Brazil’s services sector intends to form a united front and increase its participation in commercial decisions made by the government in trade talks at the World Trade Organization, the Free Trade Area of the Americas and Mercosur.
It has been announced that the sector has formed a "coalition" of some 50 associations (among them, banks and supermarkets).
Mario Marconini, of the São Paulo Commercial Federation (Fecomércio) says the short-term goal is to provide Brazilian negotiators at the WTO meeting in Hong Kong next month with information on sector positions.
"The Brazilian diplomats who do the negotiating are really good. But the problem is that they do not consult with us – and we are the ones who are the most interested parties in these negotiations," explained Marconini.
He adds that the sector could be more open to the international market, pointing out that in the last round, the Uruguay Round, Brazil and Mexico made only one-third of the concessions they could have made.
ABr