Brazil Business in Brief

Brazil Business in Brief October 2011 Brazil Business in Brief is a monthly publication of the Dutch Economic Network in Brazil composed of the Embassy in Brasília, the Consulates-General in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro and the Netherlands Business Support Offices in Porto Alegre and Recife. The publication provides a selection of news and developments in Dutch priority areas in the Brazilian economy. It is shared with public and private entities with special interests in Brazil. It is put together on the basis of publicly available information from various sources such as news articles, press releases and third party information. The Dutch Economic Network in Brazil, however, is not responsible for the accuracy of the published information. Inhoud 1. Algemeen Braziliaanse staatssecretaris Heloísa Guimarães de Menezes bezoekt Nederland Brazil in numbers Brazilië stijgt op de Global Competitiveness Ranking Study on Brazilian multinationals shows advanced foreign investment Europe triples investment in Brazil Record-export Europa naar Brazilië Brazil raises taxes on imported cars Sterke groei van investeringen in deelstaat Rio de Janeiro Opportunities in equipments for energy from coal production 2. Transport en Logistiek Brazil sets tough rules for airport concession Trans North-eastern railway on track in Pernambuco Construction of the West-east railroad in Bahia is expected to start soon PACCAR Selects DAF Brasil Factory Site 3. Olie en Gas Rio de Janeiro plans a petroleum logistic district in the northern shore of the state 4. WK 2014 Nog veel te doen voor WK 2014 5. Milieu Bahia inaugurates its first wind energy unit International Trade Fair on Environmental Sanitation Technologies 6. Agribusiness Genetisch gemodificeerde zwarte bonen Toename verkoop gewasbeschermingsmiddelen Rio Grande do Sul State increases support for sheep production Expointer: the biggest agro-industrial fair in Latin America and the 5 th in the world. 7. Vakbeurzen in Brazilië 8. (Voorgenomen) missies naar Brazilië 1

1. Algemeen Braziliaanse staatssecretaris Heloísa Guimarães de Menezes bezoekt Nederland Helóisa Guimarães de Menezes, de Braziliaanse staatssecretaris voor productie ontwikkeling van het Ministerie van Ontwikkeling, Industrie en Buitenlandse Handel, bezoekt van 4-7 oktober Nederland op uitnodiging van Minister Verhagen van het Ministerie van Economische Zaken, Landbouw en Innovatie. Zij brengt onder meer een bezoek aan het Havenbedrijf in Rotterdam, de universiteiten in Delft en Eindhoven en het Shell Technology Centre in Amsterdam. In het huis van de burgemeester van Amsterdam, Eberhard van der Laan, spreekt zij met een groep van CEO s, gevolgd door een Concert in het Concertgebouw, ter gelegenheid van het Brazilië festival in Amsterdam, www.brasilfestival.nl. Op 6 oktober is de staatssecretaris key-note spreker bij het Netherlands Brasil Business Meet, www.nbbm.nl, waar samen met het Nederlands bedrijfsleven kansen op de Braziliaanse markt en wederzijdse handel besproken zullen worden. Source: Ambassade van het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden Brazil in numbers The dollar and euro strengthened vis-à-vis the real last month. The financial market is projecting that inflation this year will top the government s target. In the Central Bank s weekly Focus survey of market analysts, the average projection for this year s broad consumer price index (IPCA) rose from 6.46% to 6.52%. This is above the upper limit of 6.5% for the year s target. The last time the market projected that inflation would top a yearly target was in July 2008. Source: BrasilInform, October 3. Brazilië stijgt op de Global Competitiveness Ranking Brazilië is vijf plaatsen gestegen van de 58 ste naar de 53 ste plaats op de Global Competitiveness Ranking. Daarmee is het concurrerender dan andere Latijns Amerikaanse economieën met uitzondering van Chili, Puerto Rico, Barbados en Panama. Binnen de BRICS is Brazilië minder concurrerend dan China (plaats 26), India en Zuid-Afrika (beide 50), maar presteert het beter dan Rusland (66). Nederland steeg één plaats in de ranking naar de zevende positie. Source: Ambassade van het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden Study on Brazilian multinationals shows advanced foreign investment Economic newspaper Valor Econômico published end of September a special study on Brazilian multinationals showing the advances made by companies in the last years. In the four years since the first edition of Brazilian Multinationals study, there has been a radical change in Brazilian companies activities abroad for the better. In 2008, 23% of companies had their own production units on foreign soil. This year with the data presented in this study the figure jumped to 33.6%. Five Brazilian companies (Vale, Petrobrás, Ambev, Votorantim Cimentos and Gerdau) showed assets of over US$ 10 billion outside Brazil. If, compared to other emerging nations, this number may not seem significant, but it is important because it represents the consolidation of Brazil s global presence. The internationalization index of Brazilian multinationals held steady at 23% after declining in 2009. Besides the troubled international scenario, one factor adding to this stability is that builders, who always played major role in Brazil s overseas presence, redirected investments to meet the large demand for projects at home ahead of the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Also according to this study when choosing a new investment destination, these were the main determining factor for Brazilian companies: 31,3% the size of the local market; 25,1% access to other international or regional markets; 16,3% the growth of the local market; 11,7% stable investment environment; 15,6% other reasons. Source: Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, São Paulo. Europe triples investment in Brazil European companies nearly tripled productive investments in Brazil. The Brazilian Central Bank figures indicate that Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) coming from the Eurozone rose to US$ 23.4 billion in the first seven months of this year, compared with US$ 7.9 billion in the same period of 2010. The Netherlands is in the top position (1st place) with a total of US$ 12,703 million (from January to July 2011). Source: Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, São Paulo. Record-export Europa naar Brazilië De export van Europese landen naar Brazilië heeft het afgelopen half jaar opnieuw een record bereikt. Er werd de afgelopen zes maanden voor 16,9 miljard euro uitgevoerd. In dezelfde periode 2

vorig jaar was dat nog 14,8 miljard euro. Dat blijkt uit gegevens van het Europese statistiekbureaueurostat. De export vanuit Europa naar het Zuid-Amerikaanse land groeit de laatste jaren erg hard. Tussen 2003 en 2008 was er al een gestage groei, maar de export bereikte een hoogtepunt in 2009 met 21,6 miljard euro. Een jaar later werd er zelfs voor 31,3 miljard uitgevoerd. Het gaat vooral om industriële producten. De import vanuit Brazilië is de laatste jaren redelijk stabiel. Er worden vooral grondstoffen, eten en drank ingevoerd. Bron: NOS, september 29. Brazil raises taxes on imported cars On September 15, the Brazilian government announced an increase in the IPI (tax on industrial products) for imported vehicles and domestic automakers that do not meet new investment and domestic content requirements. The IPI went up 30 percentage points. Currently the tax ranges from 7% to 25%, depending on the model and power of the car. Now it will be between 37% and 55%. The measure affects all cars and trucks, without exception. For consumers, the impact varies from 25% to 28% more in the final price, according to estimates by the Finance Minister Guido Mantega. The assessment of the requirements will be made in the next two months by the government. During this period, the tax remains at the current levels. Those that do not follow the rules, such as having 65% domestic content, for example, will collect the tax relating to these months afterwards. The measure will be in effect until December of 2012 and is part of the plan to stimulate the "Greater Brazil" industry, announced last month by President Dilma Rousseff. The original forecast was that it would remain in effect until 2016, but the government opted for a shorter period. In the plan, a tax reduction was also expected, but a tax increase was chosen because there was resistance from industry to joining the program and passing on cost reduction to consumers. The estimate of the Finance Ministry is that between 12 and 15 domestic automakers will be able to count on the tax advantage. In other words, there should not be an increase in car prices due to the increase in the IPI. In addition to the percentage of domestic components, it is necessary to fulfill at least six of eleven component fabrication requirements domestically, like engines. Since Brazil has automotive agreements with Argentina and Mexico, components from these countries will not be considered imported. Therefore, the government estimates that about half of the imported vehicles will have the tax increase. Those mainly affected should be Chinese, Korean and luxury cars, which have gained Brazilian market share. Source: Folha de São Paulo, September 16. Sterke groei van investeringen in deelstaat Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, door haar stranden, carnaval en andere attracties zoals de Suikerbroodberg vooral bekend als toeristische hoofdstad van Brazilië, heeft zich de afgelopen jaren zeer sterk ontwikkeld op economisch gebied. Naast de booming olie en gassector, aangewakkerd door de vondst van spectaculaire reserves voor de kust van Rio de Janeiro, is er een enorme groei waarneembaar in de scheepsbouw en staalindustrie. Het WK voetbal in 2014 en de Olympische Spelen in 2016 zorgen daarnaast voor aanzienlijke investeringen in de infrastructuur en veiligheid. De cijfers liegen er niet om: in september werd bekend dat de deelstaat Rio in 2010 zowel de deelstaat São Paulo als Minas Gerais voorbij is gestreefd als belangrijkste bestemming van investeringen (US$ 18,45 miljard ten opzichte van respectievelijk US$ 10,4 en US$ 10,6 miljard). Ook het huidige politieke klimaat zorgt voor wind in de zeilen van Rio; na decennia van strubbelingen tussen gemeente, deelstaat en federale regering is er de afgelopen jaren sprake van een hechte samenwerking tussen deze overheden. Deze ontwikkelingen hebben ervoor gezorgd dat bij investeringen en nieuwe vestigingen van multinationals, Rio tegenwoordig gezien kan worden als serieuze concurrent van andere Braziliaanse zakencentra zoals São Paulo. Rio is zich hiervan goed bewust: een speciale publiekprivate organisatie Rio Negócios ( Rio Business ) is vorig jaar in het leven geroepen om (potentiële) nationale en internationale investeerders aan te trekken en te begeleiden bij hun eerste stappen in deze miljoenenstad. Er zijn in korte tijd al enkele grote successen geboekt: na veel lobbywerk heeft bijvoorbeeld General Electric gekozen voor Rio voor de bouw van een groot onderzoekscentrum (investering van US$ 450 miljoen). Bronnen: O Globo, 11 september & www.rio-negocios.com. Opportunities equipment for energy from coal production Brazil wants to diminish the import of Bolivian coal and start to buy (internally import) from Rio Grande do Sul (RS) and redirect the coal to some power plants in the north part of the country. There are some local projects awaiting government approval for an auction for suppliers, e.g. CRM from Rio Grande do Sul. With approximately 90% of the natural reserves in coal in Brazil (3 billion 3

tons), the state of RS, has one of the major coal reserves in the world, the discussion of the use of this coal embraced the politics for exploration of this valuable resource, especially because, currently, existing technologies are available and allowed to control the emissions, and the efficient handling of its residues. The State of RS recently defined parameters as a form to stimulate and attract enterprises. Recently CRM (www.crm.rs.gov.br) start the bidding process for a new processing plant for the sulphur reduction of the coal, ashes, and increase the caloric gain. This process involves new technologies already developed [in Germany] and tested on an industrial scale in several parts of the world. Export energy to Argentina will be one of the topics in a near future, if this tendency is maintained; creates huge possibilities for the Netherlands, if the NL detains this kind of technology. Source: Jornal do Comércio, September. 2. Transport en logistiek Brazil sets tough rules for airport concession Brazil's government will set out an ambitious timeline and maintain veto rights over public-private projects to expand the country's airports by the 2014 soccer World Cup, a senior official has told Reuters September 21. Brazil announced in May that it would tap the private sector to help it modernize crowded airports in time for the big sporting event. The move was an ideological U-turn as it effectively would end a state monopoly running airports. But the state-owned airport company Infraero, which currently runs most major airports, will hold a veto right over "strategic and relevant issues" in future joint ventures, Wagner Bittencourt, minister of the civil aviation secretary, told Reuters late on Tuesday. The proposal could put off private investors, who will hold a majority stake in the joint ventures but be required to agree with Infraero. Infraero is widely seen as inefficient and investors have said they are wary of signing a concession contract with the agency, which was long run by the military. Domestic air traffic in Brazil has been growing at double-digit rates and airports are frequently over-crowded. A tender for rights to expand and operate the airport in the capital Brasilia, and the Guarulhos and Viracopos airports in São Paulo state will be held December 2011. Together the three airports require investments of 3 billion reais (US$1.64 billion). Regulations for the tender were announced by the end of September, including partnership agreements and details on Infraero's veto rights, Bittencourt said. "All balanced shareholder agreements are like this," said Bittencourt. Investors, who will also have the option to build and operate hotels or restaurants at or near the airports, will be held to a tight schedule. The Federal Government indeed published on September the 30 th the minute of the tender for the 3 airports in an extra edition of the Diário Oficial da União, which text can be found on http://www2.anac.gov.br/transparencia/audiencia/aud16_2011/minuta.pdf and will be available for one month for public consult before the final text will be published. The three airports are due to be completed by the end of 2013, only 6 months before the beginning of the World Cup. This means there is little room for the usual delays that shadow large infrastructure projects in Brazil. The construction of hydroelectric dams and roads, for instance, are frequently held up by red tape or legal challenges in court. Regulatory uncertainty and government meddling in state companies are other investor concerns. Last week the government said all major infrastructure projects planned for the Cup would be ready on time, following reports this year by government watchdogs and FIFA, the world soccer body, warning of serious delays. However, urban transport does no longer seem to have the priority that it used to have according to the President. Planning Minister Miriam Belchior suggested to declare the weeks of the CUP a national holiday in order to decrease traffic jams. The President of National Agency for Civil Aviation (ANAC), Marcelo Guaranys, stated, in a recent interview (September 26) that São Paulo does not need a third airport. According to the President, Congonhas can meet the demand for the next 20 years with proper investments in the existing airports of Guarulhos and Viracopos. International companies will have the chance to enter the bids for Guarulhos, Brasilia and Viracopos-Campinas airports from November through to December 22, with the winners possibly taking over the management of the gateway as early as February 2012. In an interview on Friday 30 September with the Correio Braziliense, the Minister of SAC, Wagner Bittencourt, stated that the Brazilian government will not only gains with the concessions of the 3 airports, but also will stay with part of the profits of the exploitation of the terminals. These recourses will be used for regional or not lucrative airports. However, information on the percentage of the profits the future companies will have to pay and the minimum value for the tenders where not announced. The period of the concessions is also not clear, but will vary between 20 and 30 years. The auction for the 3 airports will be occur simultaneously and a company or investment group can only take one of the three major airport concessions expected at auction in December. 4

"The idea is to have different operators in those three airports, so we can have a basis for comparison to better regulate the system," Cleverson Aroeira da Silva, another official with the civil aviation authority said at an event in Rio de Janeiro earlier in the day. Airlines may not hold more than a 1 per cent stake in groups bidding for airport concessions in Sao Paulo and Brasilia in order to avoid a conflict of interest, the head of the Brazil's civil aviation authority, Wagner Bittencourt, said. Sources: Reuters, September 21, Folha de São Paulo, September 26, Correio Braziliense, September 30 and http://www.anac.gov.br/. Trans North-eastern railway on track in Pernambuco The much cherished (especially by former President Lula) Transnordestina Railway project, one of the main infrastructure works of the PAC programme for the North-east, is on track in Pernambuco. According to officials of TLSA - Trans Nordestina Logística S.A., a private owned company which belongs to CSN (Companhia Siderúrgica Nacional) group, practically all main goals set for this year will be met by Odebrecht, the leading engineering contractor responsible for the construction of the new wide railway track. The new part of the track is 1.6 m wide and will allow the cargo carriages to transport 110 tons. The whole train can go up to 104 carriages, and total cargo can reach 11.400 tons. Bulk cargo will consist mainly of iron ore, grains, gypsum and fertilizers. The full extension of the new tracks under construction will amount to 1.728 km, being 730 in Pernambuco, 607 in Ceará and 391 in Piaui. Of all these stretches, the Pernambuco part has advanced the most. According to the latest plans, after a long delay, the railway should start operations in 2013. It was planned to link the north-eastern states to the centre-west regions of Brazil and is expected to become a new alternative to transport the soy-bean production to the world markets through the ports of Pecém and Suape. Source: Diretoria da Ferrovia Transnordestina and Netherlands Business Support Office, Recife. Construction of the West-east railroad in Bahia is expected to start soon Approximately 1500 km to the south of the Trans North-eastern railway, the State of Bahia with support of the Federal government is initiating the construction of a 1.526 long railroad which will connect Ilhéus in Bahia to Figueirópolis in Tocantins. On its way it will pass through the municipality of Caetité in the interior of Bahia where the exploration of a new iron ore mine is being started, by a new company called Bamin. This mine s output will rely on the new railroad to reach the coastal region of Ilhéus, from where it will reach the world markets on board iron ore bulk carriers. The project is coordinated by Valec Engenharia, a federal government owned company, and will be built by a private construction consortiums, which will each be responsible for 6 different parts of the railway. The public tenders have already happened and the 7 winning consortiums were officially announced by the Official Press on September 22 nd and October 1 st of 2010. Besides the iron ore, other key products that are expected to benefit from the new railway are soy, corn, ethanol, sugar and cotton. This project is part of the federal government s PAC (Accelerated Growth Programme) and is conceived to create transport alternatives from the hinterland to the ocean waterways. Considered a key structural venture, in the long run it is expected to boost the economy of a large region. Total costs are so far being estimated at R$ 6 billion, however the final amount may overshoot the original estimates. Source: Netherlands Business Support Office, Recife. PACCAR Selects DAF Brasil Factory Site PACCAR announced plans to construct its new DAF Brasil assembly facility on a 500-acre site in the city of Ponta Grossa in the state of Paraná. PACCAR is pleased to invest $200 million in its DAF facility in the dynamic and progressive state of Paraná, commented Mark Pigott, chairman and chief executive officer. Ponta Grossa has an excellent workforce and proximity to strategic supplier partners and the port of Paranaguá. We appreciate the outstanding support from the state of Paraná and the city of Ponta Grossa in partnering with PACCAR to bring this major economic investment to the area, said Pigott. Construction of the 330,000-square-foot assembly facility is projected to begin in 2011 and be completed in 2013. The new facility will be designed to assemble the DAF LF, CF and XF models, to meet current and future requirements of the Brasilian transport industry. This will be one of PACCAR s most technologically advanced and environmentally friendly facilities, shared Bob Christensen, executive vice president. The Brasil truck market over six tons is 170,000 units and is expected to grow in the coming years. Over time, as production levels increase, the facility is expected to hire up to five hundred employees. Additional employment opportunities, which will generate economic benefits to the region, will be created during the construction phase and as our suppliers expand their capacity in the area, added Christensen. The commitment to construct the DAF assembly facility in Brasil marks a strategic milestone and we are pleased to be working closely with the state and local agencies on the planning of the infrastructure for the business, stated Richard Bangert, PACCAR vice president. PACCAR has an 5

excellent record of community involvement at all of the company s major manufacturing locations. We look forward to developing close relationships with Ponta Grossa State University, Paraná Federal Technology University and other technical colleges to provide ongoing educational opportunities for our employees, added Bangert. PACCAR is a global technology leader in the design, manufacture and customer support of high quality light-, medium-, and heavy-duty trucks under the DAF, Kenworth, and Peterbilt nameplates. PACCAR also designs and manufactures advanced diesel engines and provides financial services and information technology and distributes truck parts related to its principal business. PACCAR shares are traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market, symbol PCAR. Its homepage is www.paccar.com. 3. Olie en gas Rio de Janeiro plans a petroleum logistic district in the northern shore of the state The municipalities of Cabo Frio and Arraial do Cabo, located in the lake regions, northeast of the State of Rio de Janeiro, are expected to have a logistic and industrial district focused on the oil&gas activities. The state government analyses a viability project to create this district with a customs area of 2.5 million square meters, near the Cabo Frio s international airport. The airport itself has become a base for cargo distribution in the sector. The establishment of an industrial and logistic district can strengthen this operation. In the neighbourhood of Arraial do Cabo there is also the port of Forno which will benefit from this new entrepreneurship. The port belongs do the municipality since 1999 and also operates logistically in the region. The expectation is that by 2012 the Government will start clearing the area and the construction should start in 2013. The government believes that the oil&gas industry will not be the only to take advantage of this district. Other sectors such as airspace, electronics and pharmaceuticals can benefit from it. Cabo Frio s airport is expected to handle 25 thousand cargo materials in 2011, which represents a 130% increase when compared to 2010. These numbers will increase drastically with the new compound. Source: Jornal Valor Econômico, September 20th. 4. WK 2014 Nog veel te doen voor WK 2014 Met nog minder dan 1000 dagen te gaan tot de opening van het WK voetbal in 2014 is er nog veel te doen in de 12 speelsteden. Volgens een regeringsrapport zijn er van de 81 grote infrastructurele werken 52 nog niet eens gestart. Ook de FIFA heeft eerder kritiek geuit op het langzame ritme van de voorbereidingen voor het WK. President Dilma heeft op 3 oktober in Brussel een gesprek gehad met FIFA-voorzitter Joseph Blatter. Tussen Brazilië en de Wereldvoetbalbond lijkt onenigheid te zijn ontstaan over een wetsontwerp dat het WK in 2014 moet regelen. Bron: Ambassade van het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden en Volkskrant 2 oktober 2011. 5. Milieu Bahia inaugurates its first wind energy unit As a result of the Federal Government s policy to stimulate investments in alternative energy, Bahia is inaugurating its first wind energy complex in Brotas de Macaúbas, in the hinterland. This project is the first of an initial 18 sites which are expected to become operational in Bahia by the end of 2012. The northeast of Brazil is identified as the region with the highest wind energy potential, estimated at 75 thousand MW. This represents approximately 50% of the country s total potential. The Brotas de Macaúbas project was executed by Desenvix (a Brazilian company related to Engevix Group) and demanded an investment of R$ 400 million (approx. US$ 225 million). Approximately 70% of the amount was financed by BNDES, Brazil s Federal Development Bank. Engevix won the rights to generate energy and feed it into Brazil s electricity grid in an auction made by Agência Nacional de Energia Elétrica - ANEEL - in December 2009. Electricity production of the new complex is expected to amount to 90 MW. Source: Revista Bahia Oportunidade - Informativo da Secretaria da Indústria, Comércio e Mineração da Bahia and Netherlands Business Support Office, Recife. International Trade Fair on Environmental Sanitation Technologies One of the largest and most reputable environmental sanitation trade fair in Latin America (Fitabes), took place in Porto Alegre, between 15 and 28 of September. This fair brought leading companies in the industry to exhibit new technologies, products, services and equipment to a highly qualified audience. The trade show is the meeting point for decision makers, environmental 6

sanitation policymakers, equipment suppliers and service providers. Simultaneously with Fitabes 2011 occurred the 26 th Congress International Brazilian Sanitation and Environmental Engineering. The following countries participated with a stand on the fair: Spain, Portugal, Italy, Singapore, United States and Germany. The NBSO paid a visit to the fair as a visiting country. The 2012 edition of this fair will be held in Goiania, between 15 and 18 of September. Source: Netherlands Business Support Office, Porto Alegre. 6. Agribusiness Genetisch gemodificeerde zwarte bonen De Braziliaanse toelatingscommissie voor genetisch gemodificeerde organismen (CTNbio) heeft op 15 september voor de eerste maal een genetisch gemodificeerde zwarte bonensoort goedgekeurd. De laatste jaren heeft Brazilië meer dan 20 soorten ggo-mais, -katoen en -soja goedgekeurd van mais, soja en katoen. De bonensoort, met rijst een standaard onderdeel van elke Braziliaanse maaltijd, is ontwikkeld door het landbouwkundig onderzoeksinstituut Embrapa. De eerste commerciële toepassing zal naar verwachting in 2014 zijn. Bron: Ambassade van het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden. Toename verkoop gewasbeschermingsmiddelen De verkoop van gewasbeschermingsmiddelen zal dit jaar in Brazilië boven de 8 miljard US dollar uitkomen. Daarmee streeft de Zuid-Amerikaanse reus de VS voorbij als belangrijkste afzetmarkt van deze middelen voor bedrijven als Monsanto, Bayer, Basf, DuPont en Syngenta. De groei heeft voornamelijk te maken met de uitbreiding van het areaal, het gebruik per hectare neemt iets af. Het belangrijkste gewas is soja (44% van het totale gebruik van gewasbeschermingsmiddelen), gevolgd door katoen (11%) en rietsuiker (10%). Het gebruik per hectare ligt het hoogst bij katoen. Bron: Ambassade van het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden. Expointer: the biggest agro-industrial fair in Latin America and the 5th in the world. Expointer covers an area of 141 hectares and is located in the city of Esteio, alongside roadway BR116, very close by of Porto Alegre, the capital of the State of Rio Grande do Sul. The grounds are the headquarters of one of the largest and most important exhibition trade fairs in the world (www.expointer.rs.gov.br). Over a period of nine days, from August 27 to September 4, Rio Grande do Sul showed the world its exceptional wealth. Expointer 2011 surpasses its previous edition with the sales of 1.84 billion of reais. In this edition the family farming had a prominent growing, 27% compared from last year. Farmers (vegetables sector, grains) also grew to a BRL 1.5 million in comparison with BRL 827.000 from last year. In the equipment s sector (machines, tractor) the numbers rose from BRL 827 million to BRL 834 million. Source: Netherlands Business Support Office, Porto Alegre. 7. Vakbeurzen in Brazilië Tot eind 2011 worden in Brazilië o.m. de volgende internationale vakbeurzen gehouden: Boatshow (yacht and boat fair) São Paulo, 13-18 October http://www.boatshow.com.br/ Mercopar (industrial innovation fair) Caixias do Sul/RS, 18-21 October http://www.mercopar.com.br/mercopar.asp?area=4&idregistro=18 Fenatran (transport industry trade fair) São Paulo, 24-28 October http://www.fenatran.com.br/en/ Fimai (International Industrial Environment and Sustainability Fair) São Paulo, 8-10 November http://en.fimai.com.br/ FIMMEPE (industrial machinery, metallurgy and electric components) Recife, 17-21 October http://www.mecanicanordeste.org.br/ TranspoQuip Latin America (transportation infrastructure fair) 7

São Paulo, 22-24 November www.transpoquip.com Soccerex (football business fair) Rio de Janeiro, 26-30 November www.soccerex.com Verdere informatie over beurzen en tentoonstellingen in Brazilië zijn te vinden via de volgende link: http://www.brasilglobalnet.gov.br/arquivos/publicacoes/calendariofeiras2011_i.pdf Voor vakbeurzen op het gebied van agro-business, zie: http://brazilie.nlambassade.org/producten_en_diensten/landbouw/beurzen_fairs_feiras_e_exposi ções 8. (Voorgenomen) missies naar Brazilië Economische missie o.l.v. Henk Bleker, Staatssecretaris van Economische Zaken, Landbouw en Innovatie Brasília, São Paulo en Rio de Janeiro, 24-30 november (tentatief) www.agentschapnl.nl/missies/brazilie 8