The acting President of the Republic and Minister of Development, Industry, Commerce and Services, Geraldo Alckmin, signed on Monday night (23) a cooperation agreement with the Federation of Industries of the State of São Paulo (Fiesp) to promote and strengthen actions to combat unfair and illegal practices in Brazilian foreign trade.
At the event, the president of Fiesp, Paulo Skaf, took advantage of the signing ceremony of the protocols of intentions to ask the acting president that the discussion on the end of the 6×1 scale be postponed until next year, mainly because this is an election year.
“We need this discussion to go on to 2027. We are always open to debating everything. But in an election year, emotions, feelings, motivations often conflict with the country’s interests”, said Skaf.
In response, Alckmin defended the need for changes in working hours and highlighted that this has been happening all over the world.
“There is a global tendency for you to have a reduction. In fact, this is already happening. So, this is a debate that should not be rushed and should be deepened, since you have very different situations within the production sector itself. But this is a trend”, declared the acting president.
Trade defense
Alongside the president of Fiesp, Alckmin signed two documents: a protocol of intentions on trade defense and another on the regulatory environment, which aims to combat bureaucratization and promote competitiveness.
“Cooperation with the productive sector in trade defense will contribute to strengthening fair trade and promoting a more balanced competitive environment”, argued Alckmin.
According to Fiesp, the trade defense protocol aims to establish bases for institutional cooperation between the ministry and Fiesp, with a view to promoting fair trade and the adequate use by Brazil of trade defense instruments and combating unfair and illegal trade practices provided for in national and international legislation. One of the planned actions is the creation of a dumping margin calculator, in addition to sharing experiences and technical tools.
The second protocol deals more specifically with the regulatory environment and aims to establish bases for institutional cooperation between the ministry and Fiesp, seeking to promote the reduction of bureaucracy, strengthen and promote competitiveness and regulatory quality in the country, reduce regulatory and administrative costs for companies and society and develop actions to reduce barriers and systemic costs for undertaking and investing in Brazil. This proposal includes, for example, the expansion of the digitalization of public services and systems integration.
“We are going to take a formal measure today, with the aim of moving forward and truly having an efficient trade defense in Brazil, so that we cannot allow our sectors and our jobs to be attacked in an unfair way”, said Skaf at the signing ceremony, which took place during the Fiesp board meeting.
Geraldo Alckmin, alongside the president of Fiesp, Paulo Skaf, during the Anti-Duping Agreement signing ceremony. Photo: Paulo Pinto/Agência Brasil
Selic
Speaking to the entity’s board of directors, Alckmin also said he was confident that the Monetary Policy Committee (Copom) would begin, at its next meeting scheduled for March, to reduce the basic interest rate (Selic), currently established at 15% per year. “We are confident that the interest rate reduction will begin at the next Copom meeting,” he said.
According to the acting president, this must occur because of the appreciation of the real and the disinflation of food. “We should see an improvement there,” added Alckmin, regarding his expectation of an improvement in the economy with the tendency to reduce interest rates.
Taxation
To the businessmen and industrialists present at the Fiesp meeting, Alckmin spoke again today that he considers it positive for Brazil the new global tariff of 15% which was established this week by the United States government.
The measure, which was announced by Trump as a response to the Supreme Court to strike down tariffs on imported products that had been imposed globally by him last year, was applied to all countries and represents a change from previous tariffs, which varied by nation.
“The most benefited country in the world [com essa decisão] it was Brazil”, said Alckmin, reinforcing that the biggest problem was when the United States had only taxed Brazil.
“The problem of 10% + 40% [de taxas] it was a problem [para o Brasil]. But this 15% decision is okay because it is 15% for us and for the whole world. Now, the most benefited country in the world was Brazil. This opens up an avenue in terms of returning to important foreign trade with the United States”, he stated.
