On Wednesday (April 24), Brazil and the United Kingdom signed a memorandum of understanding in São Paulo to expand the system for Consultation of Tariff Preference Agreements (CAPTA), which holds data on the reduction of import duty resulting from international trade agreements entered into by Brazil. Currently, details on this reduction (known as a tariff preference) can be accessed through the CAPTA web page, on the Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade (MDIC) portal. The reduction is granted by Brazil to 44 countries and received by Brazil from 37 countries.

Under the agreement, CAPTA will also provide the following information: the tariffs applied to Brazilian exports by Brazil's major trading partners (not only the tariff preferences); rules and tariffs of the Generalized System of Preferences (SGP); rules of origin of tariff preference agreements, and the commitments of agreements in services concluded within the framework of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

The goal of the initiative is to facilitate access to this information and thereby increase use among exporters of the tariff reductions negotiated by Brazil in bilateral agreements. Accordingly, the exporter will easily be able to decide which country presents the best commercial alternative for their product.

The MDIC Secretary of Foreign Trade, Tatiana Lacerda Prazeres; the British Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, Vincent Cable, and the President of the National Confederation of Industry (CNI), Robson Braga, signed the document which provides for this expansion during a meeting of the Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO).

The service is and will remain free of charge. CAPTA is available from any computer connected to the Internet. The tool also features a specially developed version for mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets.

The MDIC and the British ministry signed a further memorandum of understanding at the meeting, focusing on trade, investment, services, sustainability, education, standardization, research and development, and innovation. The agreement establishes a two-year plan (2013-2014) in which specific projects will be developed in these areas between the two governments.

Source:

Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade

27 April 2013