The level of trade between T&T and Brazil, "in and out, both sides, is about US$1 billion," Brazilian Ambassador Paulo Traballi said in a Business Guardian interview at the embassy in St Clair, Port of Spain, on September 11. After a brief pause he added, "it could be better."
"The Brazilian side has the surplus. It varies a little bit, but it's about US$200 million. It depends on the year." T&T imports petroleum products from Brazil, and Brazil imports petroleum and gas from T&T, he said. He said Brazil also imports ammonia from T&T. The ambassador said there is only one Brazilian company here. That is OAS which is building the highway from San Fernando to Point Fortin.
"They have started construction work on the site already. It was the result of a bidding process and the Brazilian company won," he said. Traballi said Brazil has a lot of expertise in civil engineering. Brazil has built long, massive highways, huge dams and much more, he said.
On bilateral co-operation, he said, T&T has sent technicians to Brazil "to see our experience in the palm crop, in cocoa and honey" production. He said the ties between the two countries in food production are strong.
"I think there are a lot of areas where we can collaborate together. For example, we are trying to co-operate in tertiary education. We have a lot of routes to explore."
T&T oil workers wanted in Brazil
Some T&T nationals are going to Brazil to work in the oilfield, the ambassador said.
"It is a process within the enterprise. They are going to Brazil to work in the offshore operations. In that particular field, we are asking for people to go to Brazil because Brazil has a deficit in the oil engineering field and we are trying to attract young engineers and experts in well drilling and specialisations in the oil field. Many companies are doing this internal immigration programme."
Traballi said the trend started this year. Asked if it had anything to do with the deepwater discovery, he said it is rather simply because, "Brazil needs it." He said the professionals are being located where their sponsoring companies want them, which can be sometimes 600 kilometres from the shore.
Addressing what can be done to increase the trade between Brazil and T&T he said, "Well, first of all, you have to increase the level of development. I don't think there is a lack of opportunity," but world events have told investors to slow down, and that it is a very risky time to invest.
Asked about the similarities between Brazil and T&T, he said there are many and listed a few, "We have the same Carnival, the same multi-ethnic population, almost the same history. You have a history of slavery. We have a history of slavery as well. We are–Brazilians and Trinbagonians–much more similar than we think. I think the main difference is the language," he said.
Questioned why there is not more trade taking place between T&T and Brazil if the two countries are so similar, he said, "This is a question of opportunity. If you grow more, you have the opportunity of doing more trade. It's a question of opportunity. In the whole economic scenario today, the nations are finding more difficulty to take credit, to invest. Everybody is just cautious."
He said that some non-tariff barriers include some of T&T's sanitary regulations, but that he does not see "any real obstacle" to trade.
"The main question today is not about non-tariff barriers but the macro-economic environment. If the world was moving in a good speed, people doing business would do more business."
Brazilians' flexibility
He said that one of Brazil's strengths in trade is that Brazilian businesspeople are very flexible. He said for example, Brazil sells beef to very different countries, including to Israel and to Jordan, each of which has very different, and very stringent sanitary regulations, and yet, "we accept (their regulations), so (they get the beef) how they want it cut, how they want it washed and so on."
Brazil does not export beef to T&T, he said.
Asked about renewable energy, he said, "We are champions. I am very proud of that. We are champions. We can be proud that we have ethanol from sugar cane, and we are using it to move our cars. More or less 25 per cent in each litre of fuel" is ethanol.
As a result, gas at the pump for the average Brazilian is much more affordable. "There is a very good tourist exchange between T&T and Brazil," he said. "We have a lot of Brazilians who know T&T and a lot of related who know Brazil." The ambassador said Carnival is not the only event tourists come to T&T?for. T&T tourists are going to Brazil to experience the Amazon and eco-tourism.
Asked if Brazil is interested in trade with the Caribbean as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had suggested the region needs to export to its largest neighbours–Brazil and Mexico–to grow economically, he said yes, Brazil is interested.
Traballi said trade is a question of "sitting around the table" and saying, "I want to buy this. Do you want to sell?"
