionary dreams…” – Richard Brody

 

 

 

 

Friday, November 17 – Thursday, November 23

Daily (except for Sunday, November 19 & Wednesday, November 22):
12:30   3:00   5:30   8:00

Sunday, November 19:
12:30   3:00   5:30

Wednesday, November 22:
12:30   3:00   8:40

Location: FILM FORUM – 209 West Houston St. New York, NY 10014 | Box Office: (212) 727-8110

 

Brazil, 1964.
Directed by Glauber Rocha
Starring Geraldo Del Rey, Othon Bastos, Maurício do Valle, Yoná Magalhães
Approx. 120 min. DCP.

“This ecstatic panorama of furious visions and revolutionary dreams in the vast, violent landscape of rural Brazil, made by the twentyfour-year-old director, is one of the founding works of modern Brazilian cinema. Manuel (Geraldo Del Rey), a young cowherd, kills a wealthy rancher who cheated him, and flees home, along with his wife, to join a pilgrimage led by a self-proclaimed saint with a utopian, gory gospel. The Catholic Church and the government send a hired gun, Antonio das Mortes, to stop the procession — and the revolutionary bandit Corisco plans to stop Antonio. Rocha’s hectic drama is, in effect, a political Western that rages at Brazil’s governmental corruption and plutocratic oppression… [with] raw, grand, urgent images.” – Richard Brody, The New Yorker

New 4K restoration from Metropoles Productions, based on original 35mm materials preserved by the Cinemateca Brasileira. Restoration by CineColor Digital and JLS Studios.

With support from the Robert E. Appel Fund for Spanish and Portuguese Language Films

A JANUS FILMS RELEASE

 

BUY TICKETS

Use our promocode: BRAZILCHAM

To receive the discount:

  • Go to https://my.filmforum.org/events/black-god-white-devil
  • Scroll to your desired screening(s) and click PURCHASE
  • At the top right corner of the screen, click PROMO CODE
  • Enter BRAZILCHAM, then click submit (Note: code must be applied before tickets are added to your cart)
  • Select 1 or 2 General $17.00 tickets
  • Click Purchase continue to check out

 

Tarciana Medeiros, the first female President of Banco do Brasil, extends an invitation to all as a woman, mother, and global citizen. Join her in watching this video, part of a worldwide campaign by Banco do Brasil, the world’s most sustainable bank. This initiative champions the cause of the Amazon and the sustainability of human rights. These are programs and proposals that envision the future as an investment. The forest calls out, nature beckons us toward balance, profit, life, results, and the future. Brazil is ushering in a new era – the era of sustainable progress.

Via Banco do Brasil

 

Paula Vieira’s strong international experience is set to strengthen the firm’s strategy and relationships with foreign clients seeking to do business in Brazil

Mattos Filho has announced Paula Vieira as the new partner in charge of the firm’s New York office. With a strong background in both Brazilian and cross-border M&A transactions, including private equity, Paula is a member of Mattos Filho’s Corporate/M&A practice and International Committee, where she coordinates the firm’s initiatives for business development outside Brazil.

Mattos Filho’s presence in New York has spanned over a decade, helping bridge the gap between international clients and their interests in the Brazilian market. It has allowed for broader perspectives and ample opportunities to collaborate with companies, investors, and business partners looking to expand their interests in Brazil, as well as to connect Brazilian clients with the right business partners in connection with their outbound investments.

“We are excited about moving into this new phase of our international business strategy, and we wish Paula the utmost success in her new role,” commented Mattos Filho’s managing partner, Roberto Quiroga.

 

 

“The opportunity to lead the New York office and work closely with our clients and business partners in the United States will enable Mattos Filho to strengthen and develop further its international relationships and presence. I am deeply honored to represent Mattos Filho in a broader capacity.”

 

 

 

Paula Vieira

Part of Mattos Filho for 25 years, Paula Vieira has been a partner in the firm’s Corporate/M&A practice since 2010. Beyond her experience in M&A matters (including private equity), Paula is involved in foreign investments in Brazil and public and private commercial contracts across many sectors and industries.

Paula’s strong background in international matters and business development includes her active role on committees at the International Bar Association (IBA), where she is engaged in the Latin American forum as well as in other committees such as the M&A committee. Paula previously also worked as an international associate at the New York office of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP.

With a Master of Laws (LL.M.) from the University of Pennsylvania, Paula has a Bachelor of Laws and a Specialization in Business Law from Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo (PUC-SP), as well as a Specialization in Finance and Accounting from Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV).

Via Mattos Filho 

DLA Piper is pleased to welcome Amadeu Ribeiro as a partner in the firm’s cross-border Antitrust and Competition practice, expanding the firm’s already strong presence in New York and Latin America.

Ribeiro advises international clients on complex antitrust matters, including merger review cases, cartel and market dominance investigations and competition related matters in general. He counsels clients across a wide breadth of sectors, including aviation, automotive, food and beverage, pharmaceutical, natural resources and technology.

“DLA Piper is committed to providing the highest quality client support throughout the Americas, offering counsel to domestic and multinational companies with interests and operations throughout the region,” said Richard Chesley, managing partner of the Americas and co-US managing partner. “Amadeu is recognized as a leader in the antitrust space and expands the capabilities of an already robust cross-border team.”

“We are thrilled to welcome Amadeu as an integral part of our global practice of lawyers focused primarily on Latin America,” said Francisco Cerezo, chair of the US-Latin America practice.

DLA Piper in Latin America’s team offers full-service business legal counsel to US and global companies with interests in and operations throughout the region. With over 450 lawyers practicing throughout Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, and Puerto Rico, in addition to our US-based cross-border attorneys, our team works with clients throughout every country in Latin America and help connect Latin America to the world.

The Latin America Practice is led in the US from Miami, with our US based team of multicultural and diverse cross-border practitioners regularly acting as lead counsel on a wide range of matters across sectors in the US and Latin America. These range from complex TAX, IP, capital markets, finance, M&A and public private partnerships to regulatory, compliance, disputes, market entry and establishment issues. The United States, specifically New York and Florida, has deep economic and cultural ties to Latin America. For more information, visit Latin America | DLA Piper.

Via DLA Piper

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Bossa Nova: The Greatest Night
Seu Jorge & Daniel Jobim Featuring Roberto Menescal, Carlinhos Brown, Carol Biazin, and Celeste

Featuring repertoire entirely dedicated to Bossa Nova, Seu Jorge and Daniel Jobim will be joined on stage by Roberto MenescalCarlinhos BrownCarol Biazin, and Celeste for a performance that pays homage to the genre. The performance echoes the 1962 Bossa Nova concert that was presented in the Main Hall at Carnegie Hall, now publicly known as Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage.

Sunday, October 8, 2023, at 8 PM
Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall 

Learn more

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

Leia o artigo na íntegra

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

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.

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

The Chamber is delighted to welcome Corporate member Peter Fernandes & Marihá Viana Advogados Associados to the Legal Programs & Events Committee.

A highly regarded law firm located in Brazil’s capital city, Brasília, Peter Fernandes & Marihá Viana Advogados Associados leverages innovation to achieve successful solutions through legal services, offering expertise in a wide range of practice areas.

Click here to see their website and Instagram.

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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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.

Read full article

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.

Saiba mais

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.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.

Read full article

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’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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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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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 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.

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.

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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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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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

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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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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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Se você tem de 18 a 26 anos e quer maximizar o seu potencial, desenvolvendo habilidades e competências que fazem a diferença hoje e que serão cada vez mais necessárias no futuro, faça parte do nosso Programa Access Your Potential.

O Access Your Potential (AYP), da PwC Brasil, visa maximizar o potencial de jovens em contextos adversos, criando possibilidades de carreira e inclusão produtiva. O objetivo principal é proporcionar o desenvolvimento de competências que fazem a diferença hoje e que serão cada vez mais necessárias no futuro. Para isso, oferecemos cursos de alta qualidade, mentoring para o desenvolvimento de projeto de vida e acesso a oportunidades de carreira. A cada ciclo do programa, conectamos jovens de todo o país com profissionais voluntários da firma.

Via PwC

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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 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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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

 

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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

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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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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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.

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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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Imagine um futuro em que os médicos conduzam ensaios clínicos com pacientes remotos, o atendimento digital seja feito tão facilmente como nas compras on-line e os médicos usem a inteligência artificial para prestar serviços hiperpersonalizados.

De acordo com o nosso estudo Futuro da Saúde, até o fim da década atual, a saúde será ainda mais personalizada, digitizada e apoiada por inteligência artificial, com soluções perfeitamente integradas à vida diária dos pacientes. A questão crítica é: os sistemas de saúde estão fazendo o suficiente para adaptar e transformar sua infraestrutura atual ou correm o risco de se tornarem totalmente obsoletos?

Via PwC

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Companies will face more pressure to disclose how climate change affects their business under a new set of G20-backed global rules aimed at helping regulators crack down on greenwashing.

The norms published on Monday have been written by the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) as trillions of dollars flow into investments that tout their environmental, social and governance credentials.

It would be up to individual countries to decide whether to require listed companies to apply the standards, ISSB Chair Emmanuel Faber said, adding the standards can be used for annual reports for 2024 onwards.

By Huw Jones and Simon Jessop via Reuters

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We are very pleased to reveal our firm’s outstanding performance in the Chambers Brazil rankings, one of the leading guides in the legal sector.

In the Industries & Sectors chapter, we led in the number of recognized practices (16) and professionals (34). In the Regions chapter, five practices and 13 professionals were recognized across our offices in Campinas, Brasília, and Rio de Janeiro.

We would like to thank Chambers for these recognitions, which serve to reinforce our commitment to excellence and our role as a strategic partner for your business.

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Our member Pellecchia International invites you to an event on June 28th hosted by Columbus Citizens Foundation.

Wednesday, June 28th
6:00PM Reception | 6:30PM Talk
CCF | 8 East 69th Street, New York, NY 10021 | $35

Daniel Runde, Senior Vice President and Director of the Project on Prosperity and Development (PPD), discusses strategic international affairs. Runde shares insights from his Amazon #1 New Release, “The American Imperative – Reclaiming Global Leadership Through Soft Power,” and the path towards building strong alliances of like-minded nations, focusing on non-military strategies to prevent the rise of authoritarian powers.

RSVP TODAY

Our Member, REDD, is proud to announce the release of The REDD Eye – their newest podcast news briefing, released every Monday morning.

The REDD Eye is a 3 min financial news podcast, which summarizes the week’s most important high-yield credit headlines in Latin America, hand-picked by their editors.

Available in EnglishSpanish, and Portuguese. On Spotify, RSS and Apple Podcasts.

Don’t forget to follow them!

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 (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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Despite concerns about machines replacing human workers, research challenges the overhyped claims of ascendant AI. In most knowledge-intensive tasks, workers will more likely find themselves augmented in partnership with machines than automated out of a job. Humans and machines will simultaneously collaborate and compete with one another, like a track team competing in various events. In some events, like the 100-yard dash, teammates compete against each other, but in others, such as the relay race, they work together towards a common goal.

In such a relationship, humans and AI systems both need distinct competitive and cooperative skills. Competitive skills refer to the unique advantages that either humans or AI possess over the other, while cooperative skills enhance the ability of humans and AI to work together effectively. To foster a symbiotic relationship between humans and AI, organizations must find the appropriate balance between investing in human skills and technological capabilities — and think strategically about how they attract and retain talent.

By Mohammad Hossein Jarrahi, Kelly Monahan, and Paul Leonardi via Harvard Business Review

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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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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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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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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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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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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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Generative AI, which is a type of artificial intelligence that can produce or create new content, has already started to impact the workplace in various ways. On the positive side, it can automate repetitive and time-consuming tasks, leading to increased efficiency and productivity. For example, it can assist with data entry, customer service, and content creation. Additionally, it can help businesses to analyze and make sense of large amounts of data, leading to better decision-making.

However, the rise of generative AI also raises concerns about its impact on labor and employment. It is predicted that many jobs that involve routine tasks, such as data entry, customer service, and content creation, could be replaced by AI systems in the future. This means that some workers may need to reskill and transition into new roles to stay relevant in the job market.

By Zoe Argento, ChatGPT, Michael Chichester, Michelle Clark, Tessa Gelbman, Philip L. Gordon, Corinn Jackson, Allan King, Miguel Lopez, Deborah Margolis, Melissa McDonagh, Michael McGuire, Ellie McPike, Marko Mrkonich, Jim Paretti, Niloy Ray, Scott Rechtschaffen, Erin Reid-Eriksen, Kellen Shearin, and Alice Wang via Littler

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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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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 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 ia Reuters

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Signs of de-dollarisation are unfolding in the global economy, strategists at the biggest U.S. bank JPMorgan said on Monday, although the currency should maintain its long-held dominance for the foreseeable future.

The strains of steep U.S. interest rate rises and sanctions that have frozen Russia out of the global banking system have seen a fresh push by the “BRICS” nations, Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, to challenge the dollar’s hegemony.

JPMorgan strategists Meera Chandan and Octavia Popescu said that while overall dollar usage is within its historical range and the greenback remains at the top of the pack, a closer look shows a more bifurcated picture.

By Marc Jones via Reuters

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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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A recent survey of CEOs suggests that most expect a recession in the U.S. but that it will be “short and shallow.” For that reason, many aren’t anticipating layoffs and some are even still hiring. It points toward a continuation of the current tight labor market, even as the economy cools in response to the Federal Reserve’s interest rate hikes and the ongoing banking turmoil.

CEOs continue to send the same message about the U.S. economy: A recession is looming but persistent strength in the labor market will endure. Typically, corporate executives would be focused on cutting costs and jobs amid such uncertain times, but they instead anticipate the job market will stay competitive. The seeming cognitive dissonance underlies the complexity of an economy that has suffered serial shocks in recent years — from the pandemic to inflation to rapid interest rate hikes to a mini banking crisis — but which nonetheless continues to exude signs of resilience. 

by Dana Peterson via Harvard Business Review

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U.S. immigration policy and the Biden administration’s response to the ongoing migration crisis have been hot topics in the news. We break down potential considerations for employers as the pandemic-era immigration policy ends and border crossings from individuals without documentation in search of asylum are expected to rise sharply.

On Thursday, May 11, the Biden administration dealt with Title 42 expiration. Title 42 is the name of an emergency health authority that began in March 2020 under the Trump administration. As part of COVID-19 restrictions on asylum seekers in the interest in public health, Title 42 allowed border authorities to send back individuals attempting to cross the U.S.-Mexico border quickly. Because the Biden administration announced in January that it would end the national COVID-19 emergencies, the border restrictions were affected.

The expiration of Title 42 will allow undocumented individuals crossing the border to seek asylum, rather than being turned back. However, the route to seeking asylum is a tenuous and lengthy process that first involves passing a “credible fear screening” by asylum officers to determine whether the individual has a legitimate fear of persecution in their home country. If they meet the screening criteria, their case is introduced into the immigration court system to determine if they can stay in the United States.

By Jorge Lopez and Elizabeth Whiting via Littler

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Esta edição do Programa Nova geração de solvers da PwC tem como objetivo desenvolver talentos e formar profissionais para atuar nas áreas de Auditoria Externa; Consultoria e Auditoria Atuarial; Serviços de Sustentabilidade; Riscos e Controles.

A nova geração de solvers prepara profissionais com domínio do mundo digital, e é ideal para pessoas que buscam desenvolvimento contínuo, conhecimento de variadas indústrias, além de trabalhar em equipes multiculturais em um ambiente de constante inovação.

INSCREVA-SE

The United Nations food agency’s world price index fell in May to its lowest in two years, as a slump in prices of vegetable oils, cereals and dairy outweighed increases for sugar and meat.

The Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) price index, which tracks the most globally-traded food commodities, averaged 124.3 points in May against a revised 127.7 for the previous month, the agency said on Friday. The April reading was originally given as 127.2.

The May score marked the lowest since April 2021 and meant the index was now 22% below an all-time peak reached in March 2022 following the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Via Reuters

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A bill backed by debt justice campaigners and civil society groups advocating on behalf of economically distressed countries could alter past and future sovereign debt restructurings covered by New York state law – and Wall Street is watching.

Senate Bill S4747, the NY Taxpayer and International Debt Crises Protection Act, “relates to New York state’s support of international debt relief initiatives for certain developing countries.”

The bill includes limits to state investments into foreign entities and would include private creditors in “burden-sharing standards” in which they would take the same losses – or “haircuts” – that the United States government would as a sovereign creditor when a low-income country in distress qualifies for debt relief.

The limit of this definition is a point of contention between the advocates of the bill and its detractors.

By Rodrigo Campos and Jorgelina Do Rosario via Reuters

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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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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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In April 2023, the long-anticipated new and modernized PERM Form 9089 was introduced to the public by the U.S. Department of Labor, Foreign Labor Certification (FLC) unit. The PERM process permits an employer to hire a foreign worker to work permanently in the United States. The FLC unit held two webinars on April 19 and April 20 to provide information on the changes to the form and instructions on how to fill out the new PERM applications. The recordings of these webinars are available on the DOL’s webpage.

Petitioners and their attorneys can start filing PERM Applications using the new forms on June 1, 2023, through the Foreign Labor Application Gateway (FLAG) portal, which is also used for filing Labor Condition Applications (LCA) for H-1B petitions and wage requests for PERM, H-2A, H-2B and CW-1 petitions. The sunset date for filing PERM Applications through the legacy PERM portal system is May 31, 2023.

By Tasneem Zaman via Littler

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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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A decline in labour growth and expected fall in the working age population will be a drag on emerging economies already suffering from fading growth prospects, BlackRock’s Global Head of Emerging Markets Amer Bisat told Reuters.

Global population growth over the past five decades fuelled a surge in labour and a rapid increase in gross domestic product in many emerging economies but Bisat said demographics were no longer a boon for the countries.

The changing demographics come against a backdrop of higher global interest rates and levels of debt which add to pressure on developing economies, with capital accumulation in emerging markets set to be “tough”, said Bisat, who leads a team managing approximately $35 billion at the world’s largest asset manager.

By Jorgelina Do Rosario and Karin Strohecker via Reuters

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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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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 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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Mon – Fri, May 29 – Jun 2, 2023 5:00 PM BRT (4:00 PM ET)

Na 1ª Semana da Sustentabilidade da PwC Brasil, vamos aprofundar a conversa sobre esse e outros temas  importantes que transformam a nossa sociedade, nosso dia a dia, e que impactam cada vez mais os negócios.

 

Program:

29.05 às 17h00 | PwC |  Transição energética: tendências e desafios

Speakers: Célio Fernando, Economista e Vice-presidente da Apimec Brasil e secretário-executivo de Regionalização e Modernização da Casa Civil do Governo do Estado do Ceara; João Marques da Cruz, CEO da EDP; Solange Ribeiro, Vice-Presidente da Neoenergia e Vice-presidente do Conselho do Pacto Global das Nações Unidas

Com Adriano Correia (sócio, PwC) Link de inscrição

30.05 às 17h00 | PwC |  Relatórios de sustentabilidade: ferramenta para estratégia e compliance regulatório

Speakers: Priscila Grecco, CFO Itaúsa; Rafaella Dortas, Diretora Executiva responsável por ESG no BTG Pactual, Ariane Ramalho, Gerente PwC, especialista em Sustentabilidade

Com Maurício Colombari (sócio, PwC) Link de inscrição

31.05 às 17h00 | PwC |  Desafios da logística reversa no contexto atual e futuro da política nacional de resíduos sólidos

Speakers: Gui Brammer, Fundador da Boomera Ambipar, Tamiris Benassi, Gerente sênior PwC especialista em Sustentabilidade e ESG

Com Rodrigo Damiano (sócio, PwC) Link de inscrição

01.06 às 17h00 |  Inovações e tecnologias no processo de descarbonização no agronegócio

Speakers: Mônica Hirsch de Melo Alcântara, Head de ESG na Agrogalaxy; Bruna Dias, Gerente PwC, especialista em Sustentabilidade; Fábio Passos, Diretor LatAm do programa Pro Carbono da Bayer

Com Mauricio Moraes (sócio, PwC) Link de inscrição

02.06 às 17h00 |  Justiça climática: elemento central do desenvolvimento social

Speakers: Marcelo Rocha, Diretor Executivo do Instituto Ayika; Juliana Sá, especialista em Sustentabilidade Empresarial

Com Leandro Ardito (sócio, PwC) Link de inscrição

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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Private economists in Brazil have lowered their expectation for the country’s inflation index, with a new central bank survey on Monday showing they now forecast it to hit 5.80% at the end of this year.

The new median forecast comes down from 6.03% in the previous week and might ease some concern from policymakers, who have highlighted rising inflation expectations as one of the reasons for high interest rates in the country.

Finance Minister Fernando Haddad told reporters after the poll was released that market forecasts were now “in line” with projections from the ministry’s economic policy secretariat.

Via Reuters

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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 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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A measure of debt across the globe rose in the first quarter to almost $305 trillion, and the rising cost to service that debt is triggering concern about the financial system’s leverage, a widely tracked study showed.

The Institute of International Finance, a financial services trade group, said on Wednesday global debt rose by $8.3 trillion in the first three months of this year compared to the end of 2022 to $304.9 trillion, the highest since the first quarter of last year and second-highest quarterly reading ever.

“Global debt is now $45 trillion higher than its pre-pandemic level and is expected to continue increasing rapidly,” said the IIF in its quarterly Global Debt Monitor.

By Rodrigo Campos via Reuters

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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’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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More than 1,000 new business books are released each month in the United States alone. The good ones represent original contributions to theory and practice or provide meaningful extensions or applications of those theories and practices. The others tend to present recycled and superficial treatments of those original contributions. So how can you ensure not only that you’re reading a book that’s worth your time, but that you’re getting the most out of that time? The author presents eight ways to allocate your reading time to your greatest advantage through careful selection based on need, triaging the mode of consumption, and harvesting the takeaways for application.

Reading a business book is an exercise in efficiency, not literary aesthetics. You’re trying to maximize the return on time invested. For the executive, time allocation is as important as capital allocation. So, in approaching any business book, there are two goals: First, determining if the book can help you do your job; second, figuring out the quickest way to extract that value. In writing several business books — and reading more than I can count — I’ve found that, for books worth reading, the process consists of three steps: compression, absorption, and application.

By Timothy R. Clark via Harvard Business Review

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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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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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Experiência de um curto período sabático na Universidade de Columbia em Nova York

Por sugestão de colegas da Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce N.Y. repasso aos demais membros minha visão sobre as vantagens que tal período pode proporcionar a uma Empresa que busque preparar seus executivos para uma boa entrada na arena internacional de negócios. Trata-se de meu estágio como “Visiting Scholar” no “Center on Global Economic Governance” da “School of International and Public Affairs” na “Columbia University N.Y” no período 2019-2020.

https://cgeg.sipa.columbia.edu/

Esclareço que não tenho qualquer interesse em tal atitude, apenas o de evitar um desperdício de oportunidade aos colegas da Câmara em não passar vantagens dessa experiência.

A Escola de Assuntos Públicos e Internacionais – School of International and Public Affairs – da Universidade de Columbia em Nova York, através de seus seminários, palestras e cursos de curta duração, pode proporcionar a um(a) executivo(a) na iminência de entrar para a Alta Administração de sua Empresa com escopo Internacional, a tranquilidade de palestrar e negociar em meio a aspectos sensíveis como geopolíticos, étnicos, psicossociais e legais.

A abordagem técnica, mas cuidadosa, quase diplomática, nas primeiras tratativas com ministros de países, CEOs, em ocasiões frequentes em Congressos, Missões Empresariais etc., podem facilitar desdobramentos que concretizem negócios lucrativos para a Empresa. A par dos conhecimentos e experiencia intrínseca do(a) executivo(a), inclusive simpatia, senso de humor etc., há que se agregar um conhecimento dos condicionantes político-socioideológicos que permeiam as tratativas.

O Centro de Governança Econômica Global – Center on Global Economic Governance – CGEG – proporciona tal aprimoramento, via conexão adicional com outros centros da SIPA como de América Latina, Eurásia, África, Energia, além da Law School e da Business School, vizinhas dentro do Campus, com palestras e seminários de alto nível por professores muitos detentores de Prêmios Nobel.

Esta “imersão” consiste num período sabático de 6 a 12 meses, orientado pelo CGEG ou outra fonte, ficando o(a) interessado(a) livre para se inscrever em palestras, cursos, seminários de acordo com sua estratégia de desenvolvimento. Não há controle de frequência, podendo o(a) interessado(a), subsidiariamente, cuidar de assuntos de sua empresa.

O credenciamento formal à Universidade possibilita também um avançado curso de Inglês no Teacher’s College, no campus, acesso às bibliotecas, computadores etc., bem como uma série de sugestões de ambientação a um(a) eventual acompanhante, incluindo conexões com diversas atividades culturais em Nova York.

Há uma taxa a ser paga à Universidade, sendo a manutenção e hospedagem em NYC por conta do(a) interessado(a).

O colega da Câmara ou outro indicado pode obter informações diretamente no site acima ou contatar-me.

Fernando Cariola Travassos
+5521 99101 0900
fernando.travassos@yahoo.com

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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Brazilian state-controlled lender Banco do Brasil SA (BBAS3.SA) on Monday reported a 29% leap in first-quarter net profit compared with a year ago, boosted by double-digit growth in the value of its loan book.

Banco do Brasil’s adjusted net income reached 8.55 billion reais ($1.71 billion) during the first three months of this year, while analysts polled by Refinitiv expected 8.69 billion reais.

The lender said the results were helped by the performance of its credit portfolio, “which reflects an adequate mix of risk against return.”

By Peter Frontini via Reuters

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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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The Group of Seven rich countries needs a stronger pitch to non-aligned nations. A strategy based on peace, prosperity and protecting the planet could work. It would certainly be more effective than delivering lectures on democracy.

Leaders of the world’s rich democracies, who gather later this week in Hiroshima, already have a lot on their plate dealing with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, higher inflation, and the rising challenge from China. Nevertheless Japan, which is hosting the summit, has made “outreach to the global South” one of the gathering’s two priorities along with “upholding the international order based on the rule of law”. This makes sense, partly because the topics are linked.

Many developing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America have largely stayed on the sidelines during the Ukraine war, even if they initially condemned Russia’s invasion. They are unlikely to impose sanctions on China following an invasion of Taiwan, let alone join any military action to defend the island. But if more developing countries spoke up to condemn violations of international law, the People’s Republic might be more reluctant to contemplate aggression against Taipei.

By Hugo Dixon via Reuters

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Wed, May 17, 2023 9:00 AM BRT (8:00 AM ET)

Programação:

09:00 – 09:10 Abertura/Publicações/Pesquisa
09:10 – 09:20 Palestrante: Catarina Costa
09:20 – 09:50 Palestrante: Fabricio Abbade
09:50 – 10:20 Palestrante: Alvaro Pereira
10:20 – 10:50 Palestrante: Fabio Niccheri
10:50 – 11:00 Perguntas e Respostas (Q&A)
11:00 – 11:15 Prova de Conhecimentos/Encerramento

Speakers:

Carina Costa, PwC Brasil
Alvaro Pereira, PwC Brasil
Fabio Niccheri, PwC Brasil
Fabricio Abbade, PwC Brasil
Rodrigo Guilhen, PwC Brasil
Kieran McManus, PwC Brasil

REGISTER HERE

Laser-based optical frequency combs, originally developed to time atomic clocks, can also perform fast, noninvasive tests for COVID—and potentially other diseases as well

Astronomers and physicists have long used a laser-based sensor called an “optical frequency comb” to study the material makeup of the cosmos and to make timekeeping more accurate. But the COVID pandemic has pushed this versatile tool from the world of space and physics into health care.

By Starre Vartan via Scientific American

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U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Thursday urged Congress to raise the $31.4 trillion federal debt limit and avert an unprecedented default that would trigger a global economic downturn and risk undermining U.S. global economic leadership.

Yellen issued the latest in a series of increasingly stark warnings in remarks prepared for a press conference ahead of a meeting in Japan with her counterparts from the Group of Seven (G7) rich nations, as well as India, Indonesia and Brazil.

By Andrea Shalal via Reuters

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U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen highlighted the fight against climate change and other goals shared by the United States and Brazil, in a meeting with Brazilian Finance Minister Fernando Haddad in Japan on Thursday.

Japan, chairing the Group of Seven advanced economies this year, invited Brazil to take part in this week’s meeting of G7 finance ministers and central bankers, along with India, Indonesia and the African Union. Brazil will lead the Group of 20 major economies next year.

Yellen welcomed Brazil’s participation, saying the U.S. and Brazil, the largest democracies in the Americas, stood united in upholding their democratic values at home and abroad.

By Andrea Shalal via Reuters

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Disagreements don’t have to be destructive. They can be opportunities to come up with better ideas. But handling conversations with someone with a conflicting point of view is far from easy. Three strategies, which the authors identified in their research, can help.

From whether to embrace hybrid work to whether to introduce quotas for women or minorities at various levels in the organization, executive leadership teams across different companies we advise have been talking through polarizing issues. In many of those discussions, leaders often engaged in heated arguments with one another that were not that productive. As a result, they left the meetings feeling hurt and dissatisfied.

By Hanne K. Collins, Charles A. Dorison, Francesca Gino, and Julia A. Minson via Harvard Business Review

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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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Celebrities and athletes have increasingly been speaking out about their mental health over the last several years, but organizational leaders have only just started. To fully catalyze societal change and normalize mental health challenges and seeking support, workplaces must also play a part. When leaders of all levels share their personal stories, it reduces stigma and normalizes the ups and downs of being human — especially as a high-performing professional. This type of role-modeling positions vulnerability as a strength instead of a weakness and shows it’s possible to succeed and thrive with a mental health challenge. The author presents best practices for how to tell your leader ally story — and why it matters.

More than a decade ago when I had to take a leave of absence due to generalized anxiety disorder and depression, I thought my career was over. I was struggling — drowning in shame, self-stigma, and fear of professional repercussions as I did my best to hide what was happening. What would have given me hope was knowing other leaders had successfully navigated mental health challenges.

By Kelly Greenwood via Harvard Business Review

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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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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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A Vodafone, segunda maior empresa de telefonia móvel do mundo, iniciou, há alguns anos, um projeto para mapear melhor sua área de cobertura no Reino Unido. Hoje, o que começou como um mapa melhor se transformou em uma duplicata exata da rede física da Vodafone dentro de seus próprios computadores. É uma versão completa e continuamente atualizada de sua infraestrutura no Reino Unido – um gêmeo digital. Com ele, as decisões de negócio da Vodafone passam a ser mais rápidas, com informação muito mais detalhadas e também com uma noção do que pode acontecer no futuro.

O gêmeo digital é um nome modesto para uma tecnologia que, na prática, pode parecer algo saído da ficção científica. É uma forma de fundir o mundo físico – uma rede de cadeia de suprimentos, a rede de ônibus da cidade de Nova York, um porto internacional – com o mundo digital. Não só permite operações mais eficientes e transparentes. Isso nos permite fazer e responder perguntas que seriam difíceis de resolver de outra forma.

By Kathleen Kewley via Forbes Brasil

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British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Friday announced his country will contribute to the Amazon Fund, a major development for Brazil as the South American nation tries to garner more donors to the initiative aimed at fighting deforestation.

Sunak’s pledge in a meeting with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva at 10 Downing Street follows a similar commitment by U.S. President Joe Biden earlier this year, with them joining previous donors Norway and Germany.

“There are so many interests we have in common,” Sunak told Lula at the meeting, mentioning higher trade and the fight against climate change. “I’m delighted to announce we will be investing in your Amazon Fund and I pay tribute to your leadership in this initiative”.

Via Reuters

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Businesses are bound to make mistakes and disappoint their customers. But how you build your apology message and your careful attention to executing it appropriately can make the difference between losing those customers or increasing their loyalty. When delivered well, your apology message can improve the customer relationship to the point where it is stronger than if the mistake had never happened — a phenomenon known as the service recovery paradox. In this article, the author outlines five steps for writing an effective apology message, and explains why it’s important to share the apology process internally and with external stakeholders. It not only shows vulnerability from the organization, but also shows other customers that the company can be relied upon in times of distress.

A tired employee is updating shipping orders late at night at a textbook brokerage. They make a mistake in the code and accidentally ship outdated management textbooks to an important customer. Three days later, classes have begun, and with demanding course loads, the students already feel behind. Many are seeking immediate replacements. Cue the angry phone calls and emails.

By Tim Riesterer via Harvard Business Review

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It marks a shift to long-term measures to handle the coronavirus

COVID-19 is no longer a global public health emergency, the World Health Organization announced May 5.

The organization pointed to two factors: Dropping COVID-19-related deaths and hospitalizations, and high levels of immunity to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, from vaccination or prior infection. While the pandemic is not over, those trends signal that it’s time to transition to more long-term prevention and control of the disease, WHO said in a statement.

By McKenzie Prillaman via Science News

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Addressing the tension between cost efficiency and customer intimacy is important for companies of any size, but it’s especially important for midsized companies, particularly those upper-middle-market companies with ambitions to rise to the top of their industry. In many cases, they built their brand, and their differentiation from the big guys, on the idea of personalization — of being closer to their customers than their multinational rivals can be — while also offering more sophistication, a broader offering, and more underlying service capability than small businesses can. Herein lies the core challenge: to grow, they need to build customer capabilities that are scalable, but if they do that at the expense of proactive connection with customers, they will lose their identity and a big piece of their competitive edge

The last few years have brought disruption after disruption to bear on the ways companies and customers interact. Arguably, the company-to-customer connection has been more disrupted than supply chains or operations, and more affected by disruptors like Covid and technology than any other key relationship. Think of the rise of e-commerce — which hockey-sticked during the pandemic; or the sudden (or seemingly sudden) ubiquitousness of self-checkout kiosks at grocery stores and pharmacies; or the ever-greater prevalence of voice response systems, to which you must listen closely because the “menu options have changed.” Or, recall the Covid-19 shutdowns and subsequent bounce-back, which altered everything from how diners eat to how sales reps call on B2B customers.

By Jason McDannold and Saurabh Singh via Harvard Business Review

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A fresh push for bipartisan immigration reforms, coupled with enhanced border security, is emerging in the U.S. Congress, as thousands of migrants amass across the border in Mexico with the end of Title 42 controls next week.

It has been 37 years since Congress passed significant immigration reform, but a persistently high volume of migrants and an acute labor shortage have galvanized lawmakers. At the same time, many Republicans cite the flow of illegal drugs into the United States through ports of entry as reason to harden border areas.

The Republican-controlled House of Representatives plans to pass a package of border security measures next week to place tougher constraints on immigrant asylum-seekers, resume construction of a wall along the southwest border with Mexico and expand federal law enforcement.

By Richard Cowan via Reuters

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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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O setor farmacêutico está em constante transformação e enfrenta novos desafios cibernéticos à medida que surgem novas tecnologias e processos digitais orientados por dados e robotização. O que está em jogo são as pesquisas sobre tratamentos que salvam vidas, patentes, inovação de ponta e propriedade intelectual.

A pandemia de covid-19 impactou a área acelerando a digitização do local de trabalho. Com essa disrupção, vários cibercriminosos aproveitaram o momento para realizar atividades de espionagem e obter ganhos financeiros.

Também cresceu a dependência de fornecedores terceirizados; a adoção da digitização e de tecnologias industriais da Internet das Coisas (IoT, na sigla em inglês); e a transição para ambientes híbridos e “multinuvem”. Essa evolução gerou uma lista crescente de preocupações cibernéticas, como ataques à cadeia de suprimentos, violações de terceiros e configurações incorretas que levam a vazamentos de dados.

Via PwC

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Regulators seized First Republic (FRC) early on Monday and sold the bulk of the bank’s operations to JPMorgan Chase (JPM) in the largest bank failure since the 2008 financial crisis.

JPMorgan, the nation’s largest bank, agreed to assume $173 billion in assets, $30 billion in securities and all of First Republic’s $92 billion in deposits. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation sweetened the deal by agreeing to share losses on certain residential and commercial loans, giving JPMorgan some protection if the assets go bad.

The fall of the $229 billion First Republic makes it the biggest casualty yet of the banking system turmoil that began in March, larger than either Silicon Valley Bank or Signature Bank. Seattle’s Washington Mutual, which went under with $307 billion in assets in September 2008, is still the largest bank failure in US history.

By David Hollerith via Yahoo Finance

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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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As societal expectations grow for the responsible use of digital technologies, firms that promote better practices will have a distinct advantage. Strengthening your organization’s digital responsibility can drive value creation, and brands regarded as more responsible will enjoy higher levels of stakeholder trust and loyalty. These businesses will sell more products and services, find it easier to recruit staff, and enjoy fruitful relationships with shareholders. Based on their ongoing research into digital transformations and in-depth studies of 12 large European firms who are active in digital responsibility, they share four best practices around digital responsibility to maximize business value and minimize resistance.

In 2018, Rick Smith, founder and CEO of Axon, the Scottsdale, Arizona-based manufacturer of Taser weapons and body cameras, became concerned that advances in technology were creating new and challenging ethical issues. So, he set up an independent AI ethics board made up of ethicists, AI experts, public policy specialists, and representatives of law enforcement to provide recommendations to Axon’s management. In 2019, the board recommended against adding facial recognition technology to the company’s line of body cameras, and in 2020, it provided guidelines regarding the use of automated license plate recognition technology. Axon’s management followed both recommendations.

by Tomoko Yokoi, Lazaros Goutas, Michael Wade, Nicolas Zahn, and Niniane Paeffgen via Harvard Business Review

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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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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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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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A new study conducted by finance professors from the University of Florida shows the potential value of ChatGPT in predicting stock market movements.

In the study, over 50,000 news headlines about companies dating back to October 2021 were fed to the chatbot, which evaluated whether the news was good, bad or irrelevant to the company’s stock prices. Using sentiment analysis, the chatbot generated a “ChatGPT score,” which was then analyzed to determine whether it was predictive of the companies’ stock market performance the following day.

The study found a significant positive correlation between the ChatGPT scores and the next-day stock performance for the analyzed companies. Companies with higher scores tended to have better returns than those with lower scores. ChatGPT outperformed traditional sentiment analysis methods that also used data from headlines and social media to predict stock movements.

By Jeannine Mancini via Yahoo! Finance

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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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In turbulent times like these, it’s natural for people to hold back and avoid taking risks at work. This can mean a reluctance to report mistakes, ask questions, offer new ideas, or challenge a plan. People, whether they’re aware of it or not, try to protect their reputations and jobs. Unfortunately, the same behaviors that feel risky to individual employees are precisely what their companies need in order to thrive in this uncertain economic climate. To solve this dilemma, we encourage leaders to adopt a “winning formula” for achieving a more psychologically safe workplace and the benefits it provides.

The World Uncertainty Index remains high. Bank failures, war, inflation, and layoffs are contributing to a growing sense of instability and unease. As an HR manager at a technology firm told us, “Just seeing your team decrease from 35 to 18 can be very scary; it brings forth strong anxiety and worry over your job.”

By Constance Noonan Hadley, Mark Mortensen, and Amy C. Edmondson via Harvard Business Review

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A Humane utiliza inteligência artificial (IA) e holografia para fazer com que qualquer superfície vire a interface de um dispositivo eletrônico

Assim como na ficção científica, é muito provável que, em algum tempo, aparelhos eletrônicos como smartphones possam ficar obsoletos. Pelo menos é o que propõe a startup Humane. Na semana passada, durante um TED, o fundador e CEO Imran Chaudhri mostrou como funciona sua principal tecnologia que mescla inteligência artificial e holografia para projetar informações em várias superfícies, o que inclui até mesmo a pele humana.

A tecnologia é ativada por voz e gestos. Na demonstração, Imran atende uma chamada projetada em sua mão, também testa funcionalidades como tradução. Outra aplicação da tecnologia é mapear os elementos de um alimento. Imran a apontou para uma barra de chocolate e o sistema identificou que o alimento possui, por exemplo, leite e manteiga de cacau, o que pode ser útil para quem é intolerante, por exemplo.

Via Forbes Brasil

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President Joe Biden launched a reelection bid like none before it on Tuesday with a call for Americans to choose him again to save democracy – less than three years after his defeat of Donald Trump was supposed to restore normality and unite the country.

Biden’s quest for a second term will unfold amid what would normally be deeply unpromising circumstances, with his approval rating languishing in the low 40s, with the country exhausted by successive crises after pandemic isolation ceded to a battle with soaring inflation. Polls show that a majority of voters – and even a majority of Democrats – don’t want him to run again. And the last thing the country appears to want is a Biden rematch with the 45th president, who’s the current frontrunner in the nascent Republican primary race.

By Stephen Collinson via CNN

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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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Cybercriminals pull off many of their crimes by combining lots of real information with just a tiny bit of misinformation, which can be financially devastating for both companies and individuals. This article describes some recent examples of this technique, which include exploiting wire transfers, stealing paychecks, and tricking employees into helping “the boss.” It’s important to continually learn about such new schemes so that you know what to look for and how to prepare your defenses. While there are things that can be done to eliminate or at least dramatically reduce such crimes, procedures and precautions need to be put in place now, not after a crime has already taken place — especially as cybercriminals themselves get more and more creative.

Misinformation is frequently mentioned in the media, usually in the context of politics and viewed synonymously with fake news. Although these are serious issues, a bigger and more personal danger is often overlooked: How cyber criminals use misinformation to steal from companies and individuals.

By Stuart Madnick via Harvard Business Review

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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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President Joe Biden announced plans to increase U.S. funding to help developing countries fight climate change and curb deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest during a meeting on Thursday with leaders from the world’s largest economies.

During a virtual meeting of the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate, Biden urged his counterparts to be ambitious in setting goals to reduce emissions and meet a target of limiting overall global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

“We’re at a moment of great peril but also great possibilities, serious possibilities. With the right commitment and follow-through from every nation … on this call, the goal of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees can stay within reach,” Biden said.

By Jeff Mason via Reuters

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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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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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With the firm’s partner count now rising to 140, the new partners are established in areas with good prospects for growth and are set to strengthen the firm’s full-service model

Mattos Filho has announced that eight senior associates have been promoted to partnership. The new partners work across twelve of the firm’s legal areas: Agribusiness Law, Antitrust, Education, ESG, Finance, Capital Markets, Corporate/M&A, Infrastructure & Energy, Administrative Law, Labor & Employment, Executive Compensation and Tax.

The promotion of these professionals comes in consideration of emerging market trends and is in line with the firm’s long-term vision and strategy for growth. It also reflects Mattos Filho’s commitment to developing and creating opportunities for its professional talent.

Via Mattos Filho

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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

In 2023, company leaders will have to address new regulations and laws in three areas — noncompete clauses, pay transparency, and human capital disclosures — that have far-reaching implications that company leaders may not have fully grasped. How these changes will play out is far from clear, but the time to start thinking about them is now. The author presents several ways to view the coming changes as an opportunity to think deeply about their talent strategy and turn these regulatory developments to their advantage.

While layoffs in Silicon Valley and elsewhere dominate headlines, the reality is that many companies today still find themselves in a fierce war for talent. A spate of new laws and regulations — many of which are intended to make the workplace fairer for employees — may make the situation even more challenging for employers.

By Charles G. Tharp via Harvard Business Review

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EU lawmakers urged world leaders on Monday to hold a summit to find ways to control the development of advanced artificial intelligence (AI) systems such as ChatGPT, saying they were developing faster than expected.

The 12 MEPs, all working on EU legislation on the technology, called on U.S. President Joe Biden and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to convene the meeting, and said AI firms should be more responsible.

The statement came weeks after Twitter owner Elon Musk and more than 1,000 technology figures demanded a six-month pause in the development of systems more powerful than Microsoft-backed (MSFT.O) OpenAI’s latest iteration of ChatGPT, which can mimic humans and create text and images based on prompts.

By Martin Coulter and Supantha Mukherjee via Reuters

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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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In March 2023, the Biden administration released a new National Cybersecurity Strategy, which makes it clear that the time for private companies voluntarily opting into cybersecurity has long passed. Instead, the new strategy promises to support new regulatory frameworks that will shift liability and create incentives for private firms to defend against critical vulnerabilities. This article discusses three concrete things business leaders should know about the new strategy. First, every company will need to identify their distinct vulnerabilities and risks. Second, companies will then need to adopt measures that address those vulnerabilities. Third, the strategy categorically states that it will push for legislation to hold these firms liable when they fail to live up to the duty of care they owe consumers, businesses, or critical infrastructure providers.

On March 2, 2023, the Biden administration released its long-awaited National Cybersecurity Strategy. In light of cyberattacks targeting American infrastructure, business, and governmental agencies, the document elevates cybersecurity as a critical component of the United States’ economic prosperity and national security. It also intimates a fundamental dilemma, which is that the private sector — with key stakeholders consisting of software firms, small- and medium-sized businesses, broadband providers, and utility companies — holds the key to the public good of cybersecurity:

By Sarah Kreps and Amelia C. Arsenault via Harvard Business Review

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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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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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Embora estudos mostrem que investidoras têm desempenho mais consistente ao investir, elas são só 16,2% dos investidores de venture capital

Quando as mulheres fazem parte das decisões financeiras de seus lares, empresas, fundos de investimento ou governos, o dinheiro é administrado de forma mais eficaz e eficiente. Os investimentos geridos por mulheres têm uma taxa de retorno mais elevada.

Investir não é um jogo no qual uma pessoa perde e outra ganha. Ao expandir quem está envolvido nas decisões e, quem está inovando, cria mais empregos, aumenta a competitividade e faz crescer a economia.

By Geri Stengel via Brasil Forbes

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Inconsistências na fiscalização e na metodologia podem levar à geração de “créditos podres”, um dos grandes desafios do mercado

Desde o início de uma discussão mais contundente sobre a importância de as empresas adotarem medidas rumo à descarbonização, o mercado de créditos de carbono tem crescido exponencialmente. Essa medida começou a ganhar corpo desde a assinatura do Acordo de Paris, tratado internacional sobre mudanças climáticas, adotado em 2015, que prevê a redução das emissões de gases de efeito estufa limitando o aumento da temperatura global a níveis bem abaixo de 2 graus celsius em relação aos níveis pré-industriais. Além disso, foi potencializada recentemente com a pandemia da covid-19 que trouxe à tona a importância crucial de implementação de ações mais objetivas sobre o desenvolvimento sustentável.

Complementarmente às ações e aos esforços para reduções de emissões de gases de efeito estufa, o mecanismo de créditos é considerado parte fundamental na jornada de descarbonização que o mundo tanto almeja. Nesse cenário, o Brasil tem um papel de protagonista.

By Nelmara Arbex e Felipe Salgado via Exame

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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 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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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 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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UBS Group AG (UBS) will leapfrog JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPS) to become Latin America’s biggest wealth manager through its acquisition of Credit Suisse Group AG.

With about $150 billion in wealth under management from clients from the region, UBS will take the top spot after adding Credit Suisse’s $80 billion total. according to people familiar with the matter. who asked not to be identified discussing non-public data. JPMorgan manages about $180 billion. ltau Unibanco Holding SA (ITUB4) will keep its No. 3 position. with $140 billion in assets.

Credit Suisse has a larger presence than UBS in Brazil’s local private-banking market, including loans to wealthy Brazilians, while UBS has a multifamily-office model. UBS has booking centers in the US, including in cities preferred by Latin American clients. including Miami, New York and Houston – a presence Credit Suisse lacks.

By Cristiane Lucchesi via Bloomberg Línea

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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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This Littler Lightbulb highlights some of the more significant employment and labor law developments at the U.S. Supreme Court and federal courts of appeal over the last month.

At the Supreme Court

  • Out-of-State Plaintiffs in FLSA Collective Actions. On March 6, 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court denied a petition to review Fischer v. Federal Express Corp., 42 F.4th 366 (2022), an FLSA collective action in which the Third Circuit upheld the district court’s refusal to allow individuals who worked for the defendant outside the forum state to opt in to the lawsuit. In so doing, the Court declined to settle the circuit split on whether its decision in Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. v. Superior Court of Cal., 137 S. Ct. 1773 (2017), a product liability action in which the Court limited the scope of federal court jurisdiction over out-of-state claims, applies to collective actions under the FLSA.

By Mark A. Flores via Littler News

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Partnering with a brand outside your industry can be a great, win-win way to create new value. But what does it take to select the right partner? The authors share new research suggesting that social media data can be a useful tool to identify high-potential brand partners, as well as to gain insight into both your own customer base and that of your competitors. Specifically, brands that share a high number of social media followers often go well together in consumers’ minds, increasing the chances of success if they choose to collaborate. Of course, this approach has its limitations, and must be complemented by a comprehensive analysis of the risks and benefits of a potential partnership. But when thoughtfully implemented, analysis of social media co-followership patterns can be a quick and inexpensive way to identify non-obvious alliances whose potential might otherwise be difficult to anticipate.

In 2014, Uber and Spotify launched an innovative cross-industry collaboration: Though ride sharing and music streaming may seem like unrelated businesses, the partnership — in which Uber riders could use Spotify to wirelessly control the music being played — benefited both brands, allowing them to cross-promote and access new markets without either party having to develop costly new technologies internally. Similarly creative examples of cross-category collaborations include Disney and MAC Cosmetics’ Aladdin makeup collection, IKEA and LEGO’s storage solutions for kids, and Red Bull and GoPro’s joint promotional campaigns.

By Pankhuri Malhotra, Siddhartha Bhattacharyya, and Mark C. Bolino via Harvard Business Review

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In this How to Do Business in the Americas podcast series episode, Littler Shareholders Courtney Wilson and Juan Carlos Varela discuss the practical implications of employment contracts in the Americas and their interaction with non-compete agreements and confidentiality clauses. In this podcast, Courtney gives the audience a summary of the common misconceptions employers have when structuring their employment agreements. Juan Carlos and Courtney then offer practical recommendations.

By Juan Carlos Varela and Courtney B. Wilson via Littler

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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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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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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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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

Companies researching AI are “locked in an out-of-control race to develop and deploy ever more powerful digital minds that no one — not even their creators — can understand, predict, or reliably control,” the letter says.

A group of technology industry executives and academics have signed an open letter calling for at least a six-month pause on large, open experiments with artificial intelligence.

Companies researching AI are “locked in an out-of-control race to develop and deploy ever more powerful digital minds that no one — not even their creators — can understand, predict, or reliably control,” the letter reads. “If such a pause cannot be enacted quickly, governments should step in and institute a moratorium.”

The letter warns of potentially apocalyptic scenarios.

By Kevin Collier via NBC News

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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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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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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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Creativity is vital for innovation, but many organizational leaders don’t know how to tap it among their employees. Instead, they shower them with meetings and whiteboard sessions that go nowhere. Instead, the authors recommend finding new ways to give your employees the time and space they need to generate new ideas. Their five strategies include generating lots of ideas (including bad ones), creating a space for failure, blocking off unscheduled calendar time, focusing on problem-finding, and delaying decisions.

For all the hype around innovation and creativity — one recent survey of 1,500 CEOs pegged creativity as the top skill for business leaders – these muscles remain some of the most underdeveloped in organizations. Even with the best innovation strategy in place, companies can’t develop new ideas and products until their teams become more creative. And the reason teams aren’t creative is because leaders have failed to understand how creativity really works.

By Jeremy Utley and Perry Klebahn via Harvard Business Review

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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

Average potential global economic growth will slump to a three-decade low of 2.2% per year through 2030, ushering in a “lost decade” for the world’s economy, unless policymakers adopt ambitious initiatives to boost labor supply, productivity and investment, the World Bank warned on Monday.

Failure to reverse the expected broad-based slowdown in potential gross domestic product (GDP) growth would have profound implications for the world’s ability to tackle climate change and reduce poverty, it said in a new report.

But concerted efforts to boost investment in sustainable sectors, cut trade costs, leverage growth in services, and expand labor force participation could boost potential GDP growth by up to 0.7 percentage point to 2.9%, the report said.

By Andrea Shalal via Reuters

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Wed, Mar 29, 2023 9:00 AM BRT (8:00 AM ET)

Programação:

09:00 – 09:20 Abertura/Pesquisa inicial
09:20 – 09:40 Palestrante: Graziela Batista
09:40 – 10:00 Palestrante: Sarah Maia
10:00 – 10:10 Palestrante: Raquel Ramos
10:10 – 10:40 Palestrantes: Mariana Moraes/Christiano Santos
10:40 – 11:00 Perguntas e Respostas (Q&A)
11:00 – 11:15 Prova de Conhecimento/Encerramento

Speakers:

Raquel Ramos , PwC BR
Sarah Maia, PwC BR
Graziela Batista, PwC BR
Mariana Moraes, PwC BR
Christiano Santos, PwC BR
Kieran McManus, PwC BR

Citigroup Inc (C.N) CEO Jane Fraser on Wednesday expressed confidence in U.S. banks after a series of closures rattled investors and fueled turmoil in global financial markets.

“The banking system is pretty sound,” and large and regional banks are well-capitalized, Fraser told the Economic Club of Washington D.C. on Wednesday.

“This is not a credit crisis. This is a situation where it’s a few banks that have some problems, and it’s better to make sure that we nip that in the bud,” she said.

By Lananh Nguyen and Saeed Azhar via Reuters

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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’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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Stock markets around the world have bounced back after the US and UK governments again reassured markets about banks’ stability.

Investors have recently been unnerved by a string of bank failures.

But US stock markets were higher after Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen signalled the US government would protect people’s deposits if another bank collapsed.

In the UK, the FTSE closed 1.79% higher after gains in top bank shares.

UK reassurance

Meanwhile, in the UK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt told MPs that the UK’s financial system is “fundamentally strong” after facing questions from Labour’s shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves.

Ms Reeves asked whether the system is “adequate to protect taxpayers and depositors” and if the government can be confident that no other UK banks are vulnerable to failure after Silicon Valley Bank UK’s collapse.

Via BBC News

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U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told bankers on Tuesday that she is prepared to intervene to protect depositors in smaller U.S. banks suffering deposit runs that threaten more contagion amid the worst financial system turmoil in more than a decade.

In a speech aimed at calming nerves rattled by two prominent bank failures this month, Yellen said that the U.S. banking system was stabilizing and steps taken to guarantee deposits in those institutions, showed a “resolute commitment” to ensure depositors’ savings and banks remain safe.

“The steps we took were not focused on aiding specific banks or classes of banks. Our intervention was necessary to protect the broader U.S. banking system,” Yellen told an American Bankers Association conference in Washington.

By David Lawder via Reuters

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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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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 EngelJonathan Whittle and Michel Zaidler via Observer

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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 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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B2B sellers often think of customers as rational decision-makers who seek to maximize value, reduce costs, and save time. But a study of 2,128 office workers across the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, and Italy found that B2B customers prefer interactions that fuel their psychological needs — even if they require more time or cost more money. Viewing customer service through the prism of the three core psychological needs — autonomy, relatedness, and mastery — opens up a wealth of opportunities for elevating service

Researchers have long understood that all humans, regardless of gender, age, and culture, are fueled by three psychological needs: an ingrained desire for choice (autonomy), connection with others (relatedness), and experiences that grow their skills (mastery).

While the universality of psychological needs is well established, they have largely been ignored as a tool for growing consumer loyalty and reducing churn. Recently, my team at ignite80, in collaboration with the customer communication platform, Front, surveyed 2,128 office workers across the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, and Italy whose role involved working with B2B companies.

By Ron Friedman via Harvard Business Review

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Markets in Europe and Asia rebounded Friday after First Republic Bank was rescued by a group of major US lenders, easing worries about the current banking turmoil.

“Some optimism has returned to markets over the last 24 hours, with bank stocks stabilizing on both sides of the Atlantic,” Deutsche Bank analysts said in a note Friday.

First Republic Bank (FRC) is set to receive a $30 billion lifeline from a group of America’s largest banks, including JPMorgan Chase (JPM), Bank of America (BAC), Wells Fargo (CBEAX), Citigroup (C) and Truist (TFC).

By  and , via CNN

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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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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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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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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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HSBC (HSBA.L) bought the UK arm of Silicon Valley Bank for a symbolic one pound on Monday, rescuing a key lender for technology start-ups in Britain, as the biggest bank collapse since the financial crash continued to roil markets.

The deal, which sees one of the world’s biggest banks, with $2.9 trillion of assets, take the doomed British arm of the tech lender under its wing, brought to an end frantic weekend talks between the government, regulators, and prospective buyers.

It came after U.S. authorities moved on Sunday to shore up deposits and try to stem any wider contagion from the sudden collapse of its parent Silicon Valley Bank (SIVB.O).

By Iain WIthers and William Schomberg

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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.

 

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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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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President Joe Biden on Monday underscored that the American banking system remains safe, laying out how his administration is taking action to contain Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse.

“Americans can rest assured that our banking system is safe. Your deposits are safe,” Biden said from the Roosevelt Room. “Let me also assure you we will not stop at this. We will do whatever is needed on top of all this.”

Biden used his speech – which was only announced Sunday night – to allay fears, directly explaining what he has instructed his administration to do to protect small businesses and workers in the wake of a regulator shutdowns of both Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank over the last few days. These actions include backstopping depositors’ funds, making sure taxpayers are not on the hook for these moves, holding those responsible accountable and declining to extend relief to investors of Silicon Valley Bank.

The president said affected customers can “rest assured” that they will have access to their money on Monday.

By By MJ Lee, Phil Mattingly, Maegan Vazquez and Allie Malloy via CNN

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Os serviços financeiros perdem cerca de US$ 700 bilhões (R$ 3,6 trilhões) por não atenderem às necessidades do público feminino

As fintechs lideradas por mulheres estão abrindo caminho para que outras mulheres em todo o mundo obtenham acesso a serviços financeiros, permitindo que elas assumam o controle de suas decisões relacionadas ao dinheiro e ao bem-estar com uma confiança inédita.

As mulheres são, historicamente, sub-representadas nas finanças. De acordo com a pesquisa realizada pela Oliver Wyman, os serviços financeiros tradicionais estão perdendo uma receita de pelo menos US$ 700 bilhões (R$ 3,6 bilhões) ao ano por não atenderem as necessidades das clientes do sexo feminino.

Desta forma, fundadoras de diversas origens e com diferentes experiências de vida são ideais para criar soluções projetadas especificamente para atender às necessidades das usuárias. Asssim, as iniciativas criam uma base de usuários do sexo feminino e ajudam a preencher as lacunas de igualdade de gênero.

By Nicole Casperson via Forbes Brasil

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Although the business community has made progress toward climate goals since the 2015 Paris Agreement, fewer than one-fifth of net-zero targets set by national and subnational governments and only a third of the largest public corporations with net-zero targets actually meet science-aligned criteria. Further, anti-climate lobbying has had a disastrous effect on the planet and cost years in meaningful action. Inaction is not an option. Businesses committed to being on the right side of history must advocate for policies, regulations, and laws to achieve economy-wide systemic change at the pace and scale required to achieve climate targets. Based on their cross-organizational work at three B Corps, the authors identified five critical elements for advocacy strategies that will help businesses use their power and influence to push for the system change required to meet climate targets.

“We had our chance to make incremental changes, but that time is over. Only a root-and-branch transformation of our economies and societies can save us from accelerating climate disaster,” said Inger Andersen, executive director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). The data is clear: Global emissions are going up. Voluntary pledges to prevent new fossil fuel projects and curb devastating practices such as mass deforestation are failing to prevent the destruction of nature and rising global inequality.

by Sophie Dembinski, Charmian Love, and Beth Thoren via Harvard Business Review

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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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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’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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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’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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Nearly 200 countries have agreed to a legally-binding “high seas treaty” to protect marine life in international waters, which cover around half of the planet’s surface, but have long been essentially lawless.

The agreement was signed on Saturday evening after two weeks of negotiations at the United Nations headquarters in New York ended in a mammoth final session of more than 36 hours – but it has been two decades in the making.

The treaty provides legal tools to establish and manage marine protected areas – sanctuaries to protect the ocean’s biodiversity. It also covers environmental assessments to evaluate the potential damage of commercial activities, such as deep sea mining, before they start and a pledge by signatories to share ocean resources.

By 

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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 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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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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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

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

Ler artigo na íntegra

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 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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​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

Ver guia na íntegra

Profissionais:

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

 

 

Rubber tapper Raimundo Mendes de Barros prepares to leave his home, surrounded by rainforest, for an errand in the Brazilian Amazon city of Xapuri. He slides his long, scarred, 77-year-old feet into a pair of sneakers made by Veja, a French brand.

At first sight, the expensive, white-detailed urban tennis shoes seem at odds with the muddy tropical forest. But the distant worlds have converged to produce soles made from native Amazonian rubber.

Veja works with a local cooperative called Cooperacre, which has reenergized the production of a sustainable forest product and improved the lives of hundreds of rubber tapper families. It’s a project that, though modest in scale, provides a real-life example of living sustainably from the forest.“Veja and Cooperacre are doing an essential job for us who live in the forest. They are making young people come back. They have rekindled the hope of working with rubber,” Rogério Barros, Raimundo’s 24-year-old son, told The Associated Press as he demonstrated how to tap a rubber tree in the family’s grove in the Chico Mendes Extractive Reserve. Extractive reserves in Brazil are government-owned lands set aside for people to make a living while they keep the forest standing.

By Fabiano Maisonnave, Tatiana Pollastri, and Eraldo Peres via AP News

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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

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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New York, January 10, 2023

 

A Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce em Nova Iorque manifesta seu repúdio aos atos de vandalismo e ataques às instituições brasileiras ocorridos em Brasília. Em uma democracia não pode haver lugar para atos de violência e agressão à lei e ao Estado de Direito.

 

The Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce in New York condemns the acts of vandalism and attacks against Brazil’s institutions that took place in Brasília. In a democracy, there is no place for acts of violence and aggression against the rule of law.

 

Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce, Inc.

485 Madison Avenue (at 52nd Street), Suite 401
New York, NY 10022
Phone: (212) 751-4691

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

Ler artigo na íntegra.

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 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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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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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

Saiba mais

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 AffairsSebrae (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 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 articleAmLaw 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 (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

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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Mercado nacional já ultrapassa R$ 7 bilhões em receitas e, segundo a PwC, deve dobrar nos próximos cinco anos chegando a R$ 13 bilhões

O mercado brasileiro de games e e-sports movimentou, somente no ano passado, R$ 7 bilhões. Uma estimativa recente da PwC em sua Pesquisa Global de Entretenimento e Mídia apontou que o valor deve dobrar nos próximos cinco anos chegando a R$ 13 bilhões em 2026. A Newzoo, maior consultoria especializada nos números deste setor, aponta que, globalmente, o faturamento da indústria, que será de US$ 184,4 bi em 2022, chegará a US$ 211,2 bilhões em 2025.

A Newzoo também aponta que o Brasil é o terceiro país com maior audiência em jogos eletrônicos do mundo. O aquecimento do setor e a relevância dessa indústria refletem em negócios onde o Brasil tem protagonismo. O ano de 2022 foi um dos mais movimentados em termos de fusões, aquisições, investimentos e surgimentos de novas empresas especializadas em games e e-sports. Essa dinâmica se deu também pelo crescimento do interesse em tecnologias emergentes como NFT e outras associadas à Web3.

By Luiz Gustavo Pacete via Forbes

Leia artigo na íntegra

 

 

 

 

U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday invited Brazil’s president-elect, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, to visit the White House, which may happen after he takes office on Jan. 1.

U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan met with Lula in Brasilia for almost two hours and discussed strengthening democracy in the Americas, combating climate change and addressing the situation in Haiti and Venezuela.

Sullivan extended the invitation for Lula to visit Washington on behalf of Biden, the White House said in a statement.

“He congratulated the President-elect on his election victory and discussed the importance of keeping open channels of communication between the two countries during the transition,” the statement, which did not include a date for an upcoming visit, said.

Lula welcomed the invite on social media.

“I am excited to talk with President Biden and deepen the relationship between our countries,” he tweeted.

Reporting by Lisandra Paraguassu, Anthony Boadle and Gabriel Araujo in Brasilia Additional reporting by Katharine Jackson in Washington Editing by Sandra Maler and Matthew Lewis via Reuters

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Welcome to our 2022 Global Annual Review, ‘A Year of Solving Together.’

This is the story of how PwC’s global network of nearly 328,000 people – our community of solvers – managed the challenges and opportunities of the last 12 months and helped our clients and stakeholders navigate a successful path forward.

This year, the war in Ukraine, the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, rising inflation, an energy crisis, supply chain disruption and the pressing need to address climate change have combined to produce the most difficult set of global circumstances in my career. Managing such tough global challenges is possible only when we come together: when people with diverse skills combine forces to solve complex problems, and when business steps up to take responsibility for its impact on the society of which it is an inseparable part.

I’m so proud of the work that our talented community of solvers has delivered around the world this year to support our clients and to make positive contributions to the society we all share. I would like to thank each and every one of them for their hard work, enthusiasm and perseverance. Our people, and the wide range of skills and experiences they bring to work every day, are the engine of our success.

By Bob Moritz via PwC

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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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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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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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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

Jovens talentos: our redesigned internship program

Mattos Filho has recently redesigned its internship program, focusing exclusively on the personal and professional development of our interns. Jovens Talentos (Young Talents) marks the beginning of their professional careers, and the program will now further support the education of future attorneys.

We want to promote discussions and reflections on the internship model currently adopted in Brazil and, ultimately, on the legal career in law firms. New hires will be subject to these changes starting in 2023. Before rolling out the program, we would like to share the most important innovations with you:

•    We will reduce working hours (from 6 to 5), in a hybrid format;
•    We will grant our interns 15 days’ leave to prepare for the Brazilian Bar Association (OAB) examination;
•    Selected interns will take part in a committee with partners, created exclusively to oversee the program;
•    We will have exclusive vacancies for black students, students coming from public schools, families with an income of up to three minimum wages, and those participating in public educational incentive programs;
•    As the internship creates career expectations, we will inform interns in advance whether or not they will be hired as full-time professionals.
•    The last significant change is that hours incurred by interns will no longer be billed to our clients – precisely because they will be dedicated only to their development as students.

This new proposal will allow students to focus on activities and routines to develop technical and behavioral skills, in addition to their degree programs. It is time to think about how we are contributing to the academic development of our interns.

By the end of the program, we hope that our interns will have had the opportunity to enrich their training and understand how the various legal practices work, see the challenges and opportunities in the legal profession and develop the key values and skills for succeeding in their careers.

All this aligns with this specific phase in their lives: being students.

We know that the program will continue to evolve. We live in a challenging, dynamic environment where it is necessary to take steps to achieve a balance between performance and well-being. After all, they should go hand-in-hand. This is perhaps the greatest challenge for organizations today. This is Mattos Filho’s first step, but all positions within the firm will also receive our full attention, with new initiatives to monitor career development.

Finally, I want to take this opportunity to extend our respect and reinforce our commitment to you – our clients – and to thank you for your partnership.

Kind Regards,

Roberto Quiroga

Mattos Filho 

​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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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.

Learn more

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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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

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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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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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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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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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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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 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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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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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’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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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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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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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

“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.”

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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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

(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.

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

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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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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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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

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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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

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

New network security protocols imposed on generation and transmission companies by Brazil’s national grid operator ONS are fueling an already growing market of cybersecurity and data protection supplying the power sector.

“In the last three or four years, with the expansion of industry 4.0, companies in the electricity sector have been modernizing their structures, especially regarding automation. But there is still much to be done. And with the new ONS requirements, that demand has increased even more,” Mario Lopes, commercial and alliance director at cybersecurity solutions integrator Secureway, told BNamericas.

By Bnamericas.

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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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  • Deal would be company’s third-largest after Whole Foods, MGM
  • One Medical operates medical clinics in markets across the US

Amazon.com Inc. announced it would buy primary-care company One Medical for $18 a share, the latest move by the e-commerce giant to muscle into the healthcare market.

The all-cash transaction has an equity value of $3.49 billion.

One Medical, whose parent is called 1Life Healthcare Inc., operates 182 medical offices in 25 markets in the US. Customers pay a subscription fee for access to its physicians and round-the-clock digital health services.

“We think healthcare is high on the list of experiences that need reinvention,” said Neil Lindsay, the senior vice president leading Amazon’s healthcare push.

Amazon in recent years has launched an online drug store, following its acquisition of mail-order pharmacy PillPack Inc., and started a primary-care clinic for its employees and some other companies, among other health-focused initiatives. The One Medical deal would be Amazon’s third-biggest acquisition, trailing only its purchases of organic grocer Whole Foods Market and film studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

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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.

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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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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 

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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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 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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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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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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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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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, 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.

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!

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.

The EB-5 Regional Center Program, which was suspended since June 30, 2021, will restart. The U.S. Congress included in the government spending bill the authorization and reform of the EB-5 Regional Center Program, referred to as the “EB-5 Reform and Integrity Act”.

After nearly 8.5 months in lapse the EB-5 Regional Center Program may be authorized until September 30, 2027 – with the following significant changes, among others:

Investment Amounts

Investment amounts would increase to $800,000 in Targeted Employment Areas (TEA’s), geographic areas designated by the appropriate government authority as priority high-unemployment areas, and $1,050,000 in non-TEAs with investment amounts adjusted for inflation every five years starting January 1, 2027.

Concurrent Filing of EB-5 Petition and Application to Adjust Status

Investors in the United States will be able to concurrently file their EB-5 petitions along with their application for a “conditional” green card, which adjusts status from a “non-immigrant” to a conditional permanent resident if a visa is available.

“Grandfathering” Existing Investors

If Congress fails to authorize the EB-5 Regional Center Program after its expiration September 30, 2027, DHS shall continue to process petitions filed on or before September 30, 2026 – preventing a repeat of what has happened to existing EB-5 regional center investors since June 30, 2021.

By Chris Costa, Senior Associate at Drummond Advisors, and Matheus Etrusco, Associate at Drummond Advisors via Drummond Advisors 

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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.

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

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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

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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

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.

We believe in practicing law dynamically to match the pace of change in society and drive its evolution forward. We know that change starts from the inside out, so we challenge the status quo and work to generate positive impacts for society and inspire the market.

Our high-performance team combines its expertise in offering highly integrated, collaborative legal services that are renowned throughout the market. As the ideal strategic partner for anticipating trends and solving your most complex problems, our full-service model unites the best lawyers across more than 40 areas of the law.

We have extended our reach beyond Brazil’s borders in seeking to shorten distances and strengthen connections with our international clients. We have established offices in New York and London, helping us to remain close to those around the world who wish to do business in Brazil.

We understand our professionals are vital to our business and that performance and well-being go hand in hand. That is why we prioritize a humanized approach to people management, caring for our people and developing their full potential.

Click here to watch the video about our manifesto.

Two of Latin America’s biggest airlines are joining forces.

Avianca, the flag carrier of Colombia, and GOL, the third-largest airline in Brazil, will come together under a new holding company called Abra Group Limited, which will own both airlines.

Each airline will maintain its own brand and continue to operate separately. When the deal closes, expected in the second half of this year, Abra Group will operate similarly to the large airline holding company in Europe –  International Airlines Group (IAG), which owns British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus and other smaller airlines.

Abra will also own low-cost carriers Viva Colombia and Viva Peru, which recently announced plans to join Avianca, while keeping operations independent.

Even though these airlines will all remain independent, there may be some awkward uncertainties for two major U.S. airlines: American and United.

By Ethan Klapper via The Points Guy.

Read full article.

In early 2022, the US Internal Revenue Service issued new rules for calculating foreign tax credits. Surprisingly, this initiative may create a significant commercial barrier for Brazilian companies, as income tax paid in Brazil is no longer creditable in the United States. Consequently, Brazilian companies will have to come up with new strategies when conducting business there.

In this episode, Mattos Filho Tax partners Lisa Worcman, Gil Mendes and Luiz Felipe Ferraz discuss the impacts of the new rules for Brazilian companies, and how they may approach the new scenario.

The legal issues discussed in this episode are based on the date of its release. For more news and legal analyses related to your company’s everyday activities, please visit mattosfilho.com.br/unico

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Gil Mendes
gil.mendes@mattosfilho.com.br
+55 11 3147 4632

Lisa Worcman
lisa.worcman@mattosfilho.com.br
+55 11 3147-8484

Luiz Felipe Ferraz
lferraz@mattosfilho.com.br
55 11 3147 7870

Depois de dois anos de adiamento do evento, Luiza Trajano recebeu ontem (9) o prêmio de Personalidade do Ano pela Câmara do Comércio Brasil-Estados Unidos de Nova York

Luiza Helena Trajano, a presidente do conselho de administração do Magazine Luiza, recebeu ontem (9) o prêmio de “Personalidade do Ano” pela Câmara do Comércio Brasil-Estados Unidos de Nova York. Ela é a terceira mulher e segunda brasileira a receber a homenagem que é realizada desde 1970 – sempre a duas figuras importantes do Brasil e dos Estados Unidos que se destacaram no relacionamento entre os dois países.

A nomeação de “Person of the Year” aconteceu no início de 2020; mas, por conta da pandemia de Covid-19, foi adiada por dois anos. Em entrevista à Forbes, que organizou uma festa relacionada à premiação, a homenageada destacou a responsabilidade que acompanha o título: “Sinto que minha responsabilidade como empresária e líder da sociedade civil só aumenta”.

Por Redação Glamour/Globo.com

Ler artigo na íntegra.

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.

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, 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.

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

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.

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.

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

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”

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.

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

[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

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

Learn more

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

 

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.

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 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 productsautomotivefinancial serviceslife 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 equityfintech 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.

 

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.

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

Read full article

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

Learn more

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’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

Read full article

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 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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Women’s health matters can often be overlooked in the workplace.

This International Women’s Day, our Littler international lawyers will be joined in a panel discussion with Janet Lindsay, CEO of Wellbeing of Women (the leading women’s health charity that recently launched the Menopause Workplace Pledge) to discuss why it makes sense for employers to improve their understanding of, and support, women’s health in the workplace.

Tuesday, March 8, 2022 8:00 am9:00 am PST 

Time:
8:00 a.m. PT
9:00 a.m. MT
10:00 a.m. CT
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4:00 p.m. GMT
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Duration: 60 minutes

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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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Com a solução das duas empresas, as escolas públicas e privadas terão maior suporte e ferramentas para se digitalizar

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

 

 

O TC (TradersClub) acaba de fechar a compra de participação na consultoria política Arko, num investimento de R$ 23,7 milhões. São duas transações conjuntas, a aquisição de 20% da holding Arko Advice, num valuation de R$ 92,25 milhões, e 15% da subsidiária Arko Digital, avaliada em R$ 35 milhões.

“A família Aragão criou uma plataforma de inteligência política já muito conhecida e bem avaliada, para os públicos B2B e B2C, que vai ter muita sinergia com o TC”, diz Pedro Albuquerque, CEO do TC, ao Pipeline. “A gente tem uma afinidade muito grande. A Arko foi a primeira parceira do TC, lá no começo, e retomamos conversas ao longo do segundo semestre do ano passado. Com a transação, a governança original será mantida.

O TC entra com tecnologia e uma base de clientes que pode consumir cursos sobre políticas públicas e regulação e análises políticas. Albuquerque destaca que é um ano eleitoral, o que gera questionamentos e interesse dos investidores sobre cenários políticos. Também entram análises globais – ontem à noite, a Arko fez uma apresentação a clientes do TC sobre o confronto da Rússia com a Ucrânia.

Por Maria Luíza Filgueiras — via Pipeline | Negócios – Valor Econômico

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Brazil’s government cut an industrial tax (IPI) by 25% to fight inflation and help industry recover from a pandemic downturn, the country’s official gazette showed on Friday.

The tax cut, with immediate effect, “is a milestone of the beginning of Brazilian reindustrialization after four decades of de-industrialization,” said the Economy Minister Paulo Guedes.

It will affect all industrialized products, with the exception of tobacco items.

Guedes acknowledged the measure has a short-term impact on inflation, but highlighted it was designed as a policy to increase industrial productivity.

Reuters had previously reported that the tax cut was coming.

The minister said it will represent a loss of around 20 billion reais ($3.9 billion) in tax revenue, with the federal government giving up 10 billion reais and the rest coming from state and municipal revenue.

By Marcela Ayres via Reuters

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 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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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.

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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

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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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

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.

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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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.


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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Just as it dominates our economy, Big Tech now dominates Fortune’s annual ranking of corporate reputation. For the third year in a row, AppleAmazon, and Microsoft rank first, second, and third, respectively, based on our poll of some 3,700 corporate executives, directors, and analysts. It’s Apple’s 15th straight year in the No. 1 spot, a fitting coronation for the world’s most valuable company. As a global pandemic limped into its third year, meanwhile, companies on the front lines of the medical battle gained new respect. Pfizer, codeveloper of one of the most effective COVID-19 vaccines, vaulted all the way to No. 4, appearing on our All-Stars list for the first time in 16 years. And Danaher (No. 37), whose COVID tests and drug-development equipment are pivotal tools in the fight against the novel coronavirus, made its top 50 debut.

Via Fortune

Read full article here.

A inflação de janeiro nos EUA, medida pelo Índice de Preços ao Consumidor (IPC ou CPI em inglês), subiu mais do que o esperado, indicando uma piora das perspectivas para a economia e consolidando a probabilidade de aumentos substanciais das taxas de juros este ano pelo Federal Reserve (Fed).

O indicador avançou 0,6% em janeiro, quando o mercado projetava 0,4%. Na comparação anual, o avanço é de 7,5%, quando a expectativa era 7,2%.

Com isso, aumenta a pressão para que o Fed endureça o discurso e avance com os juros a partir de março.

Até aqui, o mercado vinha apostando em alta de juros de 0,25 ponto porcentual para 16 de março. Mas os próximos passos são incertos: já há quem cogite 0,5 p.p. e até sete altas sequenciais ao longo de 2022.

Excluindo os custos voláteis de gás e mantimentos, o núcleo do CPI aumentou 6% na comparação anual, ante a estimativa de 5,9%.

As taxas mensais também ficaram mais quentes do que o esperado, com o principal e o núcleo do CPI subindo 0,6%, em comparação com as estimativas de um aumento de 0,4% em ambas as medidas.

O núcleo da inflação subiu em seu nível mais rápido desde agosto de 1982.

Por Cláudia Zucare Boscoli via euqueroinvestir.com

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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.

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’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.

Brazilian lender Bradesco (BBDC4.SA) said on Tuesday it expected its loan portfolio to grow 10% to 14% this year, in addition to a 2% to 6% increase in its fee income.

In a securities filing released almost simultaneously with its fourth-quarter 2021 results, the bank also forecast its expenses for loan-loss provisions to be in the range of 15 billion reais to 19 billion reais in 2022.

Reporting by Aluísio Alves; Writing by Peter Frontini via Reuters

See full article here.

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

Leia mais aqui.

Lucon is a specialist in the implementation of mergers and acquisitions, financing, direct investments, and joint ventures, focusing on the infrastructure sectors. With his legal experience on boards of directors, committees, and executive positions in infrastructure groups, the specialist will broaden the perspectives, knowledge and vision of
this market. 

Lucon é especialista na implementação de operações de fusões e aquisições, financiamentos, investimentos diretos e joint ventures, com foco nos setores de infraestrutura. Com sua experiência jurídica em conselhos de administração, comitês e cargos executivos em grupos da área de infraestrutura, o especialista ampliará as perspectivas e a visão da prática nesse mercado.

Learn more here.

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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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 Projectum 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 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.

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.

Read full article here.

Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. – Petrobras anuncia que, na data de 22 de dezembro de 2021, concluiu a renovação do seu Registro de Prateleira (shelf registration) na U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. O shelf registration permite à Petrobras ofertar valores mobiliários no mercado de capitais americano de forma ágil e abrangente, aproveitando as oportunidades de mercado, com objetivo de reduzir custos e facilitar a gestão de sua dívida.

A atual renovação ocorre após a conclusão das obrigações previstas em acordo com o Departamento de Justiça Norte-Americano (DOJ), conforme comunicado ao mercado divulgado, em 04 de outubro de 2021, e a qual permite à Petrobras o retorno ao status de emissor frequente, denominado Well-Known Seasoned Issuer (WKSI), o que possibilitou que tal registro fosse concedido de forma automática, permitindo maior flexibilidade às eventuais ofertas da companhia no futuro. O shelf registration tem validade de 3 anos.

Via Petrobras

On December 21, 2021, the Brazilian Data Protection Authority (ANPD) updated instructions on how and when data subjects can file a complaint against a data controller for possible violation of the their rights under the 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 ANPD has the authority to impose administrative sanctions for LGPD violations.

Under the updated instructions, the data subject must first formally contact the controller to try to get their request(s) answered or addressed. If the controller fails to resolve the issue, the data subject can petition the ANPD to intercede. The petition has to be submitted online and the data subject must provide the data controller’s or processor’s contact information and a description of the situation, and submit proof that the data subject formally made a request to the controller and it was not addressed (or was not addressed timely). In exceptional circumstances the ANPD may accept anonymous petitions and/or a self-declaration that it was not possible to provide evidence, provided the identity of the complainant is not needed to investigate the facts and the information provided can be verified.

The ANPD will address a petition specifically only if the petition could potentially affect collective and broad interests. Otherwise, the ANPD will analyze aggregated requests and use the information to launch investigations, improve regulations and implement educational actions.

By Renata Neeser via Littler

Read full article here.

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

Read full article here.

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.

 

The Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce proudly recognizes four exceptional Person of the Year Fellows, Érica Amélia Butow (2012), Lucas Tomilheiro Sancassani (2012), Victor Cezar Boyadjian (2018), and Felipe Costa Rodrigues Neves (2018), for their outstanding dedication to upholding their POY Fellowship Commitments. These fellows not only engage in projects that bring about meaningful social impacts in their communities, but they have also created or contributed to important philanthropic initiatives, demonstrating their high level of dedication to the betterment of society in a global context.

Érica Butow is President and Co-Founder of Ensina Brasil, a non-profit organization that aims to transform education from within the classroom by recruiting talent from the best universities to become public school teachers in vulnerable communities and develop the future leaders of Brazil.

Lucas Sancassani and Victor Boyadjian have made financial contributions to Instituto Ling, a non-profit organization which aims to turn Brazil into a more fair and progressive society through education, culture, and health, based on the values of meritocracy, freedom, and reciprocity. Lucas also acted as Volunteer President and is currently on the Board of Directors of Amigos da Poli, the largest endowment fund among Latin American universities which supports undergraduate studies and provides career mentoring.

Felipe Neves is Founder of Civics Educação, a legal education platform which finances scholarships for low-income public-school students in Brazil. He is also Founder & President of the NGO Projeto Constituição na Escola, which facilitates public-school classes on constitutional law.

Through philanthropic endeavors and financial contributions, our fellows exemplify the spirit of giving and its value in creating a more equitable society. Their dedication to invest resources back into their communities reflects the success of the POY Fellowship Program in recognizing young leaders devoted to civic engagement, with remarkable potential and proven professional capacities. They set an outstanding example for other POY Fellows and embody the ultimate mission of the POY Fellowship Program, that being to generate a philanthropic return to society that continues over time and strengthens relationships between nations.

We congratulate Érica, Lucas, Victor, and Felipe for their integrity and philanthropy, and for being inspiring examples for other young leaders.

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.

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.

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

Ler artigo na íntegra.

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.

‘PwC offers a full range of services that span from strategy to execution.’

PwC has been named as a Leader in the IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Salesforce Implementation Services 2021 Vendor Assessment (November 2021, IDC #US47073921). The IDC MarketScape report says, ‘Across all 14 strategies assessed, the 3 strategies areas valued most highly by customers are “portfolio strategy,” “functionality/offering strategy,” and “client adoption strategy.’

According to the report, ‘PwC offers a full range of services that span from strategy to execution. It specializes in business transformation and has significant experience assisting clients with all aspects of Salesforce implementation work. PwC has management consultants worldwide who work on strategy, deals, change management, and front-office and back-office transformation programs. By combining these capabilities with its core Salesforce and technology consulting capabilities, PwC offers clients fully integrated solutions. PwC’s value proposition for Salesforce revolves around providing an industry-led, business-focused, and technology-enabled approach that integrates knowledge of industries, business processes, and technology that is necessary to deliver Salesforce solutions effectively and comprehensively.’

By PwC

Read full article here.

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.

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).

Ler conteúdo na íntegra.

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 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

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.

Read full article here.

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  in São Paulo via Financial Times 

Read full article here.

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.

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.

Ler artigo na íntegra.

 

 

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

Ler artigo na íntegra.

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

Read full article here.

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.

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.

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 

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.

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

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.

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 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

Read full article here.

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%.

Ler artigo na íntegra.

Also available in English.

Economic and Executive Insights on Today’s Changing Market

2021 REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY
EXECUTIVE FORUM

Wednesday, November 17, 2021 | 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. [EST]

REGISTER NOW

If you do not see the registration button, please click here to register.

This is an invitation only event.


The 2021 Real Estate Executive Forum will include a fireside chat with Andrew Husby, CFA, Economist, Bloomberg Economics and Lindsay Dutch, CFA, REIT Equity Analyst – Bloomberg Intelligence, who will provide an overview outlining the impact COVID-19 has had on the national economy. Additionally, they will examine the Biden administration’s effects on economic conditions, and specifically, New York’s Metro Real Estate Market.

The Forum will also include a 1:1 discussion with Brookfield’s Managing Partner and Head of the U.S. Office, Ben Brown, that will share his insights on the current state of the New York, and National, Real Estate markets.

FORUM SPEAKERS

Brown-B_111

Ben Brown

Managing Partner and Head of U.S. Office

Brookfield Asset Management Inc.

Andrew Husby

Andrew Husby, CFA

Economist

Bloomberg Economics

Lindsey Dutch_Bloomberg

Lindsay Dutch, CFA

REIT Equity Analyst
Bloomberg Intelligence

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.

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

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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.

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.

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.

Join us for the Morgan Stanley Alliance for Children’s Mental Health Innovation Awards Showcase Day which will take place virtually Thursday, November 11th, 2021.

The Morgan Stanley Alliance for Children’s Mental Health Innovation Awards initiative aims to identify and fund mental healthcare solutions for children and young adults across the United States. The Innovation Awards program specifically addresses the lack of both private and public investment in children’s mental health and the dearth of effective ways to connect innovative ideas with capital. The resulting systemic funding gap has only increased with the deepening crisis in children’s mental health due to COVID-19 and ongoing social injustice issues.

Five winners of the inaugural Innovation Awards were selected after a robust review of over 850 applications by mental health and grant-making experts from the Alliance for Children’s Mental Health. They address a diverse set of communities, geographies, and needs through their transformative and culturally responsive models.

DATE & TIME
November 11th, 2021
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM ET

FORMAT
Virtual

Register

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

ATLANTA – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has put more than $160 million in financial assistance into the hands of residents of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania to help them recover from the damages caused by the remnants of Hurricane Ida. As of Oct. 13, the SBA had approved 3,319 loans for a total of $160,671,100. “Hurricane Ida cut a wide swath of damage, and SBA’s mission-driven team is working hard to help affected small businesses and residents with their recoveries,” said Kem Fleming, Director of the SBA’s Field Operations Center East. “We’re committed to providing federal disaster loans swiftly and efficiently, with a customer-centric approach to help businesses and communities recover and rebuild.”

Businesses, homeowners, renters and private nonprofit organizations in 28 primary counties in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania are eligible to apply for physical disaster loans from the SBA. Those include the New York counties of Bronx, Kings, Nassau, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk and Westchester; the New Jersey counties of Bergen, Essex, Gloucester, Hudson, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Morris, Passaic, Somerset, Union and Warren; and the Pennsylvania counties of Bedford, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, Northampton, Philadelphia, and York.

Small businesses and most private nonprofit organizations in counties adjacent to the primary counties are eligible to apply only for SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans.

To be considered for all forms of disaster assistance, applicants should register online at DisasterAssistance.gov or download the FEMA mobile app. If online or mobile access is unavailable, applicants should call the FEMA toll-free helpline at 800-621-3362. Those who use 711-Relay or Video Relay Services should call 800-621-3362.

Businesses and individuals should then complete and return an SBA disaster loan application by visiting DisasterLoanAssistance.sba.gov. They can also obtain individual assistance at one of the recovery centers established in all three states. Locations and hours can be obtained here:

NY Ida Recovery Centers

NJ Ida Recovery Centers

PA Ida Recovery Centers

Businesses and individuals can ask questions, obtain loan applications or other information by calling the SBA’s Customer Service Center at 1-800-659-2955 (1-800-877-8339 for the deaf and hard-of hearing) or emailing DisasterCustomerService@sba.gov.

Loan applications can also be downloaded at sba.gov/disaster.

Completed applications should be mailed to: U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155.

About the U.S. Small Business Administration The U.S. Small Business Administration makes the American dream of business ownership a reality. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations.

To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.

We are pleased to announce year two of the MS Experienced Professionals Program, designed to recruit and develop talented Black & Hispanic/Latinx professionals with or without a background in Finance.

Program Overview:

The program begins in February 2022 and will be based in Morgan Stanley’s New York office. Upon joining, participants will complete a formal orientation, and a training and development program (expected to be 6-8 weeks) to set them up for success in their new full-time role. Where required, they will also attend training and study sessions to help them prepare for any licensing and registration exams. To enhance the process, participants will also be provided with a wide range of resources and support, including a dedicated program manager, mentor and buddy, and ongoing product-specific training and career management tools. 

Qualifications & Requirements:

We welcome highly motivated candidates with 2-8 years of postgraduate work experience in a professional environment from a diverse range of industries, including but not limited to: Aerospace, Consulting, Energy, Engineering, Finance/Accounting, Government, Law, Life Sciences/Pharma, Insurance, and Information Technology & Military/Defense. In line with our diversity commitments, we strongly encourage applicants who self-identify as Black and/or Hispanic/Latinx to apply.

Referral Process: 

We invite you to engage your network and refer interested candidates to apply for the

2022 Morgan Stanley Experienced Professionals Program. You can do this by:

·         Forwarding the application link to potential candidates in your network, or

·         Sending your referral’s resumes to the 2022_msepp@morganstanley.com

·         All candidates will be asked to complete either application below by Monday, November 1st, 2021. 

o    Fixed Income & Bank Resource Management

o    Equity Research

We will be hosting webinars for all interested candidates to learn more about Fixed Income & Bank Resource Management and Equity Research at Morgan Stanley, the Experienced Professionals Program and the application processes. Please encourage interested contacts to join the event of interest.

·         Fixed Income & Bank Resource Webinar – October 26th

·         Equity Research Webinar – October 28th

If you have any further questions or need more information, please contact us.

To review all open permanent positions, please click here.

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 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.

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

Dentre as novas tendências que o ecossistema de healthtechs consolidou durante o período de pandemia está o desenvolvimento de soluções com enfoque específico na saúde das mulheres, incluindo mulheres cisgênero, transgênero e não-binárias. As chamadas FemTechs vêm ganhando tração por três principais motivos:

  • Estatisticamente, o público feminino é mais adepto a cuidar da própria saúde do que o público masculino, inclusive, adotando rotinas periódicas de exames, consultas e rastreamento de potenciais doenças;
  • A saúde da mulher requer mais cuidados do que a saúde do homem, a exemplo de cuidados na gravidez, amamentação e menopausa;
  • Em meio às regras de quarentena, isolamento social e restrição de circulação, a pandemia tornou ainda mais urgente o desenvolvimento de serviços e produtos que pudessem auxiliar as mulheres no acompanhamento clínico e remoto da própria saúde – por exemplo, durante gravidez e pós-parto, no monitoramento de fertilidade para mulheres que adiaram planos de engravidar e no cuidado de doenças crônicas.

By Mattos Filho.

Read full article here.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

 

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.

Our member PwC invites you to their webcast: New Perspectives | FPIs – Regulatory Environment

In this meeting “New Perspectives” they will discuss the following topics:

– SEC administration updates
– Regulatory changes impacting FPIs in relation to 2021
– ESG
– Cybersecurity
– SEC Comment Letters
– Current Audit Challenges and the Future of Audit

Their webcast is live, interactive, completely free and open to the public that wants to join.

Questions can be sent in English, Portuguese, Spanish or French.

AGENDA (São Paulo Time)
10:30 – 10:50 Initial Survey
10:50 – 11:20 Presentation – Guilaine
11:20 – 11:35 Interview – Manuel
11:35 – 12:30 Interview – Jonathan and Guilaine
12:30 – 12:45 Final Test

Click here to register.

In analyzing Latin America’s main law firms, the 2021 edition of the Latin Lawyer 250 guide has recognized Mattos Filho as an ‘Elite’ firm, classifying its performance as ‘Outstanding’ in five different categories – Listed Work Areas, LACCA Approved Rankings, Large Company Clients, M&A Deals and Capital Markets Deals. This was the highest number of ‘Outstanding’ classifications of any Brazilian law firm. “Mattos Filho has raised itself to the pinnacle of the Brazilian legal market”, says the institution, one of the most prestigious in the sector.

Our firm received the highest number of recognitions in Who’s Who Thought Leaders — Brazil, which evaluates professionals’ standards of excellence and their capacity to innovate and inspire the sector. In all, 30 of Mattos Filho’s professionals received a total of 35 individual recognitions across 21 different categories.

Mattos Filho was also featured in Law.com’s The Global 200 rankings. Of the 200 largest firms in the world, we were the highest-ranked Brazilian firm in terms of number of lawyers.

We would like to extend our gratitude to these institutions for their recognition of our work, which is rooted in the values of excellence, innovation and collaboration. We also congratulate our professionals, whose efforts are fundamental to the firm’s success.

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.

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.

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.

Initially supporting only BTC and ETH, BTG Pactual’s new crypto trading platform plans to allow its users to trade a wide range of altcoins.

Leading Brazilian investment bank BTG Pactual has launched a new platform that enables customers to make direct investments in cryptocurrencies.

The bank’s Mynt platform currently allows users to purchase Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH), with BTG Pactual expressing its intention to launch support for additional crypto assets in the future. Andre Porthilo, BTG Pactual’s head of digital assets, stated:

“At this first moment, we will have the two main assets of the market, but we will include other cryptos for trading over time. We will have a complete platform with blockchain-based assets.”

BTG Pactual CEO, Roberto Sallouti, described Mynt’s creation as being in response to “demand from our customers who wish to trade crypto.”

Sallouti added that Mynt plans to host education content designed to inform new users about cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology, stating: “As a new asset class, we will also have content to educate and inform our customers about these assets and the technology.”

Read full article here.

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.

The United States will reopen in November to air travelers from 33 countries including China, India, Brazil and most of Europe who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, the White House said on Monday, easing tough pandemic-related restrictions that started early last year.

The decision, announced by White House coronavirus response coordinator Jeff Zients, marked an abrupt shift for President Joe Biden’s administration, which said last week it was not the right time to lift any restrictions amid rising COVID-19 cases.

The United States had lagged many other countries in lifting such restrictions, and allies welcomed the move. The U.S. restrictions have barred travelers from most of the world including tens of thousands of foreign nationals with relatives or business links in the United States.

The United States will admit fully vaccinated air travelers from the 26 so-called Schengen countries in Europe including France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and Greece, as well as Britain, Ireland, China, India, South Africa, Iran and Brazil. The unprecedented U.S. restrictions have barred non-U.S. citizens who were in those countries within the past 14 days.

By  and 

Read full article here.

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.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce, we regretfully inform you of the passing, on September 14, 2021 at the age of 73, of Celso Silveira Mello Filho, shareholder of Cosan SA and brother of Cosan Chairman Rubens Ometto Silveira Mello (2014 Person of the Year honoree).  Mr. Mello Filho tragically perished in an aviation accident in Piracicaba, São Paulo, along with his wife, Maria Luiza Meneghel; three children, Celso, Fernando, and Camila; pilot Celso Elias Carloni; and co-pilot Giovani Gulo, while en route to Pará, the location of Cosan’s headquarters.  Cosan is a longtime and steadfast supporter of the Chamber and our hearts go out to the entire Cosan family during this time of unimaginable loss.

Born into the sugar-alcohol industry, Mr. Mello Filho graduated in Economics from Universidade Mackenzie in São Paulo and began his professional career alongside his brother.  His work began at the family’s first plant, the Costa Pinto unit (now the headquarters of the fourth largest company in Brazil, Raízen, a joint venture between Cosan Group and Shell).  Together, the brothers helped build Cosan into an energy and infrastructure giant and one of Brazil’s largest holding companies.

Rubens Ometto Silveira Mello remembers his brother as dedicated and competent – someone who liked being involved in daily business operations: “He was a jokester, communicative and well-loved in Piracicaba.  I was born at the plant, but he was much more of a man of the countryside and the land than I.”

Mr. Mello Filho is survived by six grandchildren, two daughters-in-law, and one son-in-law.  More information on his life and legacy can be found below.

https://www.cnnbrasil.com.br/business/celso-silveira-mello-acionista-da-cosan-mulher-e-filhos-morrem-em-acidente-de-aviao/

https://exame.com/bussola/celso-silveira-mello-empreendedor-e-educador-deixa-legado-para-o-pais/

https://braziljournal.com/luto-na-cosan-rubens-perde-o-irmao-celso

https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/brazilian-energy-company-cosan-says-shareholder-died-in-plane-crash-2021-09-14

Luiza Helena Trajano, the Brazilian recipient of the 2020 Person of the Year Awards of the Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce, Inc., based in New York City.

Businesswoman is the only Brazilian among the 100 names of 2021 elected by the American magazine

Businesswoman Luiza Helena Trajano, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Magazine Luiza, was elected by the American magazine Time as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. She is the only Brazilian on the 2021 list.

Some names on the list are British Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle, Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka, American gymnast Simone Biles, US President Joe Biden, and his vice Kamala Harris, Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Russian opponent Alexei Navalni, singers Britney Spears and Billie Eilish, and Taliban leader Abdul Ghani Baradar.

Translated by Kiratiana Freelon via Folha de São Paulo.

Read full article here.

Read the article in the original language

A 25ª edição do Inffinito Film Festival chega ao fim no sábado, dia 18, com uma noite de premiação no New World Center Soundscape Park, em Miami Beach. O maior e mais importante festival de cinema brasileiro realizado no exterior começou no dia 4 de setembro e presenteou o público com um grande evento, em formato híbrido, com mostras de filmes e shows ao ar livre em Nova York e Miami e a exibição das produções das mostras competitivas através da www.inff.online em todo o território americano. 

A festa de encerramento tem entrada gratuita e começa às 18h, com a apresentação do DJ Lupa e um pocket show da dupla de irmãos cariocas Jhonny’s, às 18h45. Os dois trazem a união do deep house com guitarra e eletronic pads, levando o groove brasileiro para os Estados Unidos. A premiação da Lente de Cristal aos filmes vencedores das mostras competitivas começa às 19h30, quando também será exibida a homenagem feita pelo Canal Brasil para Marieta Severo. Às 20h30, será apresentado o documentário “Neojibá- Música que Transforma”, de Sérgio Machado e George Walker Torres. O filme conta a trajetória do NEOJIBA – Núcleos Estaduais de Orquestras Juvenis e Infantis da Bahia, um dos mais bem sucedidos projetos de inclusão social do Brasil. A programação termina com uma After Party no Lobby Bar do Nautilus by Arlo Hotel, às 22h, com apresentação do DJ Lupa.

18 de Setembro – Noite Premiação Cinema ao Ar Livre – Evento Gratuito

Local: New World Center Soundscape Park – 500 17th Street, Miami Beach, FL 33139

• 6:00 PM – Início do evento com DJ Lupa 

• 6:45 PM – Jhonny’s pocket show

• 7:30 PM – Premiação da Lente de Cristal aos filmes vencedores das Mostras Competitivas 

• 8:30 PM – Exibição Premiere EUA – Neojibá- Música que Transforma de Sérgio Machado e George Walker Torres 

Documentário | 2021 | 80 min

Sinopse

O documentário apresenta a inacreditável trajetória do NEOJIBA – Núcleos Estaduais de Orquestras Juvenis e Infantis da Bahia, um dos mais bem sucedidos projetos de inclusão social do Brasil. Sua orquestra juvenil, formada por jovens baianos em situação de vulnerabilidade social, é internacionalmente aclamada por sua excelência e originalidade. O filme revela as dificuldades e conquistas dos jovens músicos, as mudanças que a prática instrumental promove em suas vidas e como isso impacta suas famílias e comunidades.

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

 Embaixadoras Inffinito: Laura Fernandes, Liliana Kawase e Renata Garcia

 Cia Aérea Oficial: American Airlines

 Hotel Oficial: Gansevoort

Apoio: City Parks Foundation & SummerStage, Regal Cinemas, Fogo de Chão e ATC Cargo

Bebidas oficiais: Johnnie Walker, Don Julio e Ciroc

Apoio de Mídia: 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, Rhythm Foundation, Rio’s Pet Spa & Boarding, Nautilus Hotel, Neiman Marcus, Amore Pacific e Centro Cultural Brazil USA

Promoção: GloboPlay

Realização e produção: Inffinito

On September 6, 2021, the New York State commissioner of health designated COVID-19 as a highly contagious communicable disease, thereby triggering certain requirements under the New York Health and Essential Rights (HERO) Act.  Previously, employers were required to adopt an airborne infectious disease exposure prevention plan by using the state’s model plan or drafting a plan that met the state’s minimum requirements, but employers were not obligated to implement the plan. With the commissioner of health’s formal designation of COVID-19 as a “highly contagious communicable disease” (a designation heralded by New York Governor Kathy Hochul), employers must now implement their New York HERO Act airborne infectious disease exposure prevention plan. This plan includes certain safety measures for the workplace, such as scheduled housekeeping and disinfection schedules, providing PPE to employees, and requiring health screenings for all employees.

What to do?

Once activated with the designation of a highly contagious communicable disease, the NY HERO Act requires employers to:

  • Immediately review and update their plan to ensure it incorporates current information, guidance, and mandatory requirements issued by federal, state or local governments related to COVID-19;
  • Finalize and promptly activate their HERO Act plan;
  • Provide a verbal review of the plan and provide training to employees;
  • Provide each employee with a copy of the plan; and
  • Post a copy of the plan in a “visible and prominent location” available to employees on all shifts.

Continuing Obligations

The designation of COVID-19 as a highly contagious communicable disease is set to expire on September 30, 2021, unless continued by the commissioner of health. Employers must ensure their plan is being effectively followed by:

  • Designating one or more supervisory employees to enforce compliance with the plan;
  • Monitoring and maintaining exposure controls; and
  • Regularly checking for updated information and guidance provided by the NY State Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and updating the plan to reflect recommended changes in control measures.

As of the date and time of this publication, the state has not issued any additional guidance as to the timing of when these requirements must be met, or addressing other issues, such as to what extent that employees’ vaccination status may affect their facemask and social distancing requirements under a plan and the HERO Act’s airborne infections disease prevention standards.  Employers are encouraged to consult with counsel to work through questions that may arise, to review and update existing prevention plans and to develop training strategies, and to stay apprised of the continually changing legal landscape regarding COVID-19.

By Lisa M. Griffith and Sanjay V. Nair via Littler

Read full article here.

Other related articles:

New York HERO Act Requires Workplace Safety Measures

NY DOL Publishes its Airborne Infectious Disease Exposure Prevention Plan in Accordance With the NY HERO Act

Change remains a constant in FS risk & regulation. Here’s “our take” on key developments impacting the industry.

Current topics – September 2021

These notable developments hit our radar over the past two weeks:

  • IOSCO issues warning over credit-sensitive alternatives to USD LIBOR. On Wednesday, the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) called on greater attention to its principles on financial benchmarks. The statement directly appeals to administrators of credit-sensitive rates (CSRs) that have recently been proposed as additional replacement options for LIBOR, supplementing the risk-free rates recommended by the various national working groups. Specifically, IOSCO highlights that benchmarks will need to adhere to its principles relating to the relative size of a benchmark’s underlying market and its ability to accurately and reliably represent that market. Banking regulators both in the US and UK have recently been vocal about their concerns that CSRs might not be sufficiently robust, and that their similarities to LIBOR, including the relatively low volume of underlying transactions, might eventually pose many of the same challenges that ultimately led to LIBOR’s demise.

          Subscribe to PwC’s LIBOR Transition Market Update here to read more about these and other developments.

  • CFTC Commissioner Dan Berkovitz to depart. Yesterday, CFTC Commissioner Dan Berkovitz announced that he plans to step down on October 15, 2021. Following his departure, the agency will have only two of its five seats filled, with Democrats and Republicans each having one representative. President Biden will then be able to appoint three new Commissioners, although one of the appointments must be from the Republican party. He can also decide whether to select one of the nominees as Chair or nominate current Acting Chair Rostin Behnam to fill the role on a confirmed basis.

By PwC

Read full article here.

Ana Paula Pessoa

Zurich-based Credit Suisse is appointing Ana Paula Pessoa as its chair in Brazil, effective from January, it said in an emailed statement. Pessoa, who is a director on the Swiss bank’s board, is to replace Ilan Goldfajn, who is taking a top job at the International Monetary Fund under Kristalina Georgieva, according to a separate statement.

Formerly Brazil’s top central banker, Goldfajn joined Credit Suisse two years ago to underpin its investment banking ambitions. His exit comes shortly alongside that of long-standing country chief José Olympio Pereira earlier this year. Goldfajn is leading the search to replace Pereira.

Rich Tradition

Pessoa is a 54-year-old Brazilian former media executive who also sits on various corporate boards including Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation and France’s Vinci Group. She said in a statement that she will help Credit Suisse «seek new opportunities and strengthen our local presence.»

By Finews.ch

Read full article here.

Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), announced today her intention to appoint Mr. Ilan Goldfajn as Director of the Fund’s Western Hemisphere Department (WHD). Mr. Goldfajn will assume his role as the head of the IMF’s department in charge of relations with member countries in the Americas on January 3, 2022. He will succeed Alejandro Werner, whose retirement from the Fund was previously announced.

“I am delighted that Ilan will join our team as the new WHD Director. He has an impressive experience in the public and private sectors and is highly respected as an academic. His proven track record as a policymaker, communicator, as well as his depth of knowledge as an international finance executive and his familiarity with the Fund’s work will be invaluable in helping our member countries in the region,” Ms. Georgieva stated.

Mr. Goldfajn was Governor of the Banco Central do Brazil (BCB) from May 2016 until February 2019. During his tenure at the BCB, he oversaw implementation of significant regulatory changes that opened the door to new players in the financial services industry, spurred innovation and digitalization, and fostered the growth of fintech companies that has had a positive impact on Brazil’s financial sector. In 2017, he was elected Central Banker of the Year by The Banker magazine; and the year after, he was named Best Central Banker by Global Finance magazine.

MEDIA RELATIONS
PRESS OFFICER: RAPHAEL ANSPACH via IMF Communications Department

Read full article here.

Increased vaccination rates and the easing of COVID-19 restrictions in many countries have lifted economic forecasts and improved the outlook of CEOs in the industrial manufacturing and automotive (IM&A) sectors. For businesses and investors alike, the uncertainty that characterized most of 2020 appears to have been replaced with a clearer vision of future demand.

With that in mind, many companies have already reassessed their strategies and are looking to M&A to realign their portfolios accordingly to create value. The most successful among them will be those with the financial strength and strategic foresight to take advantage of deal-making opportunities and execute on structured value-creation plans.

Para consolidar os planos de expansão internacional, a Ornare, famosa por ser referência em móveis sob medida,  conta com os jovens Pitter Schattan e Stefan Schattan, a segunda geração de comando da empresa que os brasileiros tanto amam. A partir de agora, os irmãos cuidam das aberturas de franquias fora do Brasil: Estados Unidos, Europa e Ásia. Puro orgulho para os pais Murillo e Esther Schattan.

By Michel Telles via Farol da Bahia.

Read full article here.

Venham ouvir a história de sucesso e a experiência profissional do empresário brasileiro Carlos Brito, CEO da Anheuser-Busch InBev de 2008 a 2021.

Carlos Brito liderou com sucesso uma empresa com cerca de 170 mil funcionários em 50 países e em torno de 500 marcas vendidas em mais de 100 países.

Bio de Carlos Brito

Venham conversar! Venham se inspirar!

Será uma oportunidade para todos se motivarem a abrir e manter seu próprio negócio e a vencer no mercado de trabalho!

Conversas Inspiradoras
Dia: 28 de setembro, terça-feira, às 17h
Local: Consulado-Geral do Brasil em Nova York – 225 East 41st Street, NY 10017
Registre-se pelo link

Garanta a sua vaga! A palestra será seguida de coquetel de networking para seguirmos conversando!

A capacidade será limitada, em função das medidas de distanciamento social.

 

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.

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.

 

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 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.

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.

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’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

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

 

Read full article here

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 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

 

Read full article here

  • 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

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

(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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

 

Read full article here

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

 

Read full article here

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

 

Read full article here

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

Read full article here

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

 

Read full article here

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

 

Read full article here

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

 

Read full article here

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

Read full article here

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

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

Read full article here

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

 

Read full article here

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

 

Read full article here

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

 

Read full article here

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

 

Read full article here

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

 

Read full article here

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

 

Read full article here

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

 

Read full article here

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

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

 

Read full article here

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

 

Read full article

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

 

Read full article here

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

 

Read full article here

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

 

Read full article here

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

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

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

 

Read full article here

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 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

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

 

Read full article here

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

 

Read full article here

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

 

Read full article here

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

 

Read full article here

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

 

Read full article here

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

Read full article here

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

 

Read full article here

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

 

Read full article here

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

 

Read full article here

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 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

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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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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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

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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Swisscom (SCMN.S) plans to switch to the cloud platform of Amazon Web Services (AWS) (AMZN.O) for a range of applications which power its enterprise resource planning, operational support system, and analytics and contact center.

The Swiss telecom operator and AWS said in a joint statement they will also look to migrate Swisscom’s 5G network built on current infrastructure to a new, standalone 5G network powered by AWS’s cloud platform.

Reporting by Clara-Laeila Laudette and Supantha Mukherjee. Editing by Sonya Hepinstall via Reuters.

Read full article here.

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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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’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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Copa Airlines has the largest network in Latin America, reaching more international destinations than any carrier. Panama City is centrally located to connect flights to South America, Central America and the Caribbean.

They take pride in providing all of their passengers with world-class service, the best on-time performance in the region, and access to the most destinations through the Hub of the Americas. They are also proud of their ongoing efforts to ensure that they have a positive impact on society and the environment. That’s why their social responsibility strategy focuses on enhancing the growth and well-being of their employees, supporting improvements in the communities they serve, and protecting the environment.

Learn more here.

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 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’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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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

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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Brazil’s communications Minister Fabio Faria said on Wednesday the government expects the spectrum auction for 5G networks to happen next month.

The minister does not expect the analysis of the auction rules by Brazil’s audit court TCU to delay the auction, saying the government has responded to all the court’s questions.

Faria said he expects all state capitals in the country to have 5G Stand Alone working by July next year. Telecom operators will have to comply with all the requirements of the auction by 2028. The auction mandates companies to deliver 4G internet networks to all Brazilian cities and fiber networks in Brazil’s northern region.

By Lisandra Paraguassu via Reuters.

Read full article here.

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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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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Brazilian airline Gol Linhas Aereas (GOLL4.SA) said there was an improvement in domestic ticket sales in May, driven by advances in Brazil’s COVID-19 vaccination program.

“The rise in ticket sales in May, combined with other initiatives, are paving the way for significant improvements in this recovery phase,” Gol said on Wednesday in a securities filing.

By Reuters

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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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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 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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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 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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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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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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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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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 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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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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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

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.

 

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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 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’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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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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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

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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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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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’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 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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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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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

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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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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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.

 

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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 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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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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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.

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

 

Read full article here

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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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

 

Read full article here

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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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 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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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-BrasilBrazilian-American Chamber of CommerceMinistério das Relações Exteriores.

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

 

Read full article here

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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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 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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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’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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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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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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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

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

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

 

Read full article here

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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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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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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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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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 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, 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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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.

 

Leia Mais

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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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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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

 

Read full article here

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 (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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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 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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(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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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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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

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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Withersworldwide is one of the most well-known law firms for privately held capital, in particular among multi-generational high net worth and ultra-high net worth families and individuals, founders, executives, and successful businesses. With 17 global offices strategically located across the US, UK, Europe, and Asia-Pacific, Withers is well-placed to advise on our clients’ complex legal needs in good times and bad. Withers offers a full range of services that include (but are not limited to) tax, wealth planning, family law, family office formation and governance, trusts and estate planning, insurance investment and annuity structures, charities and philanthropy, art & luxury assets, banking and finance, corporate law, funds and fund formation, mergers and acquisitions, technology, real estate, arbitration, white-collar and securities defense, dispute resolution/litigation, immigration, and employment.

Learn more here.

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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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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With a focus on digital transformation, predictive artificial intelligence, DevOps and cloud migration, CPQi provides managed services, including building, implementing, & supporting financial markets systems for leading American economies.

Headquartered in Canada, they also operate in Brazil, USA, Chile, Argentina, Mexico, Colombia and Peru.

Learn more here.

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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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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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’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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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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The Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce congratulates Erica Butow, 2012 Person of the Year Fellow and President & Co-Founder of Ensina Brasil, on winning the Women Who Transform Award (Prêmio Mulheres que Transformam) in the Social Entrepreneur of the Year category. This award, sponsored by XP Inc., recognizes women who are transforming the market in different sectors, including technology, education, finance, entrepreneurship, culture, and the economy.

Ensina Brasil is a non-profit organization that aims to transform education in Brazil, starting from within the classroom, by recruiting talent from the best universities to become public school teachers in vulnerable communities. The organization is committed to developing the future leaders of Brazil by expanding opportunities for children and multiplying the transformative power of education.

As Erica states, “I represent a movement, an incredible network that works for all children to have quality education, the Ensina Brasil network. I dedicate this award to our entire amazing team, to the teachers in our network, and to the millions of teachers in Brazil who work tirelessly for their students. And of course, I cannot help but dedicate this award to the thousands of students from vulnerable communities who need the visibility and empowerment that initiatives like this create.”

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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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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  • 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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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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While pursuing his master’s degree at Stanford University, Felipe Neves, 2018 POY Fellow, created Civics Educação, a platform for practical legal courses (at low cost), which are sold to finance scholarships for low-income public-school students.

The lawyers who teach these courses represent the most well-known law offices in Brazil, including Pinheiro Neto, Machado Meyer, Demarest, Lobo de Rizzo, Baptista Luz, and Trench Rossi & Watanabe, among others.

In addition, Civics offers free courses for public school teachers and students, such as Constitutional Law in the Classroom, Access to Justice, and Curriculum Preparation, to prepare young professionals for job opportunities.

Civics works like this: by purchasing one of the courses, the client contributes directly to financing scholarships for low-income public-school students and to the production of new courses. These new courses are then sold to finance new scholarships and new courses, creating one of the largest legal education platforms in Brazil and helping low-income public-school students who want and need to study.

The democratization of law and education is not something new to Felipe.  He is Founder of the NGO Project Constitutional Law in School (Projeto Constituição na Escola) (www.constituicaonasescolas.com.br), the largest civic education NGO in Brazil, which promotes face-to-face classes on Constitutional Law for thousands public-school students.

Felipe was elected as one of the most influential people by Forbes 30 Under 30 (2018), selected as a Person of the Year Fellow by the Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce (2018), chosen as one of the 11 young Brazilian leaders by the Obama Foundation (2017), and named Young Leader of America by the United States Government (2016). He is still the youngest lawyer to have received the Innovare Award from the Brazilian Ministry of Justice (2017).

Given his experience with Projeto Constituição na Escola, Felipe was inspired to democratize other areas of law and make quality legal education accessible and affordable.

Civics already has 20 courses available online, including Business Law, Civil Procedure, Digital Law, Law and Startups, Arbitration, Contract Law, Real Estate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions, Sports Law, and Constitutional Law – while dozens of other courses are being produced.

Learn more here.

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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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

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 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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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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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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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 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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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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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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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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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

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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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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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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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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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 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

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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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, 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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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

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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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’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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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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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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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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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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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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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 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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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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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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It is now time for foreign private issuers (FPIs) to prepare their annual reports on Form 20-F. For companies with a calendar year-end, the Form 20-F must be filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) by April 30, 2021.

To help you with the preparation of this filing, consider the following recent developments, trends and topics that may be areas of focus of the SEC during the 2021 review process.

Read full article here.

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.

 

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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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 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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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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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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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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Act digital is a Brazilian digital transformation company counting 1,700+ devs, architects, designers that serve U.S. clients. They specialize in helping companies to create digital solutions from an idea or vision to business reality in record time by leveraging their return on experience on digital development.

They simplify complexity as they believe digital should bring simplicity and technology should be affordable.

Learn more here.

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

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

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

Learn more here.

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

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

 

By Lucas Morais via Renewables Now

 

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

 

By Liliana Diaz via Mondaq

 

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

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

 

By Angelica Mari via ZD Net

 

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

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

 

By Fernanda Mena via Folha de S. Paulo

 

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

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

 

By Pavithra R via IBS Intelligence

 

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

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

 

By Bruna Garcia Fonseca via Brazil-Arab News Agency

 

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

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

Learn more here.

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

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

 

By Lucreia Franco via CGTN

 

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

 

By Pedro Gomes via Fitch Ratings

 

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

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

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

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

 

Via GlobeNewsWire

 

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

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

 

By Lucas Morais via Renewables Now

 

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

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

 

By Ralf Germer via Paypers

 

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

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

 

By Lucas Morais via Renewables Now

 

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

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

By Christiana Sciaudone via Vogue Business

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

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

 

Via Macau Hub

 

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

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

 

By Angelica Mari via ZD Net

 

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

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

 

By Nadine Blossom via Aluminum International Today

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

Via Brazil-Arab News Agency

 

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

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

 

By Lucia Kassai via Bloomberg

 

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

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

 

By Kayla Tausche via CNBC

 

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

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

 

Via Brazil-Arab News Agency

 

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

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

 

Via Brazil-Arab News Agency

 

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

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

 

By Susan Galer via Forbes

 

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

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

 

By Thais Sousa via Brazil-Arab News Agency

 

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

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

By Fabio Palmigiani via Upstream

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

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

 

Via Reuters

 

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

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

 

By Jamie McGeever via Reuters

 

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

 

Via Merco Press

 

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

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

 

Via Cision PR Newswire

 

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

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

 

Via Reve

 

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

Stages of the Project

The project had three stages:

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

 

By Ivan Tauil and Thais Rodrigues via Mondaq

 

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In brief

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

Introduction

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

 

By DLA Piper via Lexology

 

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

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

 

By Angelica Mari via ZD Net

 

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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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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’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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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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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’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’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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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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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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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 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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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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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’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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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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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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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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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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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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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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(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 hoursjust shy of 10% of municipalities in Brazil.

 

Via Digital Commerce 360

 

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

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

 

Via Merco Press

 

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

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

 

By Mario Osava via Inter Press Service

 

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

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

 

By Angelica Mari via ZD Net

 

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

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

 

By Lucas Morais via Renewables Now

 

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

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

 

By Nicolle Monteiro de Castro via S&P Global Platts

 

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

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

 

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

 

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

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

 

By Marcos Carrieri via Brazil-Arab News Agency

 

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

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

 

By Angelica Mari via ZD Net

 

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

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

 

By Isaura Daniel via Brazil-Arab News Agency

 

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

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

 

By Steve Johnson via Financial Times

 

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

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

By Leonardo Benassatto and Carolina Mandl via Reuters

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

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

 

By Cassio Gusson via Cointelegraph

 

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

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

 

By Rodrigo Viga Gaier via Successful Farming

 

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

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

 

By Angelica Mari via ZD Net

 

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

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

By Lucas Morais via Renewables Now

 

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

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

By Agostino Pestroni via EcoWatch

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

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

 

Via Brazil-Arab News Agency

 

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

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

 

By Emiliano Bellini via PV Magazine

 

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

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

 

Via GlobeNewsWire

 

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Brasilia [10/10/2020]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

By Kelli Kadanus via Gazeta do Povo

 

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

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

 

Via Brazil-Arab News Agency

 

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

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

 

By Gram Slattery and Carolina Mandl via Reuters

 

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

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

 

Via Brazil-Arab News Agency

 

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

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

 

By Angelica Mari via ZD Net

 

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

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

 

Via CNA

 

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

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

 

Via Merco Press

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

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

Via Reve

 

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

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

 

Via Brazil-Arab News Agency

 

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

 

By Julia K. Kadish and Liisa Thomas via Mondaq

 

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

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

 

By Eduardo Simões via Swissinfo.ch

 

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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 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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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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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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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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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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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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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

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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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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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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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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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 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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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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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’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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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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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’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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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 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 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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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

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 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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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 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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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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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’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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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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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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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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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

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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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 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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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 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, 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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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’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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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

 

Read full article here

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

 

Register Here

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

 

Read full article here

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

Read full article here

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

 

Read full article here

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

 

Read full article here

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

 

Read full article here

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

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

 

Read full article here

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

 

Read full article here

(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

 

Read full article here

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

 

Read full article here

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

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

Read full article here

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

 

Read full article here

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

 

Read full article here

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

 

Read full article here

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

 

Read full article here

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

 

Read full article here

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

 

Read full article here

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

 

Read full article here

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

 

Read full article here

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

 

Read full article here

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

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

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

(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 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

 

Read full article here

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.

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

 

Read full article here

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

 

Read full article here

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 ExpressAmazonia-1 will be the first satellite for Earth Observation that is designed, assembled and tested in Brazil.

 

Via Tech 2

 

Read full article here

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

 

Read full article here

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

 

Read full article here

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

 

Read full article here

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

 

Read full article here

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

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”

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.

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 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

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

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

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

 

Read full article here

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

 

Read full article here

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

 

Read full article here

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

 

Read full article here

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

 

Read full article here

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

 

Read full article here

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 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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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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