Secretary Locke to Travel to Brazil to Meet with Key Leaders to Strengthen Bilateral, Commercial Relationship

The Commerce Department announced March 8 that Secretary Gary Locke will travel to Brasilia, Brazil, to meet with key Brazilian leaders, American companies, and public and private sector co-chairs of the U.S.-Brazil CEO Forum. During his meetings with American business leaders, Locke will discuss the Obama administration’s National Export Initiative and how it will help those businesses become more competitive abroad while supporting job creation here at home. Secretary Locke will be joined by Michael Froman, Deputy National Security Adviser for International Economic Affairs at the White House, and Francisco Sanchez, Senior Advisor to the International Trade Administration. The United States enjoys a strong commercial relationship with Brazil, representing nearly $46.3 billion in bilateral goods and trade in 2009. U.S. merchandise exports to Brazil in 2009 were $26.2 billion. Brazil is the United States’ 10th-largest export market.