U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and Assistant to the President for International Economic Affairs Michael Froman today announced the U.S. private sector participants of the U.S.-Brazil CEO Forum. The fourth meeting of the Forum will be held in Washington, D.C., July 20-21, 2009. Locke and Froman will co-chair the meeting with Brazilian Presidential Chief of Staff Minister Dilma Rousseff, and Minister of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade Miguel Jorge.
The Forum, made up of 20 CEOs from the United States and Brazil, meets twice a year to make recommendations to the two governments on ways to strengthen the U.S.-Brazil economic relationship. The U.S. CEOs serve two-year terms, and are selected from respondents to a joint Commerce-White House Federal Register Notice for applicants to the U.S. section of the Forum.
U.S. Section Tim Solso, Chairman & CEO (Cummins Inc.) – U.S. Section Chair James Hackett, Chairman, President & CEO (Anadarko Petroleum Corporation) Lee McIntire, President & CEO (CH2M HILL) William Rhodes, Chairman, President & CEO (Citibank, N.A.) Gregory Page, Chairman & CEO (Cargill) Muhtar Kent, Chairman & CEO (The Coca-Cola Company) David B. Speer, Chairman & CEO (Illinois Tool Works Inc.) John Faraci, Chairman & CEO (International Paper) Greg Brown, President & Co-CEO (Motorola Inc.) Stephen Angel, Chairman, President & CEO (Praxair, Inc.) “The United States enjoys a strong commercial relationship with Brazil, representing nearly $63 billion in bilateral trade in 2008,” Locke said. “The CEO Forum provides recommendations to the two governments to strengthen our bilateral commercial relationship. I am looking forward to meeting with the CEOs and Ministers Jorge and Rousseff to discuss our mutual interests.” “President Obama is committed to deepening our economic engagement with Brazil and the CEO Forum is an excellent way to discuss issues important to the business community and foster public private partnership. We are looking forward to a robust discussion with the U.S. and Brazilian business community representatives and the Government of Brazil,” Froman said.
The CEOs will discuss critical business issues, including the negotiation of a bilateral tax treaty and a bilateral investment treaty, customs facilitation and express reform, energy and infrastructure. The Forum’s recommendations have advanced discussions between the United States and Brazil governments on other important issues such as visas, customs procedures, education and infrastructure reforms.
U.S. exports to Brazil in 2008 were $32.3 billion, an increase of 34 percent from the previous year. Brazil is the United States’ 9th largest export market.
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce
