5 de Junho de 2024 às 10:41

Brazil and China: Brazilian industry presents 16 proposals to strengthen cooperation

To strengthen the strategic partnership between Brazil and China, the president of Confederação Nacional da Indústria (CNI), Ricardo Alban, will take 16 priority proposals from Brazilian industry to businesspeople and the government of the Asian country this week. The CNI's board of directors is part of the Brazilian government's trade mission to the country and Saudi Arabia, from June 2 to 7, led by the Vice President of the Republic and Minister of Development, Industry, Trade and Services (MDIC), Geraldo Alckmin.

The meeting is part of the Brazilian industry's strategy to strengthen further its relationship with China, Brazil's leading trading partner, and the country's 8th largest direct investor. The CNI considers the current moment to be opportune for structuring the agenda for industrial cooperation with the Asian country, especially in science, technology and innovation, to attract investment.

During the visit to Beijing, the Brazilian industry will present proposals in different areas, mapped out with companies. These include actions in renewable energy, technology transfer for sustainable mobility, expansion of space cooperation, regulatory cooperation in pharmaceutical inspection and agricultural biotechnology, decarbonization hubs for the steel industry, development of supply chains for Brazilian green hydrogen, elimination of trade barriers, promotion of bioeconomy projects and technical exchange, among others.

"The agenda's future between Brazil and China must be based on sustainability and technological innovation, creating momentum for the next 50 years of economic and commercial partnership. We invite Chinese companies to expand sustainable investments in Brazil. I affirm that CNI will support those who plan to invest in their businesses and encourage the agenda of technology transfer and innovation linked to new investments," says President Ricardo Alban.

During a business seminar, with the participation of authorities and businesspeople from both countries, memorandums of understanding (MoU) will be announced between Chinese entities and CNI, Serviço Nacional de Aprendizagem Industrial (SENAI) and the Instituto Euvaldo Lodi (IEL). The agreements aim to facilitate the expansion of Brazilian companies in the Chinese market and create a group of high-tech CEOs; enable the training of executives in strategic sectors and promote innovation in the industry; strengthen cooperation between organizations; and develop actions for technology exchanges and technical skills training.

Trade relations between Brazil and China

In 2024, diplomatic relations between Brazil and China will be 50 years old, in addition to 30 years of strategic partnership and 20 years since the creation of the Comissão Sino-Brasileira de Alto Nível de Concentração e Cooperação (Cosban), the primary mechanism for government dialog between the countries, under the command of the two vice-presidents of the Republic.

China is Brazil's main trading partner and the country's 8th largest direct investor. In 2023, Brazilian exports to China totaled US$104.3 billion, an increase of 16.97% compared to 2022, when the figure was US$89.4 billion. The country's imports to Brazil amounted to US$53.2 billion, a drop of 12.54% in 2023 compared to the previous year when they amounted to US$60.7 billion. The CNI compiled the data from ComexStat statistics.

Industry also had an agenda in Saudi Arabia

Before visiting China, the government delegation visited Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, when the country wanted to strengthen its trade relations with Brazil. Brazil has been chosen as a strategic partner for investment since 2019, and from that year until 2023, the sectors that have received the most investment announcements from the country in Brazil have been renewable energy and fossil fuels. According to the CNI, trade with the Arabs could jump from US$8 billion to US$20 billion by 2030.

Recently, during President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's visit to Saudi Arabia in 2023, the Arabs announced the Saudi Sovereign Fund's intention to invest US$70 billion in Brazil, of which US$9 billion would be over the next seven years. The range of possibilities includes projects in clean energy, green hydrogen, defense, science and technology, agriculture, and infrastructure connected to the New PAC.

In addition to CNI's president, Ricardo Alban, the Brazilian business delegation includes the director of Industrial Development, Rafael Lucchesi; the director of Technology and Innovation, Jefferson Gomes; the superintendent of International Relations, Frederico Lamego; and the general director of SENAI Cimatec, Leone Andrade.