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Brazil Background Information
data from The CIA World Factbook:
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/br.html
Chief of state and head of government: President Luiz Inácio "Lula" da Silva, Vice President José de Alencar (since 1 January 2003).
Area: total: 8,511,965 sq km, land: 8,456,510 sq km
Coastline: 7,491 km
Population: 184,101,109
Population growth rate: 1.11% (2004 est.)
Brazilian economy overview:
data from The CIA World Factbook:
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/br.html
Possessing large and well-developed agricultural, mining, manufacturing, and service sectors, Brazil's economy outweighs that of all other South American countries and is expanding its presence in world markets. From 2001-03 real wages fell and Brazil's economy grew, on average, only 1.1% per year, as the country absorbed a series of domestic and international economic shocks. That Brazil absorbed these shocks without financial collapse is a tribute to the resiliency of the Brazilian economy and the economic program put in place by former President Cardoso and strengthened by President Lula da Silva. The three pillars of the economic program are a floating exchange rate, an inflation-targeting regime, and tight fiscal policy, which have been reinforced by a series of IMF programs. The currency depreciated sharply in 2001 and 2002, which contributed to a dramatic current account adjustment: in 2003, Brazil ran a record trade surplus and recorded the first current account surplus since 1992. While economic management has been good, there remain important economic vulnerabilities. The most significant are debt-related: the government's largely domestic debt increased steadily from 1994 to 2003, straining government finances, while Brazil's foreign debt (a mix of private and public debt) is large in relation to Brazil's modest (but growing) export base. Another challenge is maintaining economic growth over a period of time to generate employment and make the government debt burden more manageable.
Currency: Real (BRL)
Exchange rates: Reals per US Dollar: 3.08 (2003), 2.92 (2002), 2.36 (2001), 1.83 (2000), 1.81 (1999)
From October 1994 through 14 January 1999, the official rate was determined by a managed float. Since 15 January 1999, the official rate floats independently with respect to the US dollar
GDP: purchasing power parity - $1.379 trillion (2003 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 0.1% (2003 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $7,600 (2003 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 9.3% (2003)
Exports: $73.28 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Exports - commodities: transport equipment, iron ore, soybeans, footwear, coffee, autos
Exports - partners: US 25.8%, Netherlands 5.3%, Germany 4.2%, China 4.2% (2002)
Imports: $48.25 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Imports - commodities: machinery, electrical and transport equipment, chemical products, oil
Imports - partners: US 22.1%, Argentina 10.1%, Germany 9.3%, Japan 5% (2002)
Debt - external: $223.6 billion (2003)
Economic aid - recipient: $30 billion IMF disbursement (2002)
Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry on Piracy (CPI da Pirataria):
Created by the Brazilian Congress in June 5, 2003, presided by congressman Luiz Antônio de Medeiros (PL-SP) and composed of 24 members, the CPI was established in order to investigate piracy, tax evasion and other irregularities regarding several types of products, such as computers, computer software, cigarettes, beverages, pharmaceuticals, toys and fuel. During the investigation period, the commission heard organizations related to several economic sectors, including BSA and ABES.
Among the CPI’s greatest achievements are: the arrest of Chinese businessman Law Kin Chong, accused of heading a smuggling organization and filmed while attempting to bribe the president of the CPI; investigation of Roberto Eleutério da Silva, considered the country’s greatest cigarette smuggler; and the discovery of a criminal organization led by fuel-sector businessman Ari Natalino da Silva.
On June 23, 2004, the CPI presented its report on piracy. It names over one hundred people said to be involved with piracy. Among those indicated are politicians, judges, civil servants and policemen. Other recommendations made by the report include the creation of a national anti-piracy plan and a national body to centralize information on piracy, the closing of the Anti-piracy Interministerial Committee, and the increasing of sentences for piracy-related crimes, establishing a minimum of two years.
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