Exporting

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Following more than three centuries under Portuguese rule, Brazil gained its independence in 1822, maintaining a monarchical system of government until the abolition of slavery in 1888 and the subsequent proclamation of a republic by the military in 1889. Brazilian coffee exporters politically dominated the country until populist leader Getulio VARGAS rose to power in 1930. By far the largest and most populous country in South America, Brazil underwent more than a half century of populist and military government until 1985, when the military regime peacefully ceded power to civilian rulers. Brazil continues to pursue industrial and agricultural growth and development of its interior. Having successfully weathered a period of global financial difficulty in the late 20th century, Brazil was seen as one of the world’s strongest emerging markets and a contributor to global growth. The awarding of the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Summer Olympic Games, the first ever to be held in South America, was seen as symbolic of the country’s rise. However, since about 2013, Brazil has been plagued by a shrinking economy, growing unemployment, and rising inflation. Political scandal resulted in the impeachment of President Dilma ROUSSEFF in May 2016, a conviction that was upheld by the Senate in August 2016; her vice president, Michel TEMER, will serve as president until 2018, completing her second term.

Location

Eastern South America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean

Natural Resources

bauxite, gold, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, platinum, tin, rare earth elements, uranium, petroleum, hydropower, timber

Population - distribution

the vast majority of people live along, or relatively near, the Atlantic coast in the east; the population core is in the southeast, anchored by the cities of Sao Paolo, Brasilia, and Rio de Janeiro

201103330
Portuguese (official and most widely spoken language)
Sao Paulo 21.066 million; Rio de Janeiro 12.902 million; Belo Horizonte 5.716 million; BRASILIA (capital) 4.155 million; Fortaleza 3.88 million; Recife 3.739 million (2015)
Conventional long form
Federative Republic of Brazil
Conventional short form
Brazil
Local long form
Republica Federativa do Brasil
Local short form
Brasil
federal presidential republic
Name
Brasilia
Geographic coordinates
15 47 S, 47 55 W
Time difference
UTC-3 (2 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Daylight saving time
+1hr, begins third Sunday in October; ends third Sunday in February
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Brazil is the eighth-largest economy in the world, but is recovering from a recession in 2015 and 2016 that ranks as the worst in the country’s history. Falling commodity prices reduced export revenues and investment, which weakened the Brazilian real and cut tax revenues. The weaker real made existing public debt, which was largely denominated in foreign currency, more expensive. Lower tax revenues strained the government budget.
Inflation
8.739%
External debt stocks
US$ 543,399,361,000
Total tax rate (% of commercial profits)
68.4%
Real Interest Rate
40.401%
Manufacturing, value added (% of GDP)
11.714%
Current Account Balance
US$ -23,529,633,120
Labor Force, Total
108,258,660
Employment in Agriculture
10.29%
Employment in Industry
22.20%
Employment in Services
77.34%
Unemployment Rate
11.45%
Imports of goods and services
US$ 217,795,930,066
Exports of goods and services
US$ 224,312,410,433
Total Merchandise Trade
18.30%
FDI, net inflows
US$ 78,928,533,472
Commercial Service Exports
US$ 32,567,703,439
coffee, soybeans, wheat, rice, corn, sugarcane, cocoa, citrus; beef
textiles, shoes, chemicals, cement, lumber, iron ore, tin, steel, aircraft, motor vehicles and parts, other machinery and equipment
Commodities
transport equipment, iron ore, soybeans, footwear, coffee, automobiles
Partners
China 18.6%, US 12.7%, Argentina 6.7%, Netherlands 5.3% (2015)
Commodities
machinery, electrical and transport equipment, chemical products, oil, automotive parts, electronics
Partners
China 17.9%, US 15.6%, Germany 6.1%, Argentina 6% (2015)
Country Risk Rating
C
A very uncertain political and economic outlook and a business environment with many troublesome weaknesses can have a significant impact on corporate payment behavior. Corporate default probability is high.
Business Climate Rating
A4
The business environment is acceptable. Corporate financial information is sometimes neither readily available nor sufficiently reliable. Debt collection is not always efficient and the institutional framework has shortcomings. Intercompany transactions may thus run into appreciable difficulties in the acceptable but occasionally unstable environments rated A4.
  • World's 6th largest economy
  • Improved institutional transparency following recent corruption scandals
  • Increasing active population
  • Varied and rich mineral resources and agricultural harvests
  • Advanced manufacturing industry: aeronautics, chemistry, pharmaceuticals, oil and gas industry engineering
  • Ability to withstand external shocks: creditor to outside world, substantial reserves
  • Shortages of qualified labor / inadequate education system
  • Infrastructure shortcoming (transport, energy)
  • Low level of investment
  • High cost of production (wages, energy, logistics, credit)
  • Public spending is high and inefficient
  • Scale of corruption and inequalities

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