Brazil, US pledge deeper economic ties at New York industry forum

More than 500 Brazilian and American business leaders, investors and officials gathered in New York on 11 May for the Brazil‑US Industry Day, part of the annual Brazilian Week. Hosted by Brazil's National Confederation of Industry (CNI) with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the forum highlighted expanding cooperation in strategic sectors such as rare‑earth minerals, ethanol, infrastructure, data‑centres and artificial intelligence. CNI president Ricardo Alban said the goal is to “strengthen the complementary links of our productive chains” and to secure sustainable, win‑win trade while reducing geopolitical dependencies. U.S. Chamber vice‑president John Murphy added that “the best of the Brazil‑US partnership is still to come.” Panels also discussed financing the future and cutting bureaucracy to attract investment.

In a related discussion at the Summit Brazil‑USA, analysts highlighted the uncertainty of U.S. foreign‑policy direction under former President Donald Trump, noting that unpredictable moves – especially toward allies such as Russia – complicate bilateral planning. The conversation referenced the recent Lula‑Trump meeting, which was described by former ambassador Clifford Sobel as “extraordinary,” underscoring both the opportunities and the challenges facing the Brazil‑US relationship.