ICC Brazil relaunch a driving force to support international trade

  • 11 December 2014
ICC Trade Finance

The inauguration of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Brazil took place on 1 December, an event which gathered senior staff from ICC’s International Secretariat and leading members of the Brazilian business community.

The opening ceremony was held at the Brazilian National Confederation of Industry (CNI) offices in Sao Paulo, which will be hosting the ICC Brazil.

Daniel Feffer, newly appointed Chair of ICC Brazil and Corporate Vice President of Suzano Holding, welcomed guests alongside Robson Braga de Andrade, President of CNI.

In his opening speech, Mr Feffer said: “In Brazil we need to become more competitive and boost our investments to increase our global market share. ICC is a global platform that gathers efforts and opens various channels to interact with intergovernmental forums such as the World Trade Organization, G20 and the United Nations, among others.

“My belief is that through ICC, Brazil can exert a positive influence on the world and vice versa. I invite all Brazilian companies, large and small, national and multinational, from all parts of Brazil, to join our efforts to make this national committee a driving force in ICC’s support for international trade.”

ICC Secretary General John Danilovich delivered a keynote address at the lauch,, which he described as an important step for ICC’s global network: “ICC can be relied on to ensure the voice of Brazilian business is heard on the world stage. ICC has unrivalled access to national, intergovernmental and other forums where decisions are made and that affect the global business community.

ICC can be relied on to ensure the voice of Brazilian business is heard on the world stage.

“Our renewed presence in Brazil is in line with ICC global objectives to expand our international reach and outlook.  We are pleased to be able to bring the benefits of ICC membership, products and services to more businesses in this important region, and to benefit from the participation of Brazilian business into our work,” he said.

Mr Danilovich was also a panellist on the discussion ‘New Trends in Global Policies and Regulations and their Impact on Brazil’ with Frederico Curado, President of Embraer and Member of ICC’s Executive Board, and Rubens Barbosa, President of Barbosa and Associados. Mr Danilovich highlighted ICC’s role in reviving the multilateral trade agenda and addressed issues of trade finance, climate change, anti-corruption and intellectual property as they relate to world business.

Participating in a roundtable on ICC Arbitration, John Beechey, President of the ICC International Court of Arbitration, gave a keynote speech about the development of ICC Arbitration in Brazil and particularities of cases involving Brazilian parties. A panel featuring Brazilian arbitration and ADR experts also presented the recent work of the ICC Commission on Arbitration and the role of actors in ICC Arbitration such as counsels, arbitrators and the institution.

Mr Danilovich’s visit to Brazil was part of a South American tour which kicked off in November in Colombia and concluded in Buenos Aires. During the tour, Mr Danilovich  met business executives to discuss international trade issues in the region.

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