Press Release
☷U S Relations with Brazil United States Department of State
U.S. Department of State ( By Press Release office)
Feb 21,2024
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This year marks the 200th anniversary of U . S . - Brazil relations , with the U . S . being one of the first countries to recognize Brazil in 1824 . The partnership between the two countries is based on shared values like sustainable economic growth , international peace , and respect for human rights . Economically , Brazil is the eleventh - largest economy in the world and the U . S . is its second - largest trading partner . In 2022 , trade between the two countries totaled $120 . 7 billion , with the U . S . exporting products like fuel and aircraft to Brazil and importing items like crude oil and iron . On the human rights front , the U . S . and Brazil have been working together since 2015 through the U . S . - Brazil Global Human Rights Working Group Dialogue . They ' ve discussed issues like police violence , gender equity , and religious freedom , aiming to promote rights and protections for all individuals . U . S . foreign direct investment in Brazil reached $191 . 6 billion in 2021 , and both countries are looking to expand their trade and economic partnership to encourage more investment . Secretary Antony J . Blinken is heading to Brasilia , Brazil on February 20 , 2024 , to show the United States ' support for Brazil ' s goals during its Presidency of the Group of 20 ( G20 ) . He ' ll be meeting with Brazilian President Luis Inácio Lula da Silva before the G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting in Rio de Janeiro to discuss mutual interests like international peace , workers ' rights , racial equity , and stopping deforestation . - Brazil ' s Joint Plan of Action to Eliminate Racial and Ethnic Discrimination and Promote Equality ( JAPER ) , fulfilling Presidents Biden and Lula ' s February 2023 pledge to reinvigorate JAPER as part of their commitment to address racial and ethnic inequalities in both countries . In September 2023 , Presidents Biden and Lula launched the Partnership for Labor Rights , the first joint global initiative between the United States and Brazil to advance workers ' rights around the world . With this new initiative , the United States intends to strengthen and expand existing bilateral cooperation on these issues , as well as improve coordination with labor stakeholders in the United States and Brazil , as well as the International Labor Organization , to address some of the most pressing challenges facing workers all over the world . US - Brazil Climate Engagement Brazil has one of the cleanest electricity production matrices in the world , but is heavily reliant on hydropower and growing solar and wind power . More than 60 percent of the Amazon rainforest , a globally important carbon sink , lies within Brazil ' s borders . Although the rate of deforestation has increased over the past decade , Lula ' s administration has committed to ending deforestation by 2030 and achieving net - zero emissions by 2050 . States applaud Brazil ' s success in halving Amazon deforestation by 2023 . The United States currently provides technical and financial support through a variety of means , including USAID programs , the US - Brazil Energy Forum , and several dialogues on the clean energy transition . . US - Brazilian cooperation in the field of education and culture . The United States and Brazil have a long history of people - to - people ties through investments and exchanges in education , culture , sports , energy , health care , agriculture , science and technology , English language education , and innovation . More than 60 , 000 youth , students , scholars , teachers and professionals have participated in cultural and educational exchanges between the United States and Brazil . Forty - two EducationUSA centers help Brazilian high school and university students access study opportunities in the United States . - Brazilian cooperation in technology and defense . The United States and Brazil are strengthening cooperation on defense issues , including research and development , technology security , and acquisition and development of products and services . Under the 2015 U . S . - Brazil Defense Cooperation Agreement , a number of security cooperation agreements and initiatives promote joint exercises and facilitate the exchange of advanced capabilities and technologies . In July 2019 , Brazil became a major non - NATO ally of the United States . In March 2022 , the Brazilian Congress ratified the Research , Development , Test and Evaluation ( RDT&E ) Agreement with the United States , allowing for a potential U . S . partnership . Brazil and the United States are committed to engaging in multilateral efforts through various international organizations , including the United Nations , the Organization of American States , the Inter - American Development Bank , the G20 , the International Monetary Fund , the World Bank , and the World Trade Organization . The U . S . government also supports Brazilian law enforcement partners through various INL programs . Training programs led by the Drug Enforcement Agency , the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime , and other partners help Brazil improve citizen security , intercept drugs , and counter Brazil - based transnational crime organizations that threaten U . S . security and prosperity . The U . S . Department of State ' s Bureaus of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement ( INL ) and Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs ( OES ) , along with other partners like the U . S . Fish and Wildlife Service , U . S . Department of Justice , and U . S . Forest Service , provide training for Brazilian counterparts in law enforcement and justice sectors . This helps Brazil combat nature crimes that impact both the United States and the region . Since FY 2017 , the U . S . government has provided over $3 . 6 billion in humanitarian , economic , development , and health assistance to protect and assist Venezuelans in the region , with over $178 million dedicated to supporting Venezuelans in Brazil . In addition , the U . S . government offers security assistance to military education institutions within Brazil ' s Ministry of Defense . For example , the Global Defense Reform Program has established a long - term partnership with Brazil ' s Superior Defense College to enhance its institutional capacity and curriculum . Over the past two years , Brazil has collaborated with the United States to provide pre - deployment training to the Malawi Defense Force Battalion for their peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo . This partnership has improved the pre - deployment training and performance of the Malawi Defense Force . USAID maintains a longstanding bilateral partnership with the Government of Brazil , focusing on joint priorities such as biodiversity conservation in the Amazon , private sector partnerships , and development solutions for the conservation of biodiversity and sustainable livelihoods in the Amazon . Brazil is also an active member of the Partnership for Atlantic Cooperation , a White House initiative that started on September 18 , 2023 . This 38 - country partnership allows coastal states in the Atlantic to work together on common challenges and promote a peaceful , stable , and prosperous region . The focus is on preserving the resources of the Atlantic in a sustainable and resilient way .
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