FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sunday, March 20, 2011
CONTACT OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS
202-482-4883
U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke today encouraged stronger U.S.-Brazil commercial relations during a visit to Embraer manufacturing facility outside Sao Paulo. Embraer is a Brazilian manufacturer of commercial, general aviation, and defense aircraft. Locke toured the facility and saw firsthand how the company incorporates significant U.S. aviation content into its supply chain. He also applauded the company for it integrated supply chain and encouraged further integration with American small-medium-sized enterprises.
"Embraer is a shining example of partnership between U.S. and Brazilian manufacturing that is a "win-win" and creates jobs in both countries," Locke said.
According to Embraer, the company has imported over $6 billion in goods from U.S. companies over the last five years. Embraer recently opened an assembly facility in Melbourne, Fla. and currently employs 660 people in the United States at 5 facilities.
Brazilian firms have made substantial investments in the U.S. worth billions of dollars during the past decade. Between 2003 and 2010, 47 projects were announced with a total capital investment of $2.5 billion dollars. Completed, these projects could create 4,806 new jobs, in a cross-section of industries ranging from information technology to steel making.
U.S. subsidiaries of Brazil-owned firms employed 42,200 people in the United States as of 2008.
Secretary Gary Locke is in Brazil along with President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama as part of the President’s visit to Latin America. The trip provides an opportunity to engage key bilateral partners, highlight the President’s engagement with the hemisphere, and discuss a broad range of issues including economic prosperity and job creation through increased trade and partnerships, energy and security cooperation, shared values and other issues of regional and global concern.
Yesterday, Locke co-chaired the sixth meeting of the U.S.-Brazil CEO Forum, where U.S. and Brazilian business leaders discussed concrete recommendations to improve trade between the two countries.
On Friday. Locke met with Fernando Pimentel, the Brazilian Minister of Development Industry and Foreign Trade to discuss ongoing cooperation on key commercial relationship issues, as well as Antonio Palocci, President Dilma Rousseff's Chief of Staff and co-chair of the U.S.-Brazil CEO forum, to discuss increased commercial engagement.
