WTO: BRAZIL LIKELY TO REMAIN CAUTIOUS ON SERVICES

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 07 BRASILIA 003035

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E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETRD ECON BR WTO
SUBJECT: WTO: BRAZIL LIKELY TO REMAIN CAUTIOUS ON SERVICES

REFS: A) SECSTATE 176381, B) Fair-Horan email Oct 17, 2005


1. SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED


2. (SBU) Summary. Brazil's willingness, or not, to be
forthcoming in WTO services is directly linked to its
assessment of concessions being made by major developed
country partners (US and EU) in the agricultural
negotiations. However, even if the GoB should at some point
deem as adequate the progress being made in agriculture
discussions, the lack of high quality statistics and
analysis of service industries as well as coordination
between services sectors may hamper the GoB's ability to
move off of its defensive position. Foreign Ministry
officials highlight Brazil's interest in working
constructively within the "core group" of members for
services negotiations, while officials within the Ministry
of Development, Industry and Trade argue that Brazil should
not support any "benchmarks" or "complementary approaches"
within the services negotiations, until issues concerning
rules are adequately dealt with. End Summary.


3. (SBU) In response to ref A, Econoff met on October 14
with Ronaldo Costa Filho, Chief of the Foreign Ministry's
Division of Services, Investment and Financial Issues (ref
B). Costa had been only 3 weeks in his new post; while he
has substantial trade experience, most recently heading the
division in charge of negotiations between Mercosul and
countries outside Latin America, it has primarily focused on
trade in goods.


4. (SBU) Costa emphasized that Brazil does not view the
services negotiations as "behind" the agriculture or non-
agriculture (NAMA) negotiations, but said the GoB also
recognizes that once agreement is reached on modalities in
these other two areas, a similar level of definition within
services will be needed. He added that Brazil hopes that it
is seen as working constructively within the "core group" of
services members. Nonetheless, the GoB does not support
suggestions that countries take on mandatory levels of
openness in certain sectors, citing concerns that such an
obligation would be inconsistent with GATS guidelines
established in 2001. Costa offered, however, that the GoB
considers more favorably an idea discussed with US
interlocutors in Geneva, and expanded on in a recent Indian
paper in which countries would commit to an overall level of
increased openness, but would retain individual flexibility
on how to achieve it. Offering his personal opinion, Costa
said some numerical marker would be helpful for pressuring
countries to be more forthcoming.


5. (SBU) Turning specifically to Brazil's services offers,
Costa acknowledged that the country's initial offer was
weak; he characterized it as communicating only that Brazil
was at the table, keeping everything "in pocket." He
described Brazil's revised offer as adding substance, but
noted that Brazil could go deeper in commitments, depending
on whether substantial commitments in agriculture were
forthcoming. (Note. While attending a G-20 meeting of
Finance Ministers in China October 16, Finance Minister
Palocci told press that Brazil could contemplate greater
opening in financial services citing the possibility of
revoking the requirement of Presidential authorization for
establishment of foreign banks. Palocci also said he and
Argentina Economic Minister Lavagna had agreed to look at
opening the reinsurance sector and to evaluate other
changes.) In the area of reinsurance, Costa noted that
legislation to open the sector is pending in congress; while
the WTO negotiations might help with gaining its passage, he
cautioned that negotiators must also be careful not to get
out in front of Congress.


6. (SBU) The audiovisual sector was the only group
identified by Costa as adamantly opposed to any market
opening. He noted that the computer services sector
actually has some offensive interests and included
construction services and distribution as sectors which
traditionally have been less defensive than others.
Nonetheless, he stressed that almost all Brazilian service
sectors were afraid of liberalization and wanted to maintain
the status quo. A lack of good information about the likely
outcome of liberalization had created misperceptions,
according to Costa, with sectors often assuming that
domestic providers would be eliminated. He cited telecom as
a case in point, and praised a recent telecommunications
seminar in Geneva as the type of educational outreach that
can help domestic providers more realistically assess the
implications of liberalization. Costa also thought a dialog
between Brazilian service providers and those in other
countries could be beneficial. There is no counterpart to
the Coalition of Services Industries in Brazil, so contacts
would have to be sector by sector.


7. (SBU) According to Costa, interaction between the
government and private sector on the services negotiations
is minimal; he noted that the industrial sector had not been
engaged in the debate over services liberalization at all.
Without the benefit of much private sector input, the
Foreign Ministry works closely with the Ministry of
Development, Industry and Trade and relies on specific input
from each of the ministries/agencies with specialized
responsibilities to develop the GoB position on services.
The breakdown of responsibilities for key sectors of U.S.
interest is as follows: financial services - Finance
Ministry; telecommunications - Agencia Nacional de
Telecomunicacoes (Anatel),audiovisual - Ministry of
Culture; energy - Ministry of Energy; environment - Ministry
of Environment; express delivery - Ministry of
Communication; distribution - Ministry of Development,
Industry and Trade (MDIC); computer services - MDIC and the
Ministry of Science and Technology. These ministries in
turn, and to varying degrees, seek input from relevant
private sector groups/associations.


8. (SBU) In part the need for more intensive outreach to the
private sector recently prompted MDIC to create a new
Department of Trade and Services Policies, according to Jane
Pinho, an experienced services negotiator who is the new
Department's General Coordinator for Services. In a meeting
with Econoff October 21, Pinho said her section, which was
formed at the beginning of October, sought to establish a
dialog with companies providing distribution, construction
and computer services. She lamented the lack of
coordination between services sectors. Andre Marcos Favero,
an analyst within the Services Section, said a lack of
response from the Brazilian delegation on a point concerning
services is more likely due to the information being
unavailable or unknown rather than to a desire to avoid
divulging it - for instance, they really do not have a good
grasp of their offensive interests.


9. (SBU) Nonetheless, Pinho took a hard-line on any efforts
to introduce "benchmarks" or "complementary approaches"
within the services negotiations arguing that progress
should be made on rules before any consideration is given to
assessing market access offers. She railed against
developed countries, in particular the EU, which she said
claim to make substantial commitments on a sectoral basis,
but then under horizontal commitments roll it all back.

Comment
--------------


10. (SBU) The lack of information and coordination within
domestic services industries certainly complicates
formulation of a GoB position based on economic criteria,
lending to Brazil's defensive posture in services, and
potentially hinders our ability to have a productive dialog
with the Brazilian private sector. Nonetheless, it might
also provide the Foreign Ministry with a certain amount of
leeway should the GoB need to press domestic service
providers for greater flexibility in reaction to progress in
the agriculture talks. That being said, MDIC would likely
act as a check should the Foreign Ministry advocate a
position seen as too forthcoming.

Private Sector Associations
--------------


11. (U) With regard to future outreach efforts, the
associations below correspond to the service sectors
identified as key U.S. interests; the extent to which each
of these associations is active in discussions on the WTO
services negotiations is not known.

ENERGY
--------------

Associacao Brasileira dos Produtores Independentes de
Energia Eletrica (APINE)
SCN Qd. 02
Ed. Centro Empresarial Encol - Torre "A" Salas 626/8
70.712-903 Brasilia - DF
Tel.: 55-61-3315-9182/84 or 3328-5707
Fax: 55-61-3327-2069

ABINEE
Av. Paulista, 1313, 7th floor conj. 703
Sao Paulo, SP 01311-923
Tel: 55-11-2175-0000 Fax: 55-11-2175-0090
Contact: Roberto Barbiere - Advisor, Power Generation,
Transmission and Distribution
roberto@abinee.org.br
Homepage: www.abinee.org.br

Camara Brasileira dos Investidores de Energia Eletrica
(CBIEE)
Rua Joaquim Floriano 466 Edificio Corporate Conjunto 501
Itaim Bibi
Sao Paulo, SP 04534-004
Contact: Claudio Sales, President
cbiee@cbiee.com.br
Tel: 55-11-3167-7773 fax: 55-11-3167-7769
Claudio.sales@cbiee.com.br
www.cbiee.com.br

To a lesser extent:

ABINEE
Av. Paulista, 1313, 7th floor conj. 703
Sao Paulo, SP 01311-923
Tel: 55-11-2175-0000 Fax: 55-11-2175-0090
Contact: Roberto Barbiere - Advisor, Power Generation,
Transmission and Distribution
roberto@abinee.org.br
Homepage: www.abinee.org.br

Associacao Brasileira dos Grandes Consumidores de Energia
Eltrica (ABRACE)
Av. Paulista, 1439 - conj. 112 - 11th floor
Sao Paulo, SP 01311-926
Tel: 55-11-3284-3570/ 3284-4065 Fax:55-11-3288-3882
Contact: Paulo Ludmer, Executive Director
E-mail: info@abrace.org.br
Pludmer@abrace.org.br
Homepage: www.abrace.org.br

Associacao Brasileira de Geradores Termicos (Abraget)
Xisto Vieira, President
Av. Rio Branco, 26, sala 802
Rio de Janeiro, RJ 20090-001
Tel/fax: 55-21-2296-9739
abraget@abraget.com.br
xisto.vieira@elpaso.com
Tatiana Lagun, Executive Secretary
tlagun@abraget.com.br

Associacao Brasileira de Distribuidores de Energia Eletrica
(ABRADEE)
Rua da Assembleia, 10, room 3201, Ed.Candido Mendes
Rio de Janeiro, RJ 20011-901
Tel: 55-21-2531-2053 Fax: 55-21-2531-2595
Contact: Luiz Carlos Guimaraes, President
E-mail: abradee@abradee.org.br
Homepage: www.abradee.org.br

Associacao Brasileira de Geracao Flexivel (ex- Assoc. dos
Produtores de Energia Emergencial) (ABGF)
SCN Quadra 05 - Bl. A - Sala 1310
Torre Sul - Ed. Brasilia Shopping and Towers
Brasilia, DF 70715-900
Mr. Marco Antonio Veloso, Diretor Executivo
Phone:55-61-3326-4907 cell:55-61-9974-4377 Fax:55-61-3326-
4907
Email: marcoveloso@abpee.org.br marcoveloso@abragef.org.br
Homepage: www.abpee.org.br

FINANCIAL SERVICES
--------------

Federacao Brasileira de Bancos (FEBRABAN) (banking umbrella
group)
Rua Lbero Badaro, 425-17th andar
Sao Paulo, SP 01009-905
Tel: 55-11- 3244-9800
Fax: 55-11- 3107-8486

Also interact with:

Sao Paulo Stock Exchange (BOVESPA)
Headquarters
Rua XV de Novembro, 275
Sao Paulo,SP 01013-001
P.O. Box: 3456
Phone: 55-11-3233-2000
Fax: 55-11-3242-3550
E-mail: bovespa@bovespa.com.br

Commodities/Futures Exchanges:

Bolsa de Mercadorias & Futuros (BM&F)
Sao Paulo - Edifcio-sede
Praca Antonio Prado, 48
8
Sao Paulo,SP 01010-901
Tel.: 55-11-3119-2000 Fax: 55-11-3242-7565

BM&F Braslia - Sede Administrativa
SCN QD 04 Bloco "B" - Sala 404

Centro Empresarial Varig
Braslia, DF 70714-900
Tel.: 55-61- 3328-6301/02/03

BM&F (USA) Inc.
61 Broadway, Suite 2605
New York, NY 10006
Phone: +1-212-750-4197 Fax: +1-212-750-4198

INSURANCE
--------------

Federacao Nacional das Empresas de Seguros Privados e de
Capitalizacao (FENASEG)
Rua Senador Dantas
74/12th andar, Centro
Rio de Janeiro, RJ
Tel: 21-2510-7777

ENVIRONMENTAL
--------------

Brazilian Association of Hazardous Waste Treatment Companies
(ABETRE)
Rua Estela 515 Bl. F cj. 101
Sao Paulo, SP 04011-904
Phone: 55-11-5081-5351
e-mail: abetre@abetre.com.br
www.abetre.com.br
Contact: Diogenes Del Bel, Executive Secretary

Associacao Brasileira de Engenharia Sanitaria e Ambiental
(ABES)
(Brazilian Association of Sanitary and Environmental
Engineering)
Av. Beira Mar, 216- 13th andar, Castelo
Rio de Janeiro, RJ 20021-060
Tel: 55-21-2210-3221
Fax: 55-21-2262-6838
8
www.abes-dn.org.br


TELECOMMUNICATIONS
--------------

Brazilian Association of Pay TV - Associacao Brasileira das
TVs por Assinatura (ABTA)
Rua Paes de Araujo, 29 - cj. 181
Sao Paulo, SP 04531-090
Phone: 55-11-3078-9307
Contact : Alexandre Annemberg , Executive Director
abta@abta.com.br http://www.abta.com.br

Brazilian Association of Telecommunications Engineering
Services Companies - Associacao Brasileira Das Empresas De
Servicos De Engenharia De Telecomunicacoes (ABECORTEL)
Rua Domingos de Moraes, 2243, 1st andar - cj. 16
Sao Paulo, SP 04035-000
Phone: 55-11-5082-2902
Phone: 55-11-5579-8078
Contact: Gilberto Justen, President
abecortel@abecortel.org.br
http://www.abecortel.org.br

Brazilian Society of Broadcast Engineering - Sociedade
Brasileira de Engenharia de TV e Telecomunicacoes (SET)
Rua Jardim Botanico 700 sala 306
Rio de Janeiro, RJ 22461-000
Phone: 55-21-2512-8747
Contact: Roberto Franco, President
http://www.set.com.br
set@set.com.br

INTERNET/E-COMMERCE
--------------

Brazilian Association of Internet Service Providers
Associacao Brasileira de Provedores ABRANET(SP)
Internet Rua Tabapua, 627 - 3 and - sl 34 - Sao Paulo
Phone 55-11-3078-3866
Contact: Antonio Alberto Valente Tavares, President
gerente@abranet.org.br http://www.abranet.org.br

Brazilian Chamber of Electronic Commerce Camara Brasileira
de Comercio Eletronico
CAMARA E-NET
Rua Novo Horizonte, no. 271 - Higienopolis
Sao Paulo,SP 01244-020
Phone: 55-11-3237-1102
Contact: Cid Torquato, Executive Director http://www.camara-
e.net info@camara-e.net

COMPUTER SERVICES
--------------

Associacao Brasileira de Empresas de Software (ABES)
Av. Ibirapuera 2907 8th Andar Cj 811
Moema Sao Paulo, SP 04029-200
Phone: 55-11-5044-7900
Contact: Jorge Sukarie, Executive President abes@abes.org.br
http://www.abes.org.br

Brazilian Association of Data Processing Companies
(ASSESPRO)
Rua Buenos Aires, no. 68 - 14th andar / Centro
Rio de Janeiro, RJ 20070-022
Tel.: 55-11-2507-7181
Contact: John Foreman, President
contato@assespro.org.br
http://www.assespro.org.br


DISTRIBUTION/EXPRESS DELIVERY
--------------

Associacao Brasileira de Atacadistas e Distribuidores de
Produtos Industrializados (ABAD)
Mr. Guilherme Tiezzi, Consultor para Atacado
Phone: (11) 3056-7500
Fax: (11) 3885-6840/(85) 254-1742
Email: guilherme.tiezzi@abgroup.com.br
Av. Nove de Julho, 3147-11 andar
Sao Paulo, SP 01407-000

Associacao Brasileira de Movimentacao e Logstica
Mr. Marcio Frugiuelle, Presidente (ABML)
Phone: 55-11-5082-3972, 3371-0344 (Chep do Brasil)
Email: congresso@abml.org.br
Av. Cons. Rodrigues Alves, 848
Sao Paulo, SP 04014-002
Web Site: www.abml.org.br

AUDIOVISUAL
--------------

Associacao Brasileira da Producao de Obras Audiovisuais
(APRO)
Rua dos Pinheiros 870, 16th andar - cj 161
Sao Paulo, SP 05422-001
Tel: 55-61-11-3089-9606
apro@apro.org.br

Associacao Brasileira de Realizadores de Audiovisuais
(ASCINE)
Rua Lima e Silva, 280
Bairro Cidade Baixa
Porto Alegre, RS 90050-100
Website: www.ascine.com.br

Associacao Brasileira de Emissoras de Radio e Televisao
(ABERT)
SCN Qd. 4 Bloco B Sala 501
Centro Empresarial Varig
Brasilia, DF 70714-900
Tel: 55-61-2104-4600

CHICOLA