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Brazil: Background and U.S. Relations [February 11, 2016]
"The United States traditionally has enjoyed robust economic and political relations with Brazil, which is the fifth most populous country and ninth-largest economy in the world. Brazil is recognized by the Obama Administration as a 'major global player' and an 'indispensable partner' on issues ranging from international development to climate change. Administration officials have often highlighted Brazil's status as a multicultural democracy, referring to the country as a natural partner that shares values and goals with the United States. Bilateral ties have been strained from time to time as the countries' occasionally divergent national interests and independent foreign policies have led to disagreements. U.S.-Brazilian relations were particularly strained following revelations in 2013 of alleged National Security Agency (NSA) activities inside Brazil. Cooperation has improved over the past year and a half, however, culminating in a June 2015 presidential meeting at the White House. Brazil and the United States are currently working together to address an outbreak of the Zika virus in Brazil and other Western Hemisphere nations. Other ongoing areas of engagement include trade, energy, security, racial equality, and the environment."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Meyer, Peter J.
2016-02-11
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Brazil: Background and U.S. Relations [August 20, 2015]
"The United States traditionally has enjoyed robust economic and political relations with Brazil, which is the seventh-largest economy in the world and is recognized by the Obama Administration as a 'major global player' and an 'indispensable partner' on issues ranging from international development to climate change. Administration officials have often highlighted Brazil's status as a multicultural democracy, referring to the country as a natural partner that shares values and goals with the United States. Bilateral ties have been strained from time to time as the countries' occasionally divergent national interests and independent foreign policies have led to disagreements. U.S.-Brazilian relations were particularly strained following revelations in 2013 of alleged National Security Agency (NSA) activities inside Brazil. Cooperation has improved over the past year, however, culminating in a June 2015 presidential meeting at the White House. Ongoing areas of engagement include trade, energy, security, racial equality, and the environment."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Meyer, Peter J.
2015-08-20
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Brazil: Political and Economic Situation and U.S. Relations [March 27, 2014]
"The United States has traditionally enjoyed cooperative relations with Brazil, which is the seventh-largest economy in the world and is recognized by the Obama Administration's National Security Strategy as an emerging center of influence. Administration officials have often highlighted Brazil's status as a multicultural democracy, referring to the country as a natural partner that shares values and goals with the United States. Bilateral ties have been strained from time to time, however, as the countries' occasionally divergent national interests and independent foreign policies have led to disagreements. U.S.-Brazilian relations have been particularly strained over the past year as a result of alleged National Security Agency (NSA) activities inside Brazil. Nevertheless, the countries continue to engage on issues such as trade, energy, security, racial equality, and the environment. [...] Brazil has remained a subject of interest in the 113th Congress. In June 2013, the House Committee on Ways and Means, Subcommittee on Trade, held a hearing examining the opportunities and challenges of the U.S.-Brazil trade and investment relationship. As part of the farm bill reauthorization (P.L. 113-79), Congress approved modifications to the U.S. cotton program that could help resolve a long-running trade dispute with Brazil. Congress also continued to support conservation of the Amazon Rainforest, appropriating $10.5 million for environmental programs in the Brazilian Amazon in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014 (P.L. 113-76). Other measures that have been introduced in the 113th Congress include two bills designed to pressure Brazil to amend its constitution and allow the extradition of Brazilian nationals; H.R. 571 would suspend foreign assistance to Brazil, and H.R. 572 would suspend the issuance of visas to Brazilian nationals until Brazil changes its extradition policy."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Meyer, Peter J.
2014-03-27
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Brazil-U.S. Relations [February 27, 2013]
"As its economy has grown to be the seventh largest in the world, Brazil has utilized its newfound economic power to consolidate its influence in South America and play a larger role in international affairs. The Obama Administration's National Security Strategy recognizes Brazil as an emerging center of influence, and welcomes the country's leadership on bilateral, hemispheric, and global issues. U.S.-Brazil relations generally have been positive in recent years, though Brazil has prioritized strengthening relations with neighboring countries and expanding ties with nontraditional partners in the 'developing South.' While some foreign policy disagreements have emerged, the United States and Brazil continue to engage on issues such as security, energy, trade, human rights, and the environment. […] This report analyzes Brazil's political, economic, and social conditions, and how those conditions affect its role in the world and its relationship with the United States."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Meyer, Peter J.
2013-02-27
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Brazil-U.S. Relations [October 11, 2012]
"As its economy has grown to be the sixth largest in the world, Brazil has consolidated its power in South America and become increasingly prominent on the world stage. The Obama Administration regards Brazil as an emerging center of influence, whose leadership it welcomes 'to pursue progress on bilateral, hemispheric, and global issues.' In recent years, U.S.-Brazil relations have generally been positive despite Brazil's prioritization of strengthening relations with neighboring countries and expanding ties with nontraditional partners in the 'developing South.' Although some disagreements have emerged, Brazil and the United States continue to engage on issues such as security, energy, trade, human rights, and the environment."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Meyer, Peter J.
2012-10-11
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Brazil-U.S. Relations [March 7, 2012]
"As its economy has grown to be the sixth largest in the world, Brazil has consolidated its power in South America, extended its influence to the broader region, and become increasingly prominent on the world stage. The Obama Administration regards Brazil as an emerging center of influence, whose leadership it welcomes 'to pursue progress on bilateral, hemispheric, and global issues.' In recent years, U.S.-Brazil relations have generally been positive despite Brazil's prioritization of strengthening relations with neighboring countries and expanding ties with nontraditional partners in the 'developing South.' Although some disagreements have emerged, Brazil and the United States continue to engage on a number of issues, including security, energy, trade, human rights, and the environment. Dilma Rousseff of the ruling center-left Workers' Party was inaugurated to a four-year presidential term on January 1, 2011. She is Brazil's first female president. Rousseff inherited a country that has benefited from what many analysts consider 16 years of stable and capable governance under Presidents Cardoso (1995-2002) and Lula (2003-2010). Her multiparty coalition holds significant majorities in both houses of Brazil's legislature; however, keeping the unwieldy coalition together to advance her policy agenda has proven challenging. She has won approval for a truth commission to investigate abuses during the military regime but other important initiatives have yet to advance. Rousseff has lost six cabinet ministers to corruption scandals but remains popular. In January 2012, 59% of Brazilians approved of her Administration, the highest approval rating for an administration after one year in office since the return to democracy."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Meyer, Peter J.
2012-03-07
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Brazil-U.S. Relations [November 22, 2011]
"As its economy has grown to be the seventh largest in the world, Brazil has consolidated its power in South America, extended its influence to the broader region, and become increasingly prominent on the world stage. The Obama Administration's national security strategy regards Brazil as an emerging center of influence, whose leadership it welcomes 'to pursue progress on bilateral, hemispheric, and global issues.' In recent years, U.S.-Brazil relations have generally been positive despite Brazil's prioritization of strengthening relations with neighboring countries and expanding ties with nontraditional partners in the 'developing South.' Although some disagreements have emerged, Brazil and the United States continue to engage on a number of issues, including counternarcotics, counterterrorism, energy security, trade, human rights, and the environment. […] The 112th Congress has maintained interest in U.S.-Brazil relations. Several pieces of legislation have been introduced, including bills that would suspend foreign assistance to Brazil (H.R. 2246) and the issuance of visas to Brazilian nationals (H.R. 2556) until the country amends its constitution to allow for the extradition of its citizens, and bills (H.R. 3039 and S. 1653) designed to accelerate visa processing for citizens of Brazil and other countries. Additionally, the House initially adopted a provision (H.Amdt. 454), which was dropped from the final legislation (H.R. 2112), that would have prevented the United States from providing payments to the Brazil Cotton Institute as it agreed to do to temporarily resolve a World Trade Organization dispute with Brazil. This report analyzes Brazil's political, economic, and social conditions, and how those conditions affect its role in the world and its relationship with the United States."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Meyer, Peter J.
2011-11-22
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Brazil-U.S. Relations [July 29, 2011]
From the Summary: "As its economy has grown to be the eighth largest in the world, Brazil has consolidated its power in South America, extended its influence to the broader region, and become increasingly prominent on the world stage. The Obama Administration's national security strategy regards Brazil as an emerging center of influence, whose leadership it welcomes 'to pursue progress on bilateral, hemispheric, and global issues.' In recent years, U.S.-Brazil relations have generally been positive despite Brazil's prioritization of strengthening relations with neighboring countries and expanding ties with nontraditional partners in the 'developing South.' Although some disagreements have emerged, Brazil and the United States continue to engage on a number of issues, including counternarcotics, counterterrorism, energy security, trade, human rights, and the environment. […] Although current conditions and Brazil's recent performance suggest the country will sustain solid economic growth rates in the near term, several constraints on mid- and long-term growth remain. The 112th Congress has maintained interest in U.S.-Brazil relations. Several pieces of legislation have been introduced, including bills that would suspend foreign assistance to Brazil (H.R. 2246) and the issuance of visas to Brazilian nationals (H.R. 2556) until the country amends its constitution to allow for the extradition of its citizens. Additionally, the House adopted legislation (H.R. 2112) that includes a provision (H.Amdt. 454) that would prevent any funds made available under the Act from being used to provide payments to the Brazil Cotton Institute. This report analyzes Brazil's political, economic, and social conditions, and how those conditions affect its role in the world and its relationship with the United States."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Meyer, Peter J.
2011-07-29
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Brazil-U.S. Relations [February 9, 2011]
"With a gross national income (GNI) of $1.6 trillion, Brazil is the largest economy in Latin America. Over the past eight years, the country has enjoyed average annual growth of over 4%. This growth has been driven by a boom in international demand for its commodity exports and the increased purchasing power of Brazil's fast-growing middle class, which has added 30 million people over the past eight years and now accounts for a majority of the population. In 2010, the value of Brazil's exports reached some $202 billion, contributing to a trade surplus of $20.3 billion. The country's current economic strength is the result of a series of policy reforms implemented over the course of two decades that reduced inflation, established stability, and fostered growth. These policies have also enabled Brazil to better absorb international shocks like the recent global financial crisis, from which Brazil emerged relatively unscathed. Although current conditions and Brazil's recent performance suggest the country will sustain solid economic growth rates in the near term, several constraints on mid- and long-term growth remain. Previous Congresses have demonstrated considerable interest in U.S.-Brazil relations, particularly energy and trade issues. Several pieces of legislation were introduced during the 111th Congress, including a bill (S. 587) that would have provided $6 million to expand U.S.-Brazil biofuels cooperation, and a bill (H.R. 5439) that would have offset U.S. contributions to a fund for Brazilian cotton farmers--created as a result of a World Trade Organization dispute--by reducing subsidy payments for U.S. cotton farmers. These issues, as well as other topics in U.S.-Brazil relations, are likely to remain on the agenda of the 112th Congress. This report analyzes Brazil's political, economic, and social conditions, and how those conditions affect its role in the world and its relationship with the United States."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Meyer, Peter J.
2011-02-09
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Brazil-U.S. Relations [September 7, 2010]
From the Summary: "As its economy has grown to be the 10th largest in the world, Brazil has consolidated its power in South America, extended its influence to the broader region, and become increasingly prominent on the world stage. The Obama Administration's national security strategy regards Brazil as an emerging center of influence, whose leadership it welcomes 'to pursue progress on bilateral, hemispheric, and global issues.' In recent years, U.S.-Brazil relations have generally been positive despite Brazil's prioritization of strengthening relations with neighboring countries and expanding ties with nontraditional partners in the 'developing South.' Although some disagreements have emerged over the past two years--such as different policy approaches toward the situations in Honduras and Iran--Brazil and the United States continue to work together on a number of issues, including counternarcotics, counterterrorism, energy security, trade, human rights, HIV/AIDS, and the environment."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Meyer, Peter J.
2010-09-07
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Brazil-U.S. Relations [Updated June 3, 2009]
"This report, which will be updated periodically, analyzes Brazil's political, economic, and social conditions, and how those conditions affect its role in the region and its relationship with the United States."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Meyer, Peter J.; Seelke, Clare Ribando
2009-06-03
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Brazil-U.S. Relations [Updated October 6, 2008]
"This [CRS] report, which will be updated periodically, analyzes Brazil's political, economic, and social conditions, and how those conditions affect its role in the region and its relationship with the United States. [...] On January 1, 2007, Luis Inácio 'Lula' da Silva, of the leftist Workers Party (PT), was inaugurated for a second four-year term as President of Brazil. Lula was re-elected in the second round of voting with fairly broad popular support. His immediate tasks were to boost Brazil's lagging economic growth and address the issues of crime and violence. Despite President Lula's personal popularity, many predicted that intra-party rivalries within his fragile governing coalition would make it hard for him to push his agenda through Brazil's notoriously fractured legislature."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Seelke, Clare Ribando
2008-10-06
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Brazil-U.S. Relations [September 18, 2008]
"On January 1, 2007, Luis Inácio 'Lula' da Silva, of the leftist Workers' Party (PT), was inaugurated for a second four-year term as President of Brazil. Lula was re-elected in the second round of voting with fairly broad popular support. His immediate tasks were to boost Brazil's lagging economic growth and address the issues of crime, violence, and poverty. Despite President Lula's personal popularity, many predicted that intra-party rivalries within his governing coalition would make it hard for him to push his agenda through Brazil's notoriously fractured legislature. President Lula enjoys high approval ratings (72% in June 2008) and is benefitting from a strong economy (GDP growth exceeded 5% in 2007). Ongoing corruption investigations involving President Lula's PT party have not diminished the strength of his second term in office, and some are urging him to seek a third presidential term, a move that would require a constitutional amendment. Some have criticized President Lula, however, for thus far being unwilling or unable to use his significant political capital to gain legislative approval for a more robust political and economic reform agenda. Few predict that either President Lula or the Brazilian Congress will take action on any major reform agenda until after the October 2008 municipal elections are held."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Seelke, Clare Ribando; Durand, Alessandra
2008-09-18
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Brazil-U.S. Relations [Updated January 11, 2008]
"On January 1, 2007, Luis Inácio 'Lula' da Silva, of the leftist Workers Party (PT), was inaugurated for a second four-year term as President of Brazil. Lula was re-elected in the second round of voting with fairly broad popular support. His immediate tasks were to boost Brazil's lagging economic growth and address the issues of crime and violence. Despite President Lula's personal popularity, many predicted that intra-party rivalries within his fragile governing coalition would make it hard for him to push his agenda through Brazil's notoriously fractured legislature. [...] During the first Lula term, Brazil's relations with the United States were generally positive, although President Lula prioritized strengthening relations with neighboring countries and expanding ties with nontraditional partners, including India and China. Brazil-U.S. cooperation has increased during President Lula's second term, particularly on energy issues. President Bush visited Brazil on March 9, 2007, and President Lula visited Camp David on March 31. Those presidential visits culminated in the signing of U.S.-Brazil Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to promote greater ethanol production and use throughout Latin America. [...] This report, which will be updated periodically, analyzes Brazil's political, economic, and social conditions, and how those conditions affect its role in the region and its relationship with the United States."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Seelke, Clare Ribando
2008-01-11
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Brazil-U.S. Relations [February 28, 2007]
From the Summary: "In recent years, congressional interest in Brazil has focused on the U.S.- Brazilian bilateral trade relationship, as well as Brazil's role in sub-regional, regional, and global trade talks in the Doha round of the World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations. In December 2006, Congress extended trade preferences for Brazil under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), but set thresholds that may limit trade preferences for some Brazilian exports compared to previous years. Interest in Brazil also centers on its role as a stabilizing force in Latin America, especially with respect to Venezuela and Bolivia. Brazil's role as an ethanol producer has generated growing interest in Congress. In addition, Brazil is a key U.S. ally whose cooperation is sought on issues that include counternarcotics and counterterrorism efforts; human rights concerns, such as race relations and trafficking in persons; the environment, including protection of the Amazon; and HIV/AIDS prevention. This report analyzes Brazil's political, economic, and social conditions, and how those conditions affect its role in the region and its relationship with the United States."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Seelke, Clare Ribando
2007-02-28
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Brazil-U.S. Relations [June 5, 2006]
"In January 2003, President Luis Inácio 'Lula' da Silva, of the leftist Workers' Party (PT), began a four-year term as President of Brazil. Despite winning on a leftist platform, President Lula has maintained the orthodox economic policies associated with his predecessor, even surpassing fiscal and monetary targets. Inflation and interest rates have been on a downward trend, Brazil's credit rating has improved, but economic growth remains modest (2.3% in 2005). In 2003, President Lula gained congressional approval of social security and tax reforms and in 2004 a new law to increase private investment in public infrastructure projects. Despite these achievements, legislative progress stalled in 2005, and President Lula has been criticized for failing to develop effective social programs to address Brazil's persistent problems concerning land redistribution, social inequality, and crime."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Seelke, Clare Ribando
2006-06-05
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