BRASÍLIA – United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai met with Brazil’s Vice President and Minister of Development, Industry, Foreign Trade and Services, Dr. Geraldo Alckmin, and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mauro Vieira during her first trip to the country. Ambassador Tai reaffirmed the strong U.S – Brazil relationship and highlighted the shared values between President Biden’s worker-centered trade policies and the approach of the new Lula administration.
During her meetings with Vice President Alckmin and Minister Vieira, they emphasized the commitment to inclusive growth that protects the environment and promotes sustainability. They also agreed to strengthen and deepen the bilateral trade and economic partnership through the Agreement on Trade and Economic Partnership (ATEC) ahead of the bicentennial of U.S.-Brazil diplomatic relations in 2024. Ambassador Tai expressed her interest in convening an ATEC meeting before the end of the year and they directed their technical teams to develop a work program in the months ahead that can help create more resilient supply chains, spur invest in clean technologies, promote the rights of workers, and create shared prosperity.
Ambassador Tai also highlighted the Biden Administration’s renewed commitment to multilateral engagement and USTR’s extensive, ongoing effort to reform the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) negotiating function, committee work and dispute resolution, including the dispute settlement system. She underscored the importance of working with Brazil as well as other developed and developing Members to identify solutions that help ensure the WTO is more responsive to the challenges and opportunities in today’s global economy.
