The purpose of the abstract: to consider the economic situation of Brazil, the role of the state in the economy, and foreign economic activity of Brazil.

Introduction 3
1. Economic situation of Brazil 4
1.1. Geographical position 4
1.2. Natural features, endowment with natural resources 5
1.3. Population 8
1.4. Economic potential of the country 10
2. Foreign economic activity of Brazil 10
2.1. Export and import structure 10
2.2. Foreign trade policy of the state 13
2.3. Trade and economic cooperation between Brazil and leading European countries. 14
References 1

The work contains 1 file

Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation

Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution

Higher professional education

"St. Petersburg State Mining University"

Department of Economics, Accounting and Audit

Essay

By discipline: World economy

(name of academic discipline according to the curriculum)

On the topic: Brazil's place in the global economy

Completed: student gr. BA-08-2 ___________ /Petrov N.A./

(signature) (full name)

GRADE: ________

DATE:

CHECKED:Assistant professor ___________ /Podoba Z.S./

(position) (signature) (full name)

Saint Petersburg

2011

Introduction 3

1. Economic situation of Brazil 4

1.1. Geographical position 4

1.2. Natural features, endowment with natural resources 5

1.3. Population 8

1.4. Economic potential of the country 10

2. Foreign economic activity of Brazil 10

2.1. Export and import structure 10

2.2. Foreign trade policy of the state 13

2.3. Trade and economic cooperation between Brazil and leading European countries. 14

Bibliography 18

Introduction

The name Brazil comes from the Portuguese brasa, which means “heat, hot coals” (this is what the Portuguese called red sandalwood, which for some time was the main export item from Brazil to Europe). When you hear the word “Brazil,” common associations come to mind: coffee, samba, football, carnival, the notorious “wild monkeys.”

Meanwhile, this country, the fifth largest in the world by area and population, is full of striking natural and social contrasts and, despite economic difficulties, has enormous potential. The richest natural resources, favorable climate, fertile soils, cheap labor and favorable geographical location create all the opportunities for Brazil to become one of the leaders in the world economy. Unfortunately, Brazil has been struggling for years in the grip of economic difficulties, the main ones being a huge external debt and inflation.

Brazil's accentuated aspiration to the global trade, economic and political space is a relatively recent phenomenon that has made itself felt as a result of deep internal transformations and shifts that have occurred in the last two decades. It was the economic and political changes that ensured the rise and modernization of the country that made possible its active participation in the creation of a modern architecture of international economic and financial relations. Brazil, which until recently was called a “sleeping giant,” has “awakened” in a geoeconomic and geopolitical sense. This is evidenced by many things: its position on key issues of world politics, strong leadership in Latin America, participation in the work of the G20, participation in G8 meetings, increasingly broader interaction with other “rising giants” within the BRIC group (Brazil, Russia, India , China).

The purpose of the abstract: to consider the economic situation of Brazil, the role of the state in the economy, and foreign economic activity of Brazil.

1. Economic situation of Brazil
1. Geographical position

Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world and the largest country in Latin America. The country occupies the eastern and central parts of the South American mainland, on the western coast of the Atlantic Ocean. Brazil borders all South American countries except Chile and Ecuador. In the north, the country borders with French Guiana (673 km), Suriname (597 km), Guyana (1,119 km) and Venezuela (2,200 km), in the northwest and west - with Colombia (1,643 km), Peru (1,560 km), Bolivia (3400 km), in the southwest and south - with Paraguay (1290 km), Argentina (1224 km) and Uruguay (985 km). Brazil maintains good trade and diplomatic ties with neighboring countries (in 1991, Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay entered into an agreement to form the Common Market of the Southern Cone - MERCOSUR; it provides for the removal of customs barriers and the free movement of goods, capital and labor) . It imports products from neighboring countries and at the same time is a major exporter.

The length of Brazil's land borders is about 16 thousand km. In the east, for 7.7 thousand km, it has access to the Atlantic Ocean. The protrusion of the territory into the Atlantic determines the relative proximity of Brazil, compared to other Latin American countries, to the African continent. The country owns the Fernando de Noronha archipelago, Rocas Atoll, Trindade Island, Martin Vas Islands, and Sao Paulo Islands.

The country's population is 192,572,039 people (2010). The total area of ​​Brazil is 8.5 million square meters. km. The territory of the state is very compact in configuration. This is a quadrangle, the distance from west to east and north to south is almost the same, the greatest length from north to south is 4320 km, from east to west - 4328 km.

According to the government system, Brazil is a federal republic. The generally accepted full form of the name of the state is the Federative Republic of Brazil (Republica Federativa do Brazil), the generally accepted short form is Brazil (Brazil). The capital is the city of Brasilia. The official language is Portuguese. According to the Constitution, the head of state, government and supreme commander in chief is the president. The current president is Luiz Inacio "Lula" da Silva. Administratively, Brazil is divided into 26 states and 1 federal district - Brasilia.

In terms of socio-economic development, Brazil belongs to the group of developing countries. It is part of the group of newly industrialized countries (NICs). Brazil occupies an important place in the economy Latin America. Brazil has achieved significant success in industrialization, the creation of certain types of modern high-tech industries, significantly expanded the export of manufacturing products and in a number of indicators: GDP at PPP - 2.2 trillion. dollars (2010), GDP per capita of $11,289 (2010) and GDP growth rate in 2010 - 7.8% - it surpasses most other developing countries.

Thus, Brazil occupies an advantageous geographical position in the Latin American region. Brazil's proximity to the developing countries of Latin America contributes to the development of its economic complex and strengthening of foreign economic relations with its main trading partners. Stable trade relations with these countries make its economy less vulnerable. The presence of large ports provides it with economic ties with many countries of the world. Also, the peculiarities of the country’s geographical location affected colonization and decolonization, and then contributed to the penetration of foreign capital and TNCs into the country.

The benefits of Brazil's economic and geographical position are determined by:

• development opportunity international relations with neighboring Latin American countries;
• the possibility of developing intercontinental connections thanks to access to the Atlantic Ocean.
• coastal position of the country.
• proximity to the USA, but at the same time great distance from other regions.

1. Natural features, endowment with natural resources

Among all Latin American countries, Brazil is the most endowed with a variety of natural resources. According to the reference book “Socio-economic geography of the foreign world”: the country holds 1st place in the region in reserves of iron, manganese ore, bauxite, copper, chromite, beryllium, niobium, zirconium, rock crystal, 2nd place in the region in reserves of cobalt, tungsten, tin, asbestos, graphite. There are large reserves of gold, uranium, and nickel.

At the same time, there is a shortage of fuel resources; geological exploration is constantly being carried out, especially in the coastal zone of the continental shelf, where oil and natural gas reserves have been discovered. The extraction of shale is promising; the country ranks second among foreign countries in terms of reserves. Coal deposits are small and concentrated mainly in the south. According to British Petroleum in 2009. proven natural gas reserves in Brazil amounted to 350 billion cubic meters. m., coal - 10.113 billion tons and oil - 11.7 billion barrels. Natural gas reserves in Brazil are very small. Thus, in terms of reserves of this energy carrier, Brazil ranks only third even within South America. It is the leader in coal reserves this region. In terms of oil reserves in Latin America today, the republic is inferior to Mexico and, of course, Venezuela. However, even with their current volumes, Brazil ranks 17th in the world. Compared to 1980, when oil production was only 8.9 million tons, in 2009 it reached 56.3 million tons. The main oil reserves are located in the Southeast, but they satisfy the country’s needs by less than 50%. Oil and petroleum products account for about 25% of the value of imports. 28% of imported oil comes from Nigeria, 26% from Saudi Arabia.

Table 1

Combustible minerals.

Mineral resource	General reserves, million tons/billion cubic meters	Share in the world, %	Imports, million tons/billion cubic meters	Production, million tons/billion cubic meters	Coverage (number of years)
Natural and combustible gas	326	0,2	7,62	11,5	20
Coal	11948	0,4	13,1	5,64	-
Oil	1612,7	0,8	17,6	84,7	19

Iron ore reserves in Brazil are estimated at 26.13 billion tons, - 7.1% of all world reserves (in terms of iron ore reserves, Brazil ranks fifth in the world after Ukraine, Russia, China and Australia), and manganese ore at 345 million tons, – 9% of all world reserves of manganese ore. A distinctive feature of the country's iron ore is the high iron content in hematite ores - 60-68%. Their rich reserves are concentrated in the states of Minas Gerais, Para, and Mato Grosso. The world's largest iron ore deposit, Carajas (18 billion tons), is located in the state of Pará. The second largest iron ore basin is located in the southeast of the country in the state of Minas Gerais, which means “Main Mines”. It was here that until recently the main ore mining took place. A large iron ore region is also located in the west of the country near the borders with Bolivia and Paraguay. The main importers are Japan, Germany, China, and the Republic of Korea.

Manganese ore is mined in the country 324 thousand tons per year. Most of the manganese ores are concentrated in the deposits of Carajas (Para state) and Serra do Navio (Amapa state). Nickel ore deposits are located in the states of Pará, Goiás and Minas Gerais. Brazil has 6.7% of the world's nickel ore reserves, which is 9.5 billion tons, which allows it to produce 82.5 thousand tons of nickel per year. Brazil is not rich in chromites: it is estimated that there are 5 million tons of them, which is 0.3% of the world reserves of this mineral, but it is the only country in Latin America that has chromites. Bauxite occurs mainly in the state of Para (Trombetas, Paragominas, Carajas deposits), in the state of Minas Gerais near the cities of Ouro Preto, Nova Lima, Belo Horizonte, in the east of the country, and deposits of aluminum ore can be found in the states of Maranhão , Bahia, Sao Paulo and Amapa. World bauxite reserves are estimated at 31 million tons, of which 7.7% are located in Brazil. Large deposits of bauxite have been discovered in the north of the country, in the Amazon. They are part of a vast bauxite-bearing zone stretching across Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana and Brazil. The alumina content in bauxite is 50-60%; they occur at shallow depths, which allows them to be mined by open-pit mining. 22 million tons of aluminum ore are mined in Brazil per year, from which 1.6 million tons of aluminum are smelted per year. The main consumers of Brazilian bauxite are Canada, the USA and Ukraine. More than 100 deposits of polymetallic ores are known. Most of them are located in the river valley. Ribeira south of Sao Paulo.

Topic: The current state of the Brazilian economy and its global economic relations

Type: Abstract | Size: 62.35K | Downloads: 34 | Added 09/13/15 at 17:20 | Rating: 0 | More Abstracts

University: National Research University

Year and city: Smolensk 2013

Introduction 3

1 History of economic development of Brazil 4

2 The country's economy at the turn of the XX-XXI centuries 9

3 International economic relations of Brazil 14

Conclusion 20

List of sources used 21

INTRODUCTION

Brazil is the largest country in South America and is located in its central and eastern part. Today, Brazil's economy is the most powerful on the mainland. It has a great influence on the global market. The leading places in the economy are occupied by industry and agriculture. Brazil is able to provide itself with food. It is a leading exporter of tropical grains. Brazil is famous for its coffee, which makes up the bulk of the country's exports. In terms of its production, this country holds the lead in the world. The main coffee producing states are Minas Gerais, Sao Paulo, Espirito Santo and Parana. Soybeans are also an important export.

We should not forget that, historically, the Brazilian economy has not been all smooth sailing. But, despite all the historical difficulties, Brazil was able to cope with the difficulties and stabilize the economy, as well as establish foreign economic relations with other countries for the growth and prosperity of the economy. All this determined the choice of the topic of the essay. The purpose of the essay is to review modern economic condition Brazil. The problem discussed in this essay concerns the excess of the share of imports over exports.

When writing the abstract, the following tasks were set:

Study the history of economic development in Brazil.

Consider the current state of the country's economy.

Analyze the international economic relations of Brazil.

In our opinion, this issue may be of scientific interest, as well as a basis for thought, since trade, economic, scientific and technical relations between Brazil and Russia are developing at a fairly good pace.

When writing the abstract we used teaching aids in economics, articles from economic journals and other economic literature.

1 HISTORY OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF BRAZIL

The history of Brazil was full of many historical facts. Many historical processes that took place in this country, one way or another, influenced the country’s economy. In order to understand how the history of Brazil influenced the economic sphere, we should go back to the moment when Europeans discovered South America. It was from then on that the country’s turbulent and sometimes difficult history began.

When Europeans first reached Brazil, French researchers claim that the ship of the Frenchman Jean Cousin was carried to the coast of this country during a storm in 1488. Some Brazilian historians insist that Portuguese navigators secretly visited Brazil earlier in 1494. From historical documents it is known that two Spanish expeditions sailed to the shores of modern Brazil. Not long after this, Pedro Alvares Cabral saw an unknown land on April 22, 1500. The Portuguese navigator named it Terra da Vera Cruz. Having gone ashore, he explored a certain section of the coast for 10 days. Later, at the place where the ship landed, a large wooden cross was erected to Pedro Cabral.

Brazil's economy was colonial and was based on sugar production, mining, and cattle breeding. At that time, slave labor was used. A little later, small cattle plantations and ranches were created. Cotton and rice were grown on them.

However, for the royal administration during the colonial period, the most profitable crop was sugar cane. Its collection reached its peak in the 17th century. At that time, Brazil earned significantly more from sugar exports , than in the export of gold and diamonds. Until the end of the 16th century, the demand for sugar in Europe increased, and at the beginning of the 17th century. Portugal has become the largest supplier of this product to the world market. There were about 60 sugar plantations in Brazil in 1570. in 1710 - over 500. And in subsequent years their number increased with incredible speed. In the interior of the country, haciendas predominated. Mostly Indians worked there. African slaves began to be involved in work on haciendas only in the mid-17th century. Early 18th century There were political changes that had a direct impact on the country's economy.

At a time when power in Portugal was effectively in the hands of the Marquis de Pombal, as a result of which the country finally gained a stronger and more centralized government. In 1759, Pombal expelled the Jesuits from Portugal and all its possessions. This was followed by the confiscation of the rich property of this order. The church became controlled by the state. However, the Marquis de Pombala encouraged development Agriculture and industry.

One of the advantages of his policy is that he banned the use of Indian slave labor. But the reforms launched by Pombal met with resistance. During his reign, smuggling flourished, corruption struck the authorities . As a result, discontent spread across large sections of Brazilian society. It should be taken into account that events in Europe stimulated Brazil's struggle for independence. The invasion of Portugal by Napoleonic troops in 1807 forced members of the Braganza royal dynasty and its 15 thousand adherents to flee to Brazil. There, on behalf of the king, a law was immediately issued to open Brazilian ports, which meant granting Brazil economic independence.

In the middle of the 19th century. Brazil's economy was booming. The culture of coffee, which began to be grown in the mid-18th century. in the Rio de Janeiro area, quickly spread along the Paraiba River valley from Rio de Janeiro to Sao Paulo.

The economies of the states of Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Minas Gerais and Espirito Santo specialized in coffee cultivation. Sugarcane continued to be grown in the Northeast. While in the far south and far west livestock was raised. In the north, the main crops were cotton , indigofera and rice. Mining operations were not abandoned. The region of the Paraiba River Valley stood out sharply in terms of the volume of export products.

After 1830, coffee became Brazil's most valuable export . Unfortunately, slavery , as the only remnant of the colonial past , survived in a slightly modified form until 1888. As early as the 1820s, some Brazilians insisted that the slave trade and slavery be brought to an end, fearing that the huge influx of slaves would eventually lead to the “Africanization” of the country. But the Brazilian economy could not immediately abandon slave labor. Therefore, she continued to rely on slave labor. It was widely used in sugar and coffee plantations.

The government delayed the issue of freeing slaves, since the continued expansion of the “coffee economy” needed a guaranteed source of labor. Without labor, Brazil would not be able to produce coffee and supply it to the world market. Domestic and international movements to abolish the slave trade finally bore fruit, and in 1850 Eusebio de Queiroz passed legislation to abolish the slave trade. In fact, the slave trade did not stop until 1880.

Decisive economic changes occurred in the decade after the First World War. In the first two decades of the 20th century. A flood of immigrants poured into Brazil, including the Japanese, who settled in small communities.

New cities, family farms and railways were built in the border areas in the north and west of the state of São Paulo. The development of the economy in rural areas was accompanied by the growth of industry in the cities.

The post-war period was marked by the strengthening of the role of trade . But this resulted in economic difficulties in industry and affected the employment of workers. As a consequence, there was a growth in socio-political protest movements. While Brazilian goods—coffee, sugar, cocoa, and meat—were once again being exported in large quantities, the federal government showed little desire to protect new industries from the cheap imports that were flooding the Brazilian market and undermining domestic producers. Urban workers were mostly immigrants and middle class . They joined the ranks of the unemployed and were outraged by government policies. At that time, a global economic crisis was raging, which required the federal government to take urgent action to save the “coffee economy”, and partly for this reason the president chose the governor of São Paulo. The subsequent elections split the country.

The opposition candidate was Gitulio Vargas. When Gitulio was elected president, he took on social and economic reforms: he pursued an active policy in which the state established and influenced trade unions, carried out centralized economic planning and created government agencies on management of natural resources, heavy industry. Brazil was one of the first in the world to experience the impact of the crisis of 1929. Burning surplus coffee production, the country pursued a policy of industrial development. After the abolition of the Vargas dictatorship, General Eurico Gaspar Dutra was elected president. He restored the constitutional regime and set a course for a return to a liberal market economy. Brazil's economic growth rate reached 10% per year between 1964 and 1974. The country's economy at that time was built on a combination of internal repression, political stability, low wages, massive foreign investment, foreign loans and an unprecedented focus on the export of manufactured goods.

In 1973-1974, Brazil experienced a deep shock when world oil prices quadrupled. This was because the country was heavily dependent on oil imports. However, the regime resolutely continued its policy. To finance development projects, the government sought huge foreign loans.

In the early 1970s, all social and political activities were prohibited. In the presidential elections in November 1989, the main candidate stood out: Fernando Collor di Mello - he was supported by the majority of left-wing parties. In the final round of elections held in December, Collor narrowly won. His victory may have been fueled by his promise to sharply cut government employment and privatize large parts of the economy.

After his inauguration in March 1990, Collor put forward a reform agenda. His first priorities included curbing hyperinflation by freezing 70% of bank accounts and all prices, and reducing the budget deficit, which in 1989 stood at 8% of GDP.

In 1992, the sharp decline in the economy continued. Promoting restriction of consumption, Collor's government introduced new taxes and levies to pay off debts, which caused a sharp escalation of social tensions.

In the early 1990s, inflation continued to rise, reaching 22% per month in August 1991, and unemployment in some areas exceeded 15%. In December 1993, Finance Minister Fernando Henrique Cardoso, a former senator, proposed a sweeping plan to stabilize the economy. Cardoso tried to stop inflation by reducing the federal budget deficit. To achieve this, it was recommended to increase income tax, reduce public sector employment. This plan was supported by many entrepreneurs, but it met with opposition from trade unions. In July a new currency unit- real, the value of which was equal to the US dollar. Inflation rates, which exceeded 50% in June, dropped to 10% in July and remained at the level of several percent until the beginning of October. Thousands state enterprises were put up for sale. Thus, Cardoz managed to contain the devaluation of the real and thereby protect the country from hyperinflation.

Successes in the fight against inflation brought Fernand Cardos unprecedented popularity and love of the people. Since 2003, Brazil has steadily improved its macroeconomic stability as it has built up foreign exchange reserves and reduced debt. Thanks to this, Brazil is now a stronger country compared to its condition at the beginning of the 20th century. The current state of the country will be discussed in the next chapter.

2 ECONOMY OF THE COUNTRY AT THE TURN OF THE XX-XXI CENTURIES

According to the results of the first five-year plan of the 21st century. Brazil's economy is ranked 10th in the world, as economic activity is higher than in other developing countries.

Brazil's industry accounts for 30% of its gross domestic product, exports about 10%. The country has four key sectors - automotive, steel, petrochemicals and services. These areas played a decisive role in the development of not only industry, but also the economy as a whole.

At the end of the 90s and the beginning of the new century, Brazil achieved success in the production of a variety of finished products. This category includes machines and equipment for processing. Production of aviation equipment, electrical and electronic equipment, production of textile products: clothing, shoes.

It should be noted that Brazil's major trading partners at the moment are countries such as Argentina, the USA, Switzerland, Germany, Great Britain, France, Mexico and Canada.

As for oil, before 1953 its production in Brazil was about 2 thousand barrels per day, but its internal capacity was twice that amount. In 1953, Congress decided to create a state oil company- “Petrobras”. Private enterprises were allowed to participate in production, but only at the stage of purification and distribution of the finished product. Thanks to Petrobras, Brazil tripled oil production in the early 90s, and already in July 1994 a production record was reached: about 740 thousand barrels per day.

Currently, the country has three petrochemical complexes, located in the states of Bahia, Rio Grande Sul and Sao Paulo, with a total capacity of 1.5 million tons per year.

In order for oil to be balanced with the production of crude oil, in the late 60s and early 70s a research searching for another fuel source other than oil.

An alternative solution was found in the production of monohydric alcohol: ethanol, which began to be extracted from sugar cane. In 1975 it was adopted National program alcohol production in order to use ethanol as a fuel and energy substitute for gasoline and increase its production for industrial use.

By 1985, during the implementation of the developed program for 10 years, 6.5 billion dollars were invested in the production of 50 billion liters of the standard. 500 thousand jobs were created. It should be noted that 2.5 million cars run on clean fuel and all gasoline at gas stations in Brazil contains 20% of the standard mixture.

By 2005, Brazil had purchased specialized technology and equipment capable of supporting annual production of the benchmark at 20 billion liters, and was also exporting technology, equipment and services.

It is known that Brazil has the richest, although not yet fully explored, mineral deposits.

Iron ore reserves have been calculated and estimated at 50 billion tons. Of these, 20 billion were found in the Carajas mountain range, in the east of the Amazon lowland.

The amount of iron ore that Brazil currently possesses is enough to satisfy the demands of the entire world community for this type natural resources in the next 100 years. This forecast was made taking into account the current growth rate and production level.

In addition to iron ore, reserves of manganese ore have been found in Brazil: about 208 billion tons of bauxite, 55 million tons, nickel, the amount of which can be estimated at 400 million tons. This assessment includes the latest discovery of this metal, or rather its deposits in the state of Goias. Also of great importance is the presence of a large deposit of uranium ore with a high uranium content - 1.31% in the state of Minas Gerais and Goiás.

Brazil has reserves of zirconium, potassium, phosphates, tungsten, cassiterite (tin ore), lead, graphite, chromium, gold, and the rare radioactive mineral thorium. It should be noted that Brazil accounts for 90% of the world's gemstone production. Of these, aquamarines, diamonds, topazes, amethysts, tourmalines and emeralds, etc. should be noted.

The share of electricity generated by the country's hydroelectric power plants is estimated at 255 million kW. Without significant coal reserves (until recent discoveries, like oil), Brazil has made large investments in plant planning and construction to meet the electricity needs of a booming economy.

The Itaipu hydroelectric power station, the largest in the world, is located on the Parana River, on the Brazil-Paraguay border, near the Igvazu Falls. Construction of this station began in the mid-70s. Since 1985, three of the 18 operating turbogenerators with a capacity of 700 MW each began to operate.

Currently, with 18 operating turbogenerators, electricity production in Itaipu is 12.6 million kW. This energy is evenly divided between Brazil and Paraguay.

Built in the southwestern part of the Amazon, the Tucurui hydroelectric power plant produces another 8 million kW of electricity in addition to Brazil's total electricity supply.

In the last three decades, significant advances have been made in new industries for Brazil - automobile manufacturing and, as a result, the production of spare parts for cars. In 1957, several factories were launched. Currently, the country produces a million cars annually. Their components are 100% made in Brazil. The country is now in 10th place among the world leaders in car production, and domestic cars are distinguished by their special and unique design.

It is also worth pointing out the state of the country's agriculture. Agriculture, from the very beginning of the colonial transition, played a major role in the economy. The economy of this industry was based on large lands producing the only export crop - sugar cane. Its collection depended on the productivity of the slaves. Since the cultivation of sugar cane in the 16th century. economic development The country was constantly dependent on ups and downs in agriculture. Sugarcane was followed by cotton, coffee, cocoa, rubber, etc. These crops also began to have a larger share in production, and the country's economy also depended on their harvest.

In the 70s, the number of types of exported agricultural products increased. Soybean broke the record, ahead of traditional crops - sugar, coffee, cocoa. The volume and variety of agricultural commodities in the form of semi-finished and finished products has increased significantly as the government has stimulated the production of finished goods.

Agriculture in the 80s continued to be among the primary tasks in the country's economy. However, individually, for example, coffee or rubber crops ceased to play a dominant role. Through preferential lending and financial incentives The federal government promoted the development of more efficient agriculture. In addition, efforts have been made to control migration rural population to urban areas: on countryside benefits were extended, plans for agrarian reform were implemented. Small, hitherto unprofitable, production was stimulated. Thus, in general, the quality of life improved in areas remote from large centers.

From 1980 to 2000, agricultural production grew at a galloping pace than the population - a ratio of 40/25. That is, the amount of production exceeded the population, the consequence was that the country could not be afraid of such a problem as hunger. This event also allowed Brazilian producers to supply more products to the foreign and domestic markets.

Twenty percent of Brazil's workforce is employed in agriculture. The country ranks third in the world in agricultural exports. Its share in global exports of these products is 6.1%. The share of agricultural products in Brazil's exports reaches almost a third. In the structure of the industry, crop production leads, it accounts for 60% of the value of all products, and in the course of the evolution of land use and land tenure systems, the institution of large land ownership has emerged. Latifundia (80% of all cultivated land). In addition, small land ownership - minifundia - is common.

In the north of Brazil there are vast expanses of Amazon forest, occupying 60% of the country's entire territory. But the reserves of valuable wood species are not used to their full potential. Of greatest importance is the procurement of nuts, the collection of rubber, and medicinal plants, reports the Kazakh-Zerno news agency.
Coffee is still one of Brazil's main exports. In 2008, 2790.8 million tons of coffee were harvested. Thus, Brazil is in first place in the world in this indicator. Brazil's main consumer crops are wheat, corn and rice. In 2008, the following was harvested: corn - 59 million tons (two harvests are harvested), rice - 12 million tons.
Brazil's livestock industry is predominantly meat-based. It accounts for about 40% of the cost of agricultural products. The country is also dominated by grazing cattle breeding, as well as beef cattle breeding combined with vegetable growing. Livestock farming is most common in the central-western part of the country. In 2008, there were 30 million pigs, 176 million cattle, 1050 million poultry and 15 million sheep in the country.

Based on the above data, we can conclude that the Brazilian economy is currently developing rapidly. Agriculture, which is the leading link in the entire economy of the country, does not stand still. The country has natural potential that it can use. The country is rich in mineral resources, which indicates the favorable position of the country. It should be noted that old industries have not been forgotten, new ones are developing. The next chapter will examine the economic connection of the country's economy with other countries of the world.

3 INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC RELATIONS OF BRAZIL

One of characteristic features The Brazilian economy is the rapid development of its international economic relations. Foreign trade plays a leading role among them.

Brazil accounts for 0.9% of world exports. This figure is approximately the same as the level of the 80s (1%), but it is lower than the level of the mid-70s. The Brazilian figure is twice as high as Argentina's, but slightly lower than Mexico's.

The dynamics of foreign trade decreased every year. For example, in the 80s, exports averaged 7.5% per year, in the 90s - by 4.9%.

Due to the reduction in prices for commodities this dynamic continued to increase. Foreign trade occupies a relatively modest place in GDP production. 7-9% of the gross product is exported (14.5% in 1984). Brazil differs significantly in terms of export and import quotas from many other developing countries. First of all, differences from Latin American countries are visible. There it is 1.5-2 times higher. Therefore, the Brazilian economy is focused mainly on the domestic market.

The institutional structure of foreign trade shows the oligopolistic structure of the Brazilian economy. About a hundred large companies receive a significant portion of export revenues. The role of the state is being reduced. Export regulation programs were curtailed, as a result of which the state monopoly on trade in sugar, coffee, and grain was reduced.

After structural changes in the economy, significant shifts in exports occurred. The share of services has increased (11.6% in 1997 versus 6.8% in 1982) and manufactured goods (over 53% of exports are industrial products, in 1983 - 39%). In the Brazilian economy, there are two product groups that are exported: metals and vehicles, as well as shoes. The first two groups account for over 10% of total exports. To date, the largest export earnings are soybeans and coffee - 7.9 and 3.3%, respectively.

The importance of structural changes in export trade is determined by the increase in the share of machinery and tools. According to this indicator, Brazil is inferior to such Latin American countries as Mexico, Chile and Argentina. Its manufacturing exports remain unprofitable. In terms of the share of high-tech goods, Brazil is inferior to countries with low average per capita income (15%).

Brazilian coffee occupies a leading place in world exports According to individual product groups: - 16-17%. In terms of the volume of its supplies to the world market, Colombia has come close. In terms of soybean exports, Brazil is second only to the United States. IN last years The country has taken one of the leading places in the export of orange juice. For a long time it was the largest exporter of iron ore (30%), ferroalloys, footwear, as well as feed, steel, and internal combustion engines.

Freedom of foreign trade stimulated to a greater extent the growth of imports and especially technically complex products, rather than an increase in exports. Brazilian entrepreneurs have lost ground in medium-sized and high technology foreign companies.

The basis of Brazilian imports has traditionally been machinery and equipment, fuel and consumer goods. In a number of areas of technology and equipment, complete dependence on imports remains.

The country's exports, according to the latest data, amount to 223 billion . US dollars, and imports 243 billion . US dollars. The largest trading partner is the United States, which accounts for about 20% of foreign trade turnover. In turn, Brazil's share of American imports in the 90s was 2.4-1.6%, reaching significant levels in purchases of orange juice (86%), coffee, tobacco, nuts, iron ore, tin and shoes.

Industrialized countries absorb most of the exported machinery and equipment. In the mid-1990s, the United States alone accounted for over 40% of Brazilian exports of this group of goods. Exports of processed goods come from the southeastern regions, and primary goods from the southern states. Trade with Latin American countries has developed greatly, in particular, the share of the LAAI countries is 17% of foreign trade turnover, the importance of the countries included in the Mercosur group is rapidly increasing.

Over the last century, Brazil has been very attractive for foreign investors. They invest their capital in loan and entrepreneurial forms. It largely covered the deficit in current account items.

A large share of the influx of foreign loan capital into the country was accounted for by short-term capital. He also went abroad when signs of trouble appeared. Large flows of loan capital led to a rapid increase in external debt. At the end of the 90s it exceeded 232 billion dollars (120 billion in 1990). Back in the early 1980s, debt servicing exceeded a critical level, exceeding 40% of the value of exports of goods and services. In order to maintain national economic development, the government decided to stop servicing external debt.

The international debt crisis has had a heavy impact on the country's economic development. Since Brazil has accumulated a large external debt, domestic production per capita has decreased. There was a gradual outflow of capital from the country. In the late 1980s, an agreement was reached with creditors to refinance the bulk of the debt. In 1992, a “letter of intent” was drawn up, under which Brazil received new loans in exchange for a tough program of socio-economic measures. The debt settlement option imposed by creditors—refinancing primarily on commercial terms—changed the features of foreign economic relations.

The influx of foreign direct investment is of great importance in Brazil's system of world economic relations. During the 90s it increased more than 30 times.

For several decades, Brazil has been among the top ten recipient countries of foreign capital. It accounts for 3.8% of global foreign direct investment, 12.8% in the developing world and 38% in Latin America (1998). The position of foreign capital strengthened significantly in the 90s, as international debt was settled.

It is estimated that foreign enterprises employ 3% of the country's workforce, and manufacturing 13.4%. Foreign capital has penetrated almost all levels credit system. Among the fifty largest banking groups 12 controlled or led foreign banks. Enterprises of foreign multinationals control half of Brazil's exports. The export of dividends from the country increased sharply - from 2.1% in 1991 to 10.3% of the value of exports in 1997. The relationship between national and foreign capital is changing in favor of the latter, as enterprises are being privatized.

The bulk of direct investment belongs to American TNCs, followed by Japanese, German and Swiss ones with a large lag. British capital, which previously occupied a prominent place in the Brazilian economy, reduced its influence.

In recent decades, Brazil's role in the movement of capital has changed significantly; it has become an exporter of capital. . The entry of Brazilian capital into foreign markets occurred in the mid-70s. He filled vacant industrial niches that were bypassed by entrepreneurial capital from Western countries. In the manufacturing industry, priority was given to the oil refining and construction industries. Zone investment activities primarily developing countries. Foreign investment by Brazilian companies is relatively small, accounting for 0.2% of global foreign investment, 3% of all foreign investment by developing countries, but 17% of all Latin American companies.

The formation of “excess” capital was facilitated by the duality of the economy and the unstable economic situation. Alongside the registered outflow of capital is a large shadow outflow, the average annual value of which in the 90s exceeded $0.4 billion.

Calculations for current transactions of the balance of payments were reduced to a negative balance, which amounted to over 4% of GDP, which weakened the country’s foreign exchange position.

As can be seen, the Brazilian development model is characterized by dependence on Western countries in the financial sector, high share raw materials and semi-finished products in export. High share of imports of technology, machinery, equipment, growing dependence on TNCs.

A good remedy The Brazilian government sees the expansion of foreign markets in the creation of integration associations. It is worth noting that Brazil took an active part in the formation of the Free Trade Association (LAST), which was established in 1960. It was subsequently transformed into the Latin American Integration Association.

Dissatisfaction with the low pace of economic rapprochement and the slow development of trade within the zone caused an intensification of relations with Argentina. In March 1991, an agreement was signed to create common market Southern Cone (Mercosur). This integration group includes Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. From January 1995, common external tariffs were introduced, turning Mercosur into a customs union. The agreement covers not only the economic, but also the humanitarian sphere. In 1996, Mercosur entered into agreements with Chile and Bolivia to create free trade zones.

The Common Market is an important element of Brazil's foreign economic policy. It can play the role of a geopolitical and economic counterweight to the policies of the United States, the traditional leader in the Western Hemisphere. The association concentrates 45% of the population of all of Latin America and more than 50% of its industrial potential. Brazil sees Mercosur as the first step towards broader regional integration, towards the creation of a free trade area in South America. At the end of 1993, she put forward a proposal to form a South American Free Trade Area (SAFTA) within ten years.

Members of Mercosur pursue a policy of “open regionalism”, an example of which was the conclusion of a general agreement on economic cooperation with the EU at the end of 1995. The process of regional cooperation takes place under conditions of strong influence from the United States. Branches of American multinationals send almost half of their exports from Brazil to other Latin American countries. In the early 90s their share was 26%.

The attachment of many Latin American countries to the US market and the strengthened position of the regional dollar hinder the strengthening of the influence of Mercosur and the formation of a South American free trade zone.

Economic relations are developing within the framework of the Brazilian-Russian protocol of intent on trade and economic cooperation. The basis of economic relations is commodity trade— exports to the Russian Federation consist of coffee, sugar, cocoa, meat, chicken, cigarettes, which account for more than 90% of supplies. Shoes occupy a prominent place in the export nomenclature. In imports, the priority belongs to fertilizers and alcohol. Purchases of mechanical and technical products, in particular energy and metallurgical equipment, carried out in the 80s, have ceased and are unlikely to revive in the future.

According to statistics, mutual trade turnover is gradually recovering after a decline due to the global financial crisis. Unfortunately, it has not yet reached the previous 8 billion dollars in 2008 (in 2011 - 7.77 billion dollars), but is gradually approaching this figure. It is appropriate to remember that in 2004, the leaders of the two countries set a goal - to increase mutual trade turnover to 10 billion dollars a year. This would help bring the economies of the two countries closer together and achieve many economic benefits. But, unfortunately, due to some circumstances, this indicator could not be achieved.

CONCLUSION

Based on the main part of the abstract, certain conclusions can be drawn. During historical and political processes, the Brazilian economy experienced difficulties in development, but the competent policies of the heads of state were able to get it out of the difficult situation.

Concerning current state economy of Brazil, then positive trends in development can be noted here. The country has a developed automotive industry, with a large share coming from agricultural exports. The consequence of this is the development of agriculture. The country also has a developed energy sector and mineral reserves. In order to better balance oil with crude oil production, research work was carried out to find another fuel source other than oil. An alternative solution is to make ethanol, added from sugar cane. In order to use ethanol as a fuel substitute for gasoline and increase its production, the National Alcohol Production Program was adopted. All this suggests that the Brazilian economy was looking for alternatives so as not to be dependent on countries for oil supplies.

Brazil's economic relations with other countries are difficult to characterize. On the one hand, it has connections with Russia and other Latin American countries, on the other hand, Brazil’s dependence on US investments, as well as on the dollar, is visible. But in Lately Brazil itself began to export its capital, that is, it became an exporter. Although its share is not large, in our opinion, future trends will have a positive slope.

From this abstract, the problem of excess imports from exports in Brazil became clear. This problem is very important, since the country is dependent on external supplies. This was partly due to the crisis in 2008.

In our opinion, if the exports of a given Latin American country exceed imports, then Brazil will be able to increase its role in the economy for its further prosperity.

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Introduction

1.2 Features of the Brazilian economic model

3.2 Problems and prospects for the development of the Brazilian economy

Conclusion

Applications

Introduction

Brazil is the largest country in South America by area and population and the only Portuguese-speaking country in America. It is in fifth place among the countries in the world in terms of area and fifth in terms of population. Occupies the eastern and central part of the continent. The capital is the city of Brasilia. The greatest length from north to south is 4320 km, from east to west 4328 km.

Brazil has the eighth largest economy in the world by nominal GDP and the seventh largest economy by GDP parity purchasing power. The official and practically the only spoken language of the country is Portuguese. By religion, the majority of Brazilians are Catholics, making Brazil the country with the largest Catholic population in the world.

The purpose of this work is to explore Brazil's place in the global market.

The following tasks are consistently solved in the work:

)the economy of Brazil at the present stage is examined;

2)Brazil's place in the world economy is considered;

)The problems and prospects for the development of the Brazilian economy are considered.

The object of the study is the Brazilian economy.

The subject of the study is its external and internal markets.

The work consists of ______ pages: introduction, three chapters, conclusion, bibliography and appendices.

Brazil world economy integration

1. The Brazilian economy at the present stage

1.1 General characteristics of the Brazilian economy: industry, agriculture, services

Since the time of the world economic crisis The 1930s and especially after World War II saw profound changes in Brazil. Its economy, which has long been focused on the export of mineral raw materials and some agricultural and forestry products, has made a breakthrough in the development of the manufacturing industry in recent decades. In addition, the life of the country has been deeply influenced by urbanization processes. Although after the Second World War the pace of development of industry was ahead of agriculture, the latter also did not stand still. The country entered the world market as one of the largest suppliers of sugar and took second place in the production of soybeans. It remains the world leader in coffee production and supplies significant quantities of cocoa and cotton. Brazil meets its needs for most staple foods - rice, beans, corn and meat. In recent years, Brazil has made significant progress in the development of industry and has transformed from an agricultural to an industrial-agrarian country. In 1997, the average per capita income was approximately 4.7 thousand dollars (in 1996 - 3.1 thousand, and in 1989 - 2 thousand). The central and southeastern states are the most economically developed, while the northeastern states are the least developed.

Brazil is the third largest country in the world in terms of production sea ​​vessels, it ranks fifth in the production of tractors, sixth in the production of military equipment (excluding weapons of mass destruction), as well as medium and small turboprop aircraft, seventh in the production of automobiles, ninth in the production of metalworking and forging equipment.

Brazil is an active participant in world economic relations.

In 2010, Brazil's imports increased compared to 2009 by 154% - up to 6 million. The reason for such an abrupt rise was the profitable exchange rate national currency against the dollar, euro and currencies Asian countries, stability national economy And investment plans, implemented in 2010

The Republic is one of the 10 states that are the largest recipients of foreign capital. In recent years, the country itself has begun to export capital. This is facilitated by its active participation in the development of regional economic associations.

Good conditions in the construction and automotive industries, as well as in the production of consumer electronics, ensure a significant increase in demand for metal products in the country. Until now, the national industry has met slightly more than 90% of the required consumption. In 2010, due to the growth of the national currency, as well as due to the presence of excess capacity in the global steel market, the share of imports increased to 28%.

The demand for imported finished metal products necessary for the development of railway transport is growing.

Steel production in Brazil increased to previous year by 23.8% - to 32.8 million. The country produced more than half of the total volume of these products of all Latin American countries. Currently the capacity of enterprises metallurgical complex is 42.1 million per year.

Brazil's current economic success is the result of the transition to an open economy model and structural reforms carried out since the early 1990s. and ensuring the modernization of the entire economic mechanism. As part of the implementation of Plan Real (since 1994) and other macroeconomic decisions of a strategic nature, the national economy not only got rid of such “birthmarks” as uncontrolled inflation, but also acquired new scale and quality (see Table 1).

Table 1 - Basic economic indicators Brazil for 2000-2010

Indicator2000 2005 2008 2010 Population, million people170.7184.2192.0203 429,773GDP, billion dollars, current prices644.7882.41573.32024 Per capita GDP, dollars, current prices37554791752510 900T GDP growth rate , %4.33.25.17.5Inflation rate, %8.26.35.94.9Export, billion dollars 55.1118.3197.9199.7Import, billion dollars 55.1118.3173.1187, 7Foreign direct investment, billion dollars 32.815.145.118.5Foreign exchange reserves, billion dollars 33.053.8206.8290.9External debt, billion dollars 216.9169.5198.4310.8External debt/GDP,%33.619.212.660.8

Source: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/br.html

The role of a number of advanced manufacturing industries has significantly increased, which was the result of government policies that defined and supported strategic directions of development: the production of investment goods, medicines, semiconductors and software. Particular attention was paid to improving the technological culture of production. As a result, by the end of the first decade of this century, local production provided 90% of the demand for industrial products, including more than 80% for machinery and equipment. Among the high-tech industries, aircraft manufacturing has grown rapidly. The Embraer company has become the world's third largest aircraft manufacturer, second only to Boeing and Airbus.

The mining industry has gained significant importance. The country is the world's first producer of iron ore, the second producer of manganese and tantalum and a virtual monopolist in niobium (over 95% of world production), and is among the top five in the production of bauxite, tin, lithium, and magnesium. The industry leader is the CVRD company, which accounts for up to a third of the total mining volume. KVRD is the world's largest iron ore company and the second largest producer of manganese and ferroalloys. In 2006, KVRD powerfully acted as an investor and acquired a large Canadian company, Canadian Mining, for almost $18 billion.

Traditionally, the weak link of the national economy has been the energy sector. A solution to this problem has been found through diversification of energy resources and expansion of the energy resource base. The development of new oil fields, primarily on the continental shelf, is expected to play a key role. Brazil has become a record holder for deep-sea drilling and produces at depths of up to 3 thousand meters. According to Lula, in 2007-2009. In Brazil (mainly on the continental shelf), oil reserves estimated at 50 billion barrels were discovered. Thanks to their development, the country can in the foreseeable future become one of the world's energy hubs, a major producer and exporter of hydrocarbons. The industry leader, the state company Petrobras, is already one of the largest business structures in the world. In 2009, the market capitalization of the Brazilian giant reached $200 billion - third place in the global ranking table after Exxon and Gazprom.

The trump card and unique resource of the Brazilian economy is a highly developed and diversified agro-industrial complex (AIC). Since 1991, when prices for basic agricultural goods were liberalized, agricultural production has been growing at a high and steady pace (see Table 2).

Table 2 - Production of main grains and legumes (million tons)

Culture1990/1991 1995/1996 2000/2001 2007/2008 Total57,973,6100,3145,8Soybeans15,423,238,459,9Corn24,132,442,358,7Rice10,010,010,412,1Wheat3,13,23,26,0

Source: Banco Central do Brasil. RelatorioAnual 2009. Volume 44, p.29.

Today the country covers 92% of its food needs through domestic production, and this share tends to further increase. Brazil has become one of the world's leading food producers and exporters and has become one of the guarantors of global food security.

Evidence of the country's success in the development of innovation was the formation within the framework of the agro-industrial complex of a new promising industry, which can be called the energy sector of agriculture. We are talking about a radical turn in the energy strategy, which began in 2007 in connection with the adoption of the “ethanol program”. Already today, Brazil is the world's leading producer of biofuels (based on sugar cane), one of the few cost-effective renewable energy sources. The Ethanol Program promotes the development of technical cooperation with other leading countries innovation economy(USA, India) and creates new capacious sales markets for Brazilian exporters.

An important place in the macroeconomic modernization strategy is given to National Bank Economic and Social Development (BNDES), the largest public lending institution with assets over $220 billion. Created in 1952, BNDES has become a powerful tool for the country's economic development, the most important source of financing not only for large companies real sector, but also small and medium-sized businesses, as well as numerous Brazilian exporters. In 2009 (at the height of the global crisis), BNDES provided loans worth $74 billion and played a significant role in mitigating the consequences of the recession, helping thousands of local producers “survive”

Brazil is generally divided into five major economic regions. The north, which includes the vast Amazon basin, occupies 45% of the country's area, where 7% of the country lived in the early 1990s. general population countries. Despite the presence of several industrial centers, agriculture predominates, especially the cultivation of sugar cane, cotton and cocoa, as well as animal husbandry. The Northeast (18% of the country's area and 29% of the population) is a densely populated agricultural region, specializing in sugarcane cultivation. The Southeast (11% of area and 43% of population) is the most developed region, producing more than 80% of Brazil's industrial output; In addition, the area's agriculture supplies most of the country's coffee, soybeans, sugar, and livestock products. The south (7% of area and 15% of population) is an important agricultural region, producing rice, wheat, soybeans, wine and meat. It is also home to rapidly developing industrial centers. In the Center-West region (19% of the area and 7% of the population), the leading industry is agriculture with a predominance of livestock raising; in some areas soybeans, rice and other crops are cultivated.

Brazil still has the highest concentration of land ownership: 45% of cultivable land is owned by 1% of owners, while the largest farms have more than 40% of the land unused. Unfair distribution of land leads to acute social conflicts, and the number of direct armed clashes between landless rural residents and the police is increasing.

Brazil ranks 6-7 in the world in terms of consumption of textile products.

The most developed industry economy - service sector (including tourism), which employs 47% of the population; it brings in 58% of national income.

The services sector is the leading sector of the Brazilian economy - its share of GDP is 58%, while its various sectors account for: transport and logistics - 9%, trade - 8%, Financial services- 7%, communications and telecommunications - 6%, government and public works - 16%.

The South-Eastern region accounts for 68% of the services produced in the country, the South - 14%, and the North-East - 10%. Among the states, the leaders are Sao Paulo - 43%, Rio de Janeiro - 15%, Minas Gerais - 8%.

.2 Features of the Brazilian economic model

Brazil's economy is very diverse, with significant variations between regions. The most developed industry is concentrated in the south and southeast of the country. The northeast is Brazil's poorest region, but it is now beginning to attract new investment.

The main achievements of the government in social sphere were a reduction in the unemployment rate to 7.5% of the country's economic income (600 thousand new jobs were created in 2000), as well as the adoption of a law raising the minimum wage to $85.

Along with Russia, India and China, the Republic of Brazil is one of the most promising developing countries in terms of economic potential. Since 2000, the Brazilian economy has performed well. In the period 2000-2005. Brazil's average annual GDP growth rate in real terms was 2.5%. From 2005 to 2007 The economic growth of this South American country accelerated even more. In 2007, Brazil's GDP was 1.269 trillion. dollars, and, according to data published by the Institute of Geography and Statistics of Brazil, in 2007 GDP increased by 5.4% compared to the previous year, which is much higher than the figure for 2005 and 2006. (in 2005 and 2006, GDP growth was 3.2% and 3.8%, respectively). However, it should be noted that the growth of GDP per capita is significantly less: in 2007 - 3.9%, and in 2006-2005. only 2.3% and 1.5% respectively. At the same time, there was also an increase in industrial production: last year it amounted to about 104.5%. Similar growth rates were achieved in the absence of high inflation in the country. In 2007, the consumer price index in Brazil was 4.1%, which was made possible by the Central Bank of Brazil's tight monetary policy.

The Brazilian federal budget is characterized by constant deficit in the amount of 1-5% of GDP and, as a result, a large public debt.

It is also important for the Brazilian economy to completely overcome the external debt crisis, the causes of which date back to the 1970s, when the Brazilian government, speeding up its industrialization policy, attracted more and more foreign loans and credits. The republic's dependence on industrial developed countries, which turned into the period 1980 - mid-1990s. debt crisis. This period was characterized by destabilization of the economy, a drop in growth rates, and a sharp increase in inflation, which reached four-digit values. For five years, Brazil experienced a decline in GDP per capita: in 1980-1985. average annual rates economic downturn amounted to 1.2%. In the 1990s. there is a reduction public sector in economics and liberalization of foreign economic sphere. As a result of successfully carried out reforms, an effectively functioning private sector is gradually being created. Processes of structural restructuring of the economy are beginning in Brazil. The manufacturing industry, which for a long time was the driving force of economic development, is losing this role. There is a shift towards the extraction and primary processing of mineral raw materials and food products. These processes are accompanied by the recovery of the Brazilian economy and a decrease in external debt. Thus, in 1992, Brazil's external debt continued to constitute a significant share of its GDP (as GDP itself increased significantly) (see Table 3).

Table 3 - External debt of the Republic of Brazil

Indicator 1987199220072010 Public debt, billion dollars, including: 123.8121.11230.3254.1 Debt to GDP, % 43.831.318.215

Source: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/br.html#

In 2006, Brazil repaid its debt to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) ahead of schedule. Today, Brazil still has an external debt of $254.1 billion, about 15% of GDP, which is an acceptable level even for developed countries. Also, the country’s domestic debt has been consistently decreasing throughout the 1990s. it did not fall below the level of 60% of GDP. In 2006 domestic debt Brazil accounted for 53% of its GDP, and last year this figure fell to 43.9% of GDP.

Brazil's significant rate of economic growth may be due to the state of its labor force. The country's labor market has never experienced a shortage of labor; moreover, in Brazil, the growth rate of the economically active population usually exceeds the growth rate total number population. Today, the economically active population employed in the country's economy is 99.47 million people. Although the bulk of the population is employed in the service sector, a high percentage of the economically active population (20% of the total economically active population of Brazil) is involved in agriculture, allowing Brazil to maintain its status as an agricultural country even with high growth rates in the manufacturing industry and the rapid development of the most high-tech industries. It is worth mentioning high performance labor of people employed in this sector. According to the Institute of Geography and Statistics of Brazil, in 2007 the country's gross agricultural output increased by 5.3% compared to the previous year, while gross industrial output and gross service sector output increased by 4.9% and 4.7 % respectively.

The bulk of the workforce still does not have a high level of general education. In terms of education spending, Brazil lags behind a number of Latin American countries. More attention is paid higher education, often through funding for primary and secondary education. In addition, Brazil has a relatively high unemployment rate for an industrial country; as of 2010, it was 6.9%.

Also a significant problem for the Brazilian economy is the relatively high level of poverty (GDP per capita in Brazil in 2010 was about 10.814 thousand dollars), as well as high differentiation of incomes of the population, as evidenced by the Gini coefficient value of 56%.

At the same time, the growth rate of Brazil's economically active population decreased significantly (from 2.5% in the 60-80s to 1.4% in 1990-2003).

Therefore, since 2006, the Brazilian government, continuing its course aimed at creating conditions for the influx of foreign investment, increasing the efficiency of use domestic investment, reform tax legislation And social security, educational sphere, medicine, as well as the development of the country’s infrastructure complex, set as the main tasks improving the quality of life of the population and reducing the significant gap in income between the poor and rich segments of the country’s population.

Speaking about the Brazilian economy, it seems necessary to mention the changes taking place in the country's specialization. These changes relate to the weakening role of agriculture in the country’s economy in one year; the share of agricultural products in GDP production decreased by 3%. If in 2006 the contribution to the creation of Brazil's GDP was distributed among economic sectors as follows: the service sector - 54%, industry - 38.0%, agriculture - 8.0%. In 2007, the share of the service sector increased significantly - 64% of GDP, the share of industry decreased to 31%, and the share of agriculture to 5%.

Along with GDP growth, it should be noted that the country manages to maintain relatively low inflation rates. In 2010, the inflation rate was 5.9%. At the same time, over the previous year, the government’s policy and decisions made in the credit and financial sphere were influenced by such factors as instability of financial markets, trends in the development of the global economy (including the scenario of the US government’s policy pursued in the financial sector). In addition, the country's development in the financial sector was influenced by election campaigns for high government positions, including presidential elections. In 2006, the Brazilian government tried to pursue flexible financial policies. On the one hand, it sought to keep inflation at the planned level - no higher than 4.6%, on the other hand, in light of the election campaign, it was necessary to reduce discount rate Central Bank Brazil, since its high level over the past years has been the subject of severe criticism from the business community.

The economy of modern Brazil is characterized by well-developed agricultural and industrial production and a rapidly developing service sector. Brazil accounts for 2/3 of the industrial potential of the countries of South America and over half of their scientific and technical potential. The country is projected to continue to grow in GDP and well-being of the population.

Since the start of the global financial crisis in September 2008, Brazil's stock market - Bovespa - has lost 41% until December 30, 2008. Brazil's GDP growth slowed significantly in 2008 as global demand and commodity prices fell significantly. However, Brazil was the first developing country to begin to emerge from the crisis. Thanks to consumer and investor confidence, Brazil's GDP began to grow in the second quarter of 2009. central bank Brazil expected GDP growth of 5% in 2010, but it even exceeded expectations and amounted to 7.5%. However, high GDP growth rates accelerated inflation, which at the end of 2010 amounted to almost 6%.

Thus, Brazil entered the world market as one of the largest suppliers of sugar and took second place in the production of soybeans. It remains the world leader in coffee production and supplies significant quantities of cocoa and cotton. Brazil meets its needs for most staple foods - rice, beans, corn and meat. In recent years, Brazil has made significant progress in the development of industry and has transformed from an agricultural to an industrial-agrarian country.

Along with Russia, India and China, the Republic of Brazil is one of the most promising developing countries in terms of economic potential.

2. Brazil's place in the world economy

2.1 Brazil's position in world trade

Brazil is the largest participant in world trade among South American countries. This state has traditionally been one of the leading suppliers to the world market of a number of agricultural goods - orange juice concentrate, coffee, raw sugar, tobacco, cocoa, soybeans, pork, beef and poultry.

From January to September 2010, Brazil's foreign trade amounted to US$277.1 billion, an increase of 36.9% compared to the same period in 2009, when foreign trade amounted to US$202.4 billion.

In 2009, Brazil was in 24th place in the world in terms of exports ($153 billion) and in 26th place in terms of imports ($134 billion). Over the first 9 months of 2010, Brazil exported goods worth $144.9 billion and imported goods worth $132.2 billion. Compared to 2009, Brazilian exports increased by 29.6% and imports by 45.8%.

Brazil's trade surplus (the difference between exports and imports) reached US$12.8 billion at the end of September 2010, down 39.7% from the same period in 2009, due to a significant increase in imports and a decrease in exports . In 2009, Brazil's exports exceeded imports by US$21.2 billion.

Overall, Brazil's foreign trade shows a recovery from the economic crisis, but the main problem remains the very high exchange rate of the Brazilian real against the US dollar (1.69-1.72 rela per US dollar), resulting in demand for Brazilian exports due to the inflated price is reduced, and a lot of dollars accumulate in the country, with which, so that they do not depreciate, imported goods are bought.

Among the goods exported by Brazil in 2010, 53.2% were industrial products and 39.7% were agricultural products (semi-finished products and goods).

As for Brazil's imports, 46.3% comes from purchases of raw materials, 22.5% from means of production. Import consumer goods makes up 16.9% of Brazil's total imports, and 14.3% of fuels and fuels and lubricants. Compared to 2009, the most significant increase in Brazilian imports was in the category of fuels and fuels and lubricants - an increase of 61.1%, followed by consumer goods (51.1%), raw materials (43.3%) and capital goods (38). ,9%) .

Table 4 - Brazil's trade volume with selected countries (in US dollars)

COUNTRY20052006200720082008USA35.206.240.05139.182.228.2043.788.329.03753.051.010.64935.633.695.114SPAIN3.509.956.6223.761.463.83 65.319.771.6146.546.539.8334.619.138.373RUSSIA3.639.565.6814.386.001.5355.451.383.3037.985.028.9504.280.688.246South Africa1. 712.682.5671.897.597.4842.280.158.6212.528.999.9551.692.913.276ANGOLA521.447.1001.297.278.2682.164.567.8534.211.002.7041.470 .768.714

Source: #"justify">As ​​for sales markets, the largest buyer of Brazilian goods was Asia (Brazilian exports to these countries increased by 31.3%), in second place are the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean (Brazilian exports increased by 40 .5%), followed by the European Union (increase in exports by 22.7%). Here we must take into account that the comparison is with the crisis year of 2009, and in relation to the level of 2007-2008, Brazilian exports and the volume of foreign trade in general still show a significant regression.

Table 5 - Brazil's foreign trade and commercial balance (millions of US dollars)

201020092010/09, % EXPORT 144.929111.79829.6 IMPORT 132.15690.61845.8 BALANCE 12.77321.180-39.7 FOREIGN TRADE VOLUME 277.085202.41636.9

Source: #"justify">Brazil remains one of the world's largest exporters of agricultural products, although exports of industrial goods have increased even more, and exports of aircraft, steel, and electronics have almost equaled agricultural products.

In some industries, Brazilian importers and exporters are required to obtain certain permits, but most imports into Brazil are not subject to licensing, while exports are generally exempt from taxes. Brazilian currency regulations still play a significant role in the implementation of import-export transactions - currency is exchanged under special contracts related to imports, and exports are related to federal taxes and the customs system. Fines may be imposed if the Brazilian importer or exporter fails to fulfill such contracts on time.

Trading companies in Brazil play a very important role in the import and export of goods, since they have practical experience and knowledge in these areas. Trading companies can act as customs brokers, preparing import transactions, processing export and customs permits, and importing products on behalf of Brazilian companies.

2.2 Brazil's participation in the integration process

January 1995 Brazil was admitted to the World Trade Organization (WTO). Being part of this organization allowed Brazil to significantly increase its foreign trade turnover in the second half of the 1990s. This especially applies to trade with countries located in the “Old World”: the export of Brazilian agricultural and industrial goods to the countries of Europe and Asia has been increased. It should be said that the republic’s accession to the WTO also imposed obligations that Brazil had to fulfill, having carried out some transformations in the sphere of its foreign trade. The country's economy has become more open - imports have increased, both in value terms and in physical volume. The country's government was forced to provide less financial support to leading exporters, mainly in agriculture. These transformations coincided with a period of privatization of state-owned industrial enterprises and a sharp increase in the share of the private sector in the Brazilian economy. Since the 2000s. Brazil continued to liberalize foreign economic activity. However, the authors of the WTO report "Brazilian Trade Policy Review 2004" indicate that tariff restrictions on imports of high value-added goods and subsidies for the export of high-tech industries in Brazil continue to be a significant presence in the country's trade policy.

Indeed, Brazil is now pursuing a course aimed at further strengthening its position in Latin America and economic integration with the countries of this region. One of the clear manifestations of this policy of Brazil is its role in the creation and participation in South American economic (and today political) integration associations. The main ones are:

· South American Common Market (MERCOSUR).

Today, in addition to Brazil, this integration group includes Argentina, Venezuela, Paraguay and Uruguay. The first step towards the creation of a South American common market was the free trade agreement signed between Brazil and Argentina in 1986. Paraguay and Uruguay joined this agreement in 1990. At this time, Mercosur was a free trade zone. On January 1, 1995, Mercosur moved to a higher integration level: from a free trade zone to a customs union. According to ECLAC, Brazil's trade turnover with the Mercosur countries amounted to $13.95 billion in 2006, an increase of 20% compared to the previous year, and by 56.5% compared to 2004. At the same time, a large share of Brazil's trade turnover within Mercosur falls on Argentina (80% -90%). Argentina is one of Brazil's main trading partners not only in Latin America, but also in the world.

In 2006, Venezuela signed an agreement to join Mercosur. But Venezuela’s entry into Mercosur will occur when this agreement is signed by the parliaments of Brazil and Paraguay. Venezuela's entry into Mercosur will give a new impetus to the process of economic, political and infrastructural integration, and will also eliminate the imbalance in decision-making on Mercosur issues in favor of Paraguay and Uruguay, which are seriously concerned about Brazil's "hegemony" in the region. Another condition for Venezuela to join Mercosur is the adoption by Venezuela of the Common External Tariff, which is necessary to avoid double taxation when transiting goods within Mercosur. It was decided to open the Brazilian market to Venezuelan products within 2 years. Brazilian exporters will receive unhindered access to the Venezuelan market in 14 years for 63% of imported products.

· Latin American Integration Association (LAIA).

The Latin American Integration Association was founded in 1980 in Montevideo. The main goal of this association is to promote the development of a common economic space between all Latin American countries. The mechanisms for achieving this goal, approved by LAI, are: a) the establishment of preferences in foreign trade between Latin American countries and a common tariff policy in relation to third countries; b) regional integration; c) the conclusion between the countries of the region of bi- and multilateral treaties and agreements relating to foreign economic relations and not violating the interests of those Latin American countries that do not take part in them. Today, the association includes the majority of Latin American countries, including: Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Mexico and Cuba.

· Union of South American Nations (also known as the Declaration of Cusco).

The Union of South American Nations is a regional economic and political organization of the states of South America. The signing of the declaration on the creation of a new organization took place on December 9, 2004 at a summit of 12 states in the city of Cusco (Peru). The union includes the countries of Mercosur (Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay), the Andean Communities (Bolivia, Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador), as well as Chile, Guyana and Suriname. The declaration states that it reflects the desire of the peoples of Latin America for integration, unity and building a common future. The main task of the organization is to achieve the integration of economies and the creation of a free trade zone in South America within 15 years or more. It is planned that the Union of South America will develop through political coordination of the actions of the participating countries, and in the future common South American institutions should be created - the Council of Ministers, the South American Parliament and the Court of Justice. But these are events rather planned in the long term. The main task facing the Union of South American Nations is to unite Mercosur and the Andean Community into one integration grouping as the initial stage of a longer integration of all of South America. In general, the model of the planned development of this organization is similar to the formation of the EU. It is easy to assume that Brazil will retain its leading position in the new union.

2.3 Brazil's place in international capital flows

An important role in the system of world economic relations in Brazil, like any country with significant prerequisites for economic development, is played by the influx of foreign capital. Since the 1950s Brazil pursued favorable economic policies to attract investment from abroad, in particular, it exempted from taxation the receipt of foreign capital into the country, as well as the transfer of dividends abroad. It has become one of the most attractive developing countries for foreign capital. And to date, according to the UNCTAD report, Brazil ranks 5th in the ranking of countries with the most attractive investment climate.

The volume of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the Brazilian economy in 2006 amounted to $18.78 billion, an increase of 25%. more volume FDI in 2005 and approximately equal to the level of 2004, but significantly less than this indicator in 1997-2001. Moreover, for the period 2000-2006. The average annual decline in FDI in the Brazilian economy was about 8%.

This is primarily due to the consequences of the economic crisis in South America, which undermined the confidence of foreign investors in countries in this region. Although foreign direct investment flows into Brazil fell from $22.46 billion in 2001 to $16.59 billion in 2002, the 26% drop for Brazil was more moderate than for neighboring countries. In Argentina the drop was 69%, in Chile 64%, and in Venezuela almost 60%. Since 2004, there has been a revival of investment activity in Brazil.

Brazil, as a developing economy, presents enormous investment opportunities. FDI is the most optimal way to enter the Brazilian market, the volume of which in this Latin American country has reached 3% of direct global investment. In 2005, Brazil accounted for 50% of all international monetary transactions were associated with foreign direct investment. Also, the government does not stop its assistance in this matter. Thus, it exempted foreign investors from paying capital gains tax on federal bonds, in order to increase the influx of foreign capital and be able to attract more funds and for longer periods. By 2006, the Brazilian government developed and launched the Government-Business Partnership program. As part of this program, it is planned to attract investments, both domestic and foreign, to invest in the country's infrastructure complex: electricity, road and railway networks, port infrastructure, irrigation and urban development. The main mechanism supporting the functioning of the program is a special federal insurance fund to protect investors participating in this program.

In terms of the volume of accumulated foreign direct investment in the Brazilian economy in 2005, the United States is the leader - $24.5 billion (24% of the total volume of accumulated investment). The growing interest of American companies in investing in Brazil is explained by the enormous potential opportunities of the Brazilian market in conditions of economic and social stability. It is predicted that the volume of investment from the United States will continue to grow precisely due to capital investments from transnational corporations (TNCs) of this country. But, despite the fact that the American investment capital is widely represented in the Brazilian market, only 2 companies from the USA are included in the list of the 30 largest companies in Brazil - Cargill and AES. Of the 10 largest importers in Brazil, 4 represent foreign capital - Nokia, Motorola, Bunge and Ford Motors, while exporters include Bimge, Volkswagen, Cargill, General Motors, Ford Motors and Halliburton.

The USA is followed by Holland - 10.7 billion dollars (11%), Spain - 12.2 billion dollars (11.9%), as well as France, Portugal and Germany. Investments from the Cayman Islands began to increase in the country from 1995 and generally represent the repatriation of national capital. The involvement of Portugal and Spain is largely limited to telecommunications and banking sector. The total volume of direct investment, excluding the repatriation of capital, from 2000 to the end of 2005 reached $87 billion (before 2000, the total volume was $103 billion).

Most of the investments in the Brazilian economy come from the following sectors: agricultural and food industries, communications and transport, fuel and energy complex and mechanical engineering.

In 2006, there was a sharp increase in direct investment by Brazilian companies abroad. In that year, Brazil's FDI flow to foreign countries amounted to $28.2 billion, despite the fact that the accumulated Brazilian capital (in the form of FDI) abroad totals just over $87 billion. This is an astronomical increase in Brazil's FDI. abroad is to increase income from foreign trade activities. In 2006, the trade surplus amounted to $46.1 billion, and the income of Brazilian companies from exports also increased. The structure of Brazil's foreign trade is oligopolistic, meaning that fewer than a hundred of the largest companies receive the majority of export revenues. Increased foreign exchange prices and the desire of Brazilian companies to invest their excess funds in investment projects abroad resulted from the fact that the transfers of profits and dividends of Brazilian oligopolistic companies abroad reached $16.4 billion. Thus, in 2006, Brazil experienced a net outflow of direct investment of $9.42 billion, which, in in turn, made it possible to maintain the equilibrium of the country's balance of payments in conditions of a surplus in the current account and thereby maintain a relatively stable exchange rate of the real.

Carried out since the mid-90s. banking policy (only the 10 largest banks in the country control 65% of the financial market) and regulation of stock markets (many small stock exchanges were liquidated or merged) made it possible to create conditions for attracting and portfolio investments. Brazilian stock exchanges continue to be primarily used only national companies, including the Sao Paulo Stock Exchange ("Bovespa"), which claims regional significance. The number of companies listed on the Sao Paulo Stock Exchange increased to 382 at the end of 2005, up from 361 companies in 2004 (399 in 2002 and 428 in 2001). Total trade turnover securities reached 430 billion dollars, while market capitalization amounted to 482 million dollars. 50% of the total turnover was concentrated on 10 exchanges stock market. At the New York World stock exchange NYSE trades 71 stocks largest company Brazil, including Petrobras, Embraer, Banco Itau, Cvrd, Brasil Telecom and Ambev. Trading in government securities is mainly concentrated in Rio de Janeiro.

The total reserves of the foreign portfolio investment fund in Brazil by the end of 2006 amounted to $100 billion, or 12% Country's GDP. Accelerated in 2005-2007. the movement of portfolio investments into Brazil made it possible for the government of the republic to reduce its external debt and in 2006 pay off all obligations with the IMF. But the most important thing is that the reserve ratio has changed significantly foreign currency Brazil to foreign portfolio investment holdings. In 2004, Brazil's foreign exchange reserves amounted to $52 billion, and foreign portfolio investment reserves amounted to $35 billion. At the end of 2005, investment reserves rose to $54 billion, and accumulated portfolio investments to $65 billion. dollars. By the end of 2006 - at the beginning of 2007, foreign exchange reserves were estimated at 57 billion dollars, and reserves of foreign portfolio investments increased to 100 billion dollars.

2.4 Brazil's relations with the Russian Federation

Russian-Brazilian relations are traditionally close, with important cooperation in trade, military and technology sectors. Nowadays, Brazil is an important partner Russian Federation with common interests in space technology, military technology, communications technology and other segments.

Brazil was the first Latin American state with which Russia established diplomatic relations, due to the fact that Brazil was then a monarchy.

Diplomatic relations between Russia and Brazil were established on October 3, 1828. Brazilians were one of the first to recognize the Russian Federation as a successor state of the USSR (December 26, 1991). Since 1994, Russian-Brazilian relations have been characterized by positive dynamics of political contacts at the highest and highest levels levels. A High-Level Cooperation Commission (HLC), headed by the Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation and the Vice-President of Brazil, has been created and operates on a regular basis.

In November 2004, the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin visited Brazil - the first visit of a Russian head of state to this country in the history of bilateral relations. During negotiations with the Brazilian leadership, specific tasks were identified to further expand the potential for cooperation, joint implementation of long-term projects in high-tech areas such as space exploration, aircraft manufacturing, energy, military-technical cooperation, and the political will to form a “technological alliance” between Russia and Brazil has signed a number of bilateral documents and commercial agreements.

The official visit of Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to Russia on October 18, 2005 made a significant contribution to the further strengthening of the political and economic partnership, multifaceted and mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries in trade, economic, investment, scientific, technical, cultural and humanitarian spheres.

At the invitation of Vladimir Putin, Brazilian President Luiz Lula da Silva took part in the work “on the sidelines” of the G8 summit in St. Petersburg on July 16-17, 2006. During the meeting Special attention The meeting focused on issues of cooperation in the field of energy and interaction in the use of outer space for peaceful purposes.

In November 2008, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev paid an official visit to Brazil. Medvedev's visit coincided with the celebration of the 180th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Following the meeting, the leaders of the two countries signed a number of bilateral agreements, including the abolition of the visa regime for short-term trips.

Contacts at the level of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs have been active and intense in recent years. Meetings are held on a regular basis at sessions of the UN General Assembly and on the sidelines of the BRICS summit. One of the last meetings of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergei Lavrov with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federative Republic of Brazil Celso Amorim took place on April 25, 2010 in Moscow.

The practice of inter-Ministry of Foreign Affairs consultations at the level of deputy ministers and department directors continues. Within the framework of the Political Commission, which is an integral part of the HLC, consultations on security and strategic stability are held on a regular basis at the level of deputy ministers, as well as inter-ministerial consultations on UN issues, consular and other issues.

On May 2009, in Moscow, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergei Ryabkov and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federative Republic of Brazil Machado held a meeting of the bilateral Commission on Political Affairs, within the framework of which the next round of Russian-Brazilian consultations on strategic stability and security took place.

In recent years, Brazil has firmly occupied first place in Russia's trade turnover with Latin American countries, and is also among Russia's important partners in the world. Brazil's share in Russia's foreign trade at the end of 2008 was: in trade turnover - 0.9% (25th place in Russia's trade turnover), in exports - 0.4% (32nd place), in imports - 1.7% (16th place ) .

At the end of 2009, in the context of the financial and economic crisis, there was a sharp drop in bilateral trade turnover to $4.6 billion (from 6.7 billion in 2008), including Russian exports - $1.08 billion $3.5 billion .

In the structure of Russian exports to specified period supplies of chemical industry products (including fertilizers) continued to dominate, their share amounting to 85%. The share of mineral products decreased - 3.5%, the share of metals and products made from them increased - 7.2%, the share of machinery and equipment increased - 2.7%.

In 2009, there was a decrease in Russian supplies to Brazil for almost all product items. The only exceptions were certain types of chemical products (oxometallic salts, amino compounds, lye, vinyl chloride polymers), hot-rolled products, bearings, electrical power equipment for energy facilities being built in Brazil with Russian participation, instruments and tools.

In the structure of Russia's imports from Brazil at the end of 2009, an increase in the share of food products and agricultural raw materials was noted - 94.4%.

The strengthening of the traditions of cultural cooperation is facilitated by the holding of festivals of Ibero-American culture in Russia, the growing number of artistic groups going on tour to Latin America, the organization of art exhibitions there, weeks of Russian cinema, and days of Russian culture.

Major projects of cultural cooperation were the opening in Brazil of the first and only foreign school of the State Academic Bolshoi Theater (Joinville) and the music school named after P.I. Tchaikovsky (city of Fortaleza) with the assistance of the Moscow Conservatory.

Russia and Brazil will abolish visas from June 7, 2010. Negotiations between Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva took place on Friday, May 14, in the Kremlin. The meeting began with a conversation in a limited format, then continued with the participation of delegations from the two countries. The presidents of Russia and Brazil, greeting each other, shook hands and hugged tightly.

This is the second meeting between the presidents of Russia and Brazil in less than a month. In mid-April, Medvedev participated in the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) summit, which was held in Brasilia.

Among the central topics of negotiations between the leaders of Russia and Brazil in Moscow were prospects for cooperation in economic sphere, in particular, in the field of high technology, energy and aircraft manufacturing. It is planned that as a result of the negotiations between the presidents, a package of bilateral documents will be signed, including a Plan for the implementation of the strategic partnership between Russia and Brazil.

A visa-free regime between Russia and Brazil will begin on June 7, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said at a press conference following negotiations with his Brazilian counterpart. “On June 7th we are opening a visa-free regime,” he said. At the same time, the Russian leader clarified that agreements on this were reached a year and a half ago. “Now this agreement is starting to take effect. This will expand the opportunities for our cooperation,” Medvedev noted (see Appendix A).

Thus, Brazil is the largest participant in world trade among the countries of South America. One of the most important elements of Brazil's policy aimed at expanding foreign economic relations is its participation in international and regional integration associations. And today the country takes part in more than 60 international political and economic organizations. It has become one of the most attractive developing countries for foreign capital. Nowadays, Brazil is an important partner of the Russian Federation with common interests in space technology, military equipment, communications technology and other segments.

3. Modern tendencies economic development of Brazil

3.1 Features of the development of the Brazilian economy at the present stage

Thanks to its high level of development in agriculture, mining, manufacturing and services, as well as a large working population, Brazil's GDP level is significantly higher than any other country in Latin America, and is the main economy in Mercosur. The country is now expanding its presence in world markets. Major export products include aircraft, coffee, vehicles, soybeans, iron ore, orange juice, steel, textiles, footwear, electrical equipment and sugar.

Brazil's economy grew by 0.7 percent in the last quarter of 2010 compared to the previous quarter, capping its fastest growing large economy Latin America, which amounted to 7.5 percent last year. In 2010, Brazil's economy experienced its fastest growth since 1986. On an annual basis, Brazil's GDP grew by 5.0 percent in the fourth quarter of 2010, the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) reported.

In mid-April, the third BRICS summit took place in the Chinese city of Sanya. By all accounts, the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) are the engine of global economic growth. Ahead of the meeting, Tatiana Rosito, adviser to the envoy of the Brazilian Embassy in China, said that in 2010, Chinese investment in Brazil increased to almost 300 million US dollars. At the same time, since 2010, China has become Brazil's largest investor, with more than 15 billion US dollars invested in the country's economy, which has significantly strengthened bilateral relations between China and Brazil. Thus, the new government of Brazil hopes to expand the scope of cooperation with China with the help of the summit. Brazilian experts note that in this context, the Brazilian government hopes that the BRICS countries have reached a consensus on strengthening, cooperation in order to further expand and deepen it, in order to fully reveal the meaning of the alliance of these countries.

Brazil believes that, along with South Africa, new members from developing countries will join the BRICS alliance, and this will be a general trend in the development of the organization. Severino Cabral, director of the Brazilian Research Institute for the Study of China and the Asia-Pacific region, said that the rise of emerging market countries, represented by the BRICS members, will benefit achieving a balance in the development of the global economy and a rational global economy. economic order, which will also significantly reduce the dependence of the world economy on economically developed countries. BRICS has already moved from a mechanism of anti-crisis cooperation to a mechanism for stimulating economic development in the post-crisis period, but the consequences of the crisis are still being felt, so the international community should continue common efforts to restore the global economy. Brazil hopes that by participating in the summit, the BRICS countries will increase their influence in the region and in the world.

In addition, in the context of general inflation, reform of the monetary system will be the focus of attention at the BRICS summit. This year, Brazilian media have consistently reported that due to rising commodity prices and large capital inflows into Brazil, the country is now facing so-called “imported inflation.” The Brazilian real has appreciated 37% against the dollar since 2009. China also faces similar problems. Thus, promoting reform of the monetary system in the area of ​​expanding voting quotas in the International Monetary Fund, granting special rights to lending and rights to participate in system reform World Bank countries with emerging markets - this is the call of the BRICS countries at the summit.

Each of the BRICS countries has a number of distinctive characteristics among states with dynamically growing economies. Brazil is the largest exporter of energy resources.

Currently, bilateral trade between China and Russia, China and India is settled in national currency, but there are many disagreements between China and Brazil on this matter, Brazilian economists believe that the visit of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff to China and this summit will help resolve this question.

Earlier this month, the Brazilian government also reported that, based on stable and effective economic policies and the development of a social security system, Brazil's GDP reached 7.5% in 2010, its highest level in 24 years. Brazil has become the seventh fastest growing economy in the world. Some experts noted that along with stable economic development, Brazil has its advantages in the development of clean energy and agriculture, therefore, at the current summit in Sanya, the Brazilian government expects to find new opportunities for cooperation, including attracting investments and developing infrastructure in Brazil , as well as consider new cooperation projects in the context of preparations for the upcoming 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games.

Let us recall that at the invitation of Chinese President Hu Jintao, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and South African President Jacob Zuma will take part in the BRICS summit in Sanya. They will have an in-depth exchange of views on the international situation and issues related to economics, finance, development and cooperation between the BRICS countries in the future.

In December 2010, China, which chaired BRIC at that time, and its other participants jointly approved South Africa's official membership in this organization.

.2 Problems and prospects for the development of the Brazilian economy

The Brazilian economy, with its highly developed agriculture, mining industry (it ranks first in the world in the mining of iron ore, apatite, second in beryllium mining, third in bauxite mining, fourth in gold, asbestos, tin mining) and services sector, is the most powerful in the region and has a significant influence on world markets. Brazil is the world's largest producer of coffee and sugar cane.

Two-thirds of the country is covered by forests - Brazil has a seventh of the world's forest resources. The bulk of forests are concentrated in the Amazon and the Atlantic coastal zone. The development of the forestry industry is still hampered by the underdeveloped transport infrastructure.

Brazil has enormous fishing potential, but its development is slow and therefore a significant part of the fish raw material is exported from neighboring Argentina.

Tourism, a relatively young sector of the national economy, is also developing in Brazil.

The government is investing a lot of money in the development of tourism, so it should be expected that in the near future tourism will become a developed and profitable economic sector of the country.

Brazil's real role is one that it has unknowingly accepted and will continue to bear the brunt of the global financial crisis, absorbing the endless dollar interventions that the US is making to save its economy. To what extent, what adversity awaits Brazil? Now it is very difficult to judge this. The crisis has not yet passed, but “bad” debts are growing. The next year and a half will clarify the situation and the magnitude of losses. This is likely the price Brazil will pay for the external security and territorial integrity guaranteed by the United States.

After all, we managed to do some useful things. For example, the development of an industry for the production of fuel ethanol from sugar cane. So, perhaps, today sugar is the asset of the Brazilian economy that will be in demand on the world market, and this asset is not small.

But here, too, there are problems, and also with international monopolies. For example, the Guarani sugar processing group is owned by the French. Maybe in other enterprises not everything is so transparent. In any case, the new president and government of Brazil have a colossal amount of work ahead of them, and not for the sake of election slogans, but in order to soften the blows of the crisis, which has not bypassed Brazil - it has not yet truly reached it. And there are already plenty of symptoms of impending major economic troubles. There are strikes all over the country. Everyone is demanding either a salary increase, or payment of some lost money, or something else. For example, in early October there was a multi-day strike by bank employees. Banking system in Brazil is built on the North American model and, despite the pathological reluctance of many employees to work, works well. But on November 8 there was a scandal with big bank Panamericano. He deliberately increased his capitalization by double accounting of assets.

And not only this bank has problems with the size of capitalization. Gambling is prohibited in Brazil, and in this case, it is very correct, but in Brazil it is very accessible consumer loan. Small sums for the purchase of various equipment at very high interest rates(at least 100% per year) is very easy to obtain. Considering the mentality of most Brazilians, the essence of which is the desire for constantly positive emotions, or, in other words, to be happy all the time, they easily take out a loan without thinking about repaying the debt. According to some reports, about 80% of Brazilian families have debts to banks. And banks, in turn, record them as their assets. But how many of these 80% will pay off their debts? Strikes continue. Even civil servants, who due to the nature of their work are not supposed to take part in strikes during working hours, are also on strike. All these strikes are organized by employees of institutions whose social status is more middle class. But the Indians in the state of Maranhão simply blocked federal road and guarded the barricade with weapons. They demanded the return of 3 million reais already allocated by the government for schools in Indian villages.

There are a lot of problems and not all of them, of course, are written about in the media. The majority of Brazilians themselves also do not want to darken their lives with negative economic information. But the government of President Lula made another populist move, which probably won approval from the majority of the country's population. Now the minimum wage in Brazil is 510 reais per month. It is proposed to increase it to 560 reais in 2011, already under the new government of Dilma. So far, at government debates at various levels, an increase to 540 reais has been tentatively approved. In principle, the new government immediately makes a broad gesture for the poorest sections of society. Maybe other good gestures will follow.

According to PricewaterhouseCoopers, one of the world's leading multinational investment firms, by 2013 Brazil will become the fifth largest economic power in the world. Economic forecasts They also say that by 2020 the GDP of the seven largest developing countries in the world (the so-called E-7 - China, India, Brazil, Russia, Mexico, Indonesia and Turkey) will exceed the GDP of the G7. Out of 10 expected economic leaders in 2030, five are countries that are considered developing today.

Brazilian Finance Minister Guido Mantega said his country has reached fifth place in the world in terms of GDP measured at purchasing power parity (seventh place excluding PPP). Brazil's economy has outperformed the corresponding figures of France and the UK and will continue to grow in the future.

Mantega also emphasized that Brazil recorded the fifth-highest economic growth among G20 members last year. Only China, India, Argentina and Türkiye were ahead of it in this indicator. The head of the Brazilian Ministry of Finance highlighted the role of his country in the global economy. “As Brazil's economy expanded faster than the world average, we imported more goods, thereby helping other countries cope with the crisis,” said Guido Mantega.

According to the Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) at the end of 2010, Brazil's GDP grew by 7.5% compared to same period previous year and amounted to 3.675 trillion. reais (approximately 2.217 trillion US dollars). This figure has become a record for the last 25 years. In the fourth quarter of 2010, the country's GDP growth was 0.7% compared to the third quarter. On an annualized basis, quarterly GDP grew by 5%. Industrial production in the country grew by 10.1% at the end of last year, and agriculture by 6.5%. These figures came after a minor recession in 2009, when GDP fell by 0.3%.

Mantega also said that the current slowdown in the Brazilian economy will benefit it, as it reduces the risk of inflation. It should be noted that to combat the overheating of the economy, the Central Bank of Brazil this week raised the refinancing rate to 11.75%. In addition, the government decided to reduce state budget expenditures by $30 billion.

According to Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, the country's economy will grow by 4.5-5% by the end of 2011. Moreover, these figures will be achieved without much difficulty.

Thus, thanks to the high level of development of agriculture, the mining and manufacturing industries and the services sector, as well as a large working-age population, Brazil's GDP level significantly exceeds any other country in Latin America. Brazil has become the seventh fastest growing economy in the world.

Conclusion

In this work, in accordance with its goals and objectives, the following were considered:

· Brazil's economy at the present stage;

· Brazil's place in the world economy;

· problems and prospects for the development of the Brazilian economy.

The economy of modern Brazil is characterized by well-developed agricultural and industrial production and a rapidly developing service sector. The Republic of Brazil is among the most promising developing countries in terms of economic potential.

Brazil is the largest participant in world trade among South American countries. This state has traditionally been one of the leading suppliers of a number of agricultural products to the world market.

One of the most important elements of Brazil's policy aimed at expanding foreign economic relations is its participation in international and regional integration associations. And today the country takes part in more than 60 international political and economic organizations.

The influx of foreign capital plays an important role in Brazil's system of world economic relations. It has become one of the most attractive developing countries for foreign capital.

Nowadays, Brazil is an important partner of the Russian Federation with common interests in space technology, military equipment, communications technology and other segments. In recent years, Brazil has firmly occupied first place in Russia's trade turnover with Latin American countries, and is also among Russia's important partners in the world.

In terms of GDP, Brazil significantly exceeds any other country in Latin America, being the main economy in Mercosur. The country is now expanding its presence in world markets. Brazil - seventh, most dynamic developing economy peace.

List of used literature

1.Banco Central do Brasil. RelatorioAnual, 2009. Volume 44, p.29.

2.CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY. Economy Brazil, 2011. URL: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/br.html (19.05.2011).

CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY. People Economy, 2011. URL:

4.https: // www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/br.html (19.05.2011).

5.Brazil, 2000-2011. URL: #"center"> Applications

Appendix A

Russia-Brazil. General Agreements:

Agreement on Trade and Payments between the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the United States of Brazil (Rio de Janeiro, April 20, 1963)

Order of the President of the Russian Federation of September 24, 1993 N 656-rp "On the signing of the Treaty on the Fundamentals of Relations between the Russian Federation and the Federative Republic of Brazil."

Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of September 26, 1997 N 1232 "On the signing of the Joint Statement on the creation of a Russian-Brazilian high-level commission for cooperation under the leadership of the Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation and the Vice-President of the Federative Republic of Brazil."

Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of January 9, 1994 N8 “On approval of the Protocol of Intent on trade and economic cooperation between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Federative Republic of Brazil.”

Russian-Brazilian Political Commission.

Agreement on Partnership Relations between the Russian Federation and the Federative Republic of Brazil (Moscow, June 22, 2000).

Memorandum of Understanding regarding the establishment of a mechanism for political dialogue and cooperation between the Russian Federation and the participating and associated member states of the South American Common Market (MERCOSUR) (Brasilia, December 15, 2006)

Order of the Government of the Russian Federation of January 20, 2004 N 75-r On negotiations on the signing of a Protocol on cooperation between the MAP of the Russian Federation and the Brazilian Small Business Support Service.

Order of the Government of the Russian Federation of January 4, 2000 N 5-r On negotiations on the signing of a Memorandum between the EEC of the Russian Federation and the National Council of Brazil for the Control of Financial Transactions on mutual understanding and cooperation in the field of exchange of confidential information financial information on “laundering” of proceeds obtained illegally.

Treaty between the Russian Federation and the Federative Republic of Brazil on extradition, signed in Moscow on January 14, 2002.

Declaration of the Russian Federation and the Federative Republic of Brazil on international terrorism of December 13, 2001.

Agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Federative Republic of Brazil on cooperation in the field of competition policy (Brasilia, December 12, 2001)

Agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Federative Republic of Brazil on cooperation in the field of plant quarantine (Moscow, June 22, 2000)

Agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Federative Republic of Brazil on scientific and technical cooperation (Brasilia, November 21, 1997).

Program of scientific and technical cooperation between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Federative Republic of Brazil for 2004 - 2006 (Brasilia, November 22, 2004)

Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of August 25, 1999 N 947 "On the signing of the Russia-Brazil Joint Action Plan of the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Federative Republic of Brazil"

Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of April 7, 1998 N 386 "On the conclusion of an Agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Federative Republic of Brazil on cooperation in the field of animal health protection."

Russia-Brazil. Space:

Agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Federative Republic of Brazil on cooperation in the exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes of November 21, 1997.

Order of the Government of the Russian Federation of November 17, 2004 N 1471-r On negotiations on the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Federal Space Agency and the Ministry of Science and Technology of the Federative Republic of Brazil regarding a cooperation program in space activities.

Memorandum of Understanding between the Federal Space Agency and the Ministry of Science and Technology of the Federal Republic.

Agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Federative Republic of Brazil on the mutual protection of technologies in connection with cooperation in the exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes (Brasilia, December 14, 2006)

Russia-Brazil. Military-technical cooperation:

Memorandum between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Federative Republic of Brazil on issues of cooperation in the field of military technologies of mutual interest (Moscow, April 9, 2002)

Agreement on military-technical cooperation with the Federative Republic of Brazil (April 9, 2002)

Russia-Brazil. Atomic Energy:

Agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Federative Republic of Brazil on cooperation in the field of peaceful uses of atomic energy (Brasilia, September 15, 1994); Bulletin of International Treaties. Publishing house "Legal Literature", January 1, 1999, N 1, pp. 8-11

Russia-Brazil. Customs

Agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Federative Republic of Brazil on mutual assistance in the prevention, investigation and suppression of customs. Violations (Brasilia, December 12, 2001)

Russia-Brazil. Trade:

Intergovernmental Russian-Brazilian Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation.

Joint Statement of the Fourth Meeting of the Russian-Brazilian High-Level Commission on Cooperation (Brasilia, April 4, 2006)

Russia-Brazil. Connection:

Order of the Government of the Russian Federation dated November 19, 2004 N 1497-r On negotiations on the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in the field of telecommunications between the Ministry information technologies and communications of the Russian Federation and the National Telecommunications Agency of the Federative Republic of Brazil.

Russia-Brazil. Culture, sports, tourism:

Agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Federative Republic of Brazil on cooperation in the field of culture and education (Brasilia, November 21, 1997)

Exchange program between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Federative Republic of Brazil in the field of culture, education and sports for 2005-2007 (Brasilia, November 22, 2004)

Order of the Government of the Russian Federation of November 17, 2004 N 1473-r On negotiations on the conclusion of an Agreement between the Ministry of Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Sports of the Federative Republic of Brazil on cooperation in the field of physical culture and sports.

Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of December 6, 2001 N 85 "On the signing of an Agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Federative Republic of Brazil on cooperation in the field of tourism."

Agreement between Federal agency for Physical Culture and Sports and the Ministry of Sports of the Federative Republic of Brazil on cooperation in the field of physical culture and sports (Brasilia, November 22, 2004)

Russia-Brazil. Ecology:

Memorandum of intent on the development of cooperation in the field of environmental protection between the Russian Federation and the Federative Republic of Brazil dated November 14, 1994.

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Introduction………………………………………………………………………………… 2

Statistical review……………………………………………………………… 2

History…………………………………………………………………………………4

Independence………………………………………………………………………………… 7

Empire……………………………………………………………………………………… 9

Republic…………………………………………………………………………………10

Modern Brazil………………………………………………………………………………..12

Historical perspective…………………………………………………………………………………15

Nature of Brazil……………………………………………………………………………………….. 17

Seasons……………………………………………………………………………….19

Industrial development………………………………………………………………….. 19

a) Oil and petroleum products

b) Ethanol production

c) Energy production

d) New industries

Minerals……………………………………………………………………… 22

Population……………………………………………………………………………………. 23

a) Population distribution

b) Races

d) Language

System of government……………………………………………………………………………………….. 28

a) Legislative branch

b) Executive branch

c) Judicial power

Features of economic development. ……………………………………………………………………. 32

a) Growth rate.

b) Conditions and growth factors

c) Structural changes in the economy

d) Regional and social disparities

Stages of economic development …………………………………………………………… 37

Main features of the socio-economic structure………………………………… 40

A) Common features

b) Features of the structure of the private sector.

c) The role of the state.

Foreign economic relations Brazil. …………………………………………………… 43

a) Positions in world trade.

b) The country's position in the movement of capital.

c) Integration policy

Transport…………………………………………………………………………………… 49

Rio de Janeiro. City holiday………………………………………………………………………………………. 49

Sao Paulo. City worker……………………………………………………………………………………… 50

Brasilia. Mirage city…………………………………………………………………………………… 51

Attractions………………………………………………………………………………….. 52

CONTROL

Brazil - largest country Latin America. In terms of territory size, it is second only to the Russian Federation, the USA, China and Canada, and has large reserves of more than 30 types of mineral raw materials. The population exceeds 160 million people, accounting for 2.6% of the world's population. The country produces about 2% of high-volume products. Brazil accounts for 2/3 of the industrial potential of South America, over half of the scientific and technical potential

The volume of Brazil's GDP is equal to half the gross product of the People's Republic of China, but twice that of India, and 1.7 times that of Russia.

According to many socio-economic characteristics, Brazil is a developing country, but it occupies a special place among them. Possessing great economic potential and quite high level economic development, it is among the newly industrialized countries.

STATISTICAL REVIEW

It can be said that in the 20th century the population of Brazil aged. The number of children under 14 years of age decreased from 43% to 34%, while the number of residents over 60 years of age increased from 4% to 8%. Life expectancy has increased from 45 to 77 years. The number of literate people increased from 50% to 77%. The supply of labor exceeds the demand for it, so it was necessary to create approximately 1,600,000 new jobs annually to give work to everyone.

In cities, 90% of houses are provided with water and sewerage, and 98% have electricity. At the same time, in rural areas, only 17% of dwellings have water supply and sewerage, and only 55% use electricity. 77% of Brazilian households have refrigerators. Every 10 people here have their own telephone and car.

60% of Brazil's energy consumption comes from renewable sources such as hydroelectric power and ethanol. Also, half of all oil consumed is produced within the country. Brazil is the world's largest iron exporter and one of the world's largest steel exporters. Other important raw materials produced in Brazil include petrochemical raw materials, aluminum, non-ferrous metals, fertilizers and cement. Finished products produced in Brazil include machinery, aircraft, electrical and electronic equipment, textiles, clothing and footwear. Brazil's largest trading partners are the USA, Germany, Switzerland, Great Britain, France, Argentina, Mexico and Canada.

At the beginning of the last decade of the twentieth century, the Brazilian economy was in 10th place in the world. Brazil's economic activity is higher than other developing countries. Exports account for 10% of its Gross Domestic Product and industry about 30%, similar to some developed countries.

In 1991, the country's economically active population reached 64 million people. 41% of workers are employed in the service sector, 23% in agriculture and 18% in industry. 12% work in trade, and 6% work in construction.

From the very beginning of the colonial period, agriculture played a major role in the economy. The agricultural economy relied on large holdings producing a single export crop and depended on the productivity of slave labor. Since the cultivation of sugar cane in the 16th century, the country's economic development has been constantly dependent on the ups and downs of agriculture. Sugarcane was followed by cotton, cocoa, rubber and coffee.

The 70s were characterized general increase number of items of exported agricultural products. Soybeans broke the record, ahead of Brazil's traditional coffee, cocoa and sugar. The volume and variety of agricultural products in the form of semi-finished and finished products have increased significantly due to government incentives for the production of finished products.

Agriculture in the 80s continued to play a significant role in the country's economy, but individual crops, for example, sugar, coffee, and rubber, ceased to play a dominant role. Through financial incentives and concessional lending, the Federal Government has promoted more efficient agriculture. In addition, efforts were made to control the migration of the rural population to urban areas: benefits were extended to the countryside, rational plans for agrarian reform were adopted, small-scale, hitherto unprofitable agricultural production was stimulated and, in general, the quality of life in the areas was improved. remote from major centers.

From 1980 to 1992, agricultural production grew (38%) at a faster rate than population (26%). This allowed Brazilian producers to produce more, not only for the domestic market, but also for export.

In the early 1990s, Brazil continued to be the largest producer of cocoa, ranking fourth in tobacco production and sixth in cotton. Various programs adopted over the last two decades aimed at cultivating a variety of agricultural products have yielded stunning results. Production of grains increased significantly, including wheat, rice, corn and, especially, soybeans. The fruits of the forest, such as rubber (which has always been a vital part of Brazil's exports), Brazil nuts, cashews, waxes and fibers, are now grown on special plantations rather than extracted from the native trees of the forest, as was the practice in earlier times. Thanks to its diverse climate, Brazil grows all varieties of fruit, from tropical fruits in the north (various nuts and avocados) to huge quantities of citrus fruits and grapes in more temperate areas in the south. In 1992, 83.6% of oranges were exported as concentrated juice, generating revenue of US$1.5 billion. Brazil is the world's fourth largest beef producer and fifth largest exporter.

STORY

In the 15th and 16th centuries, Portugal was an Iberian kingdom of one million inhabitants, located on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean and bordering the royal house of Castile, which was hostile to it. Years after fighting the Arab invaders, the Portuguese turned all their attention and energy towards the sea and far beyond. While the Spaniards plowed the seas in the west in search of a way to the East, the Portuguese chose the so-called “southern route” along the African coast. Having reached the Cape of Good Hope in 1487, Portuguese sailors under the leadership of Vasco da Gama opened the sea route to the East through the Indian Ocean in 1497. They knew about the existence of land on the other side of the Atlantic, and they even equipped several expeditions to the West even before Columbus discovered the Antilles in 1492. However, they kept it a secret, not wanting ambitious Spain, England and France to interfere with their plans. For a small country, the secret was the only way to protect itself from the ambitions of stronger maritime competitors.

Treaty of Tordesillas (1494) determined the boundaries of new possessions between Spain and Portugal. The point was that, according to the agreement, the territories east of the Greenwich meridian to 370 legois west of the Cape Verde Islands went to Portugal, and the lands to the west of it went to Spain. This imaginary line, stretching between the two poles, crossed Latin America in the east and became the first border of Brazil, although its official discovery by Pedro Alvarez Cabral took place only six years later, in 1500.

2.1 Brazil's position in world trade

Brazil is the largest participant in world trade among South American countries. This state has traditionally been one of the leading suppliers to the world market of a number of agricultural goods - orange juice concentrate, coffee, raw sugar, tobacco, cocoa, soybeans, pork, beef and poultry.

From January to September 2010, Brazil's foreign trade amounted to US$277.1 billion, an increase of 36.9% compared to the same period in 2009, when foreign trade amounted to US$202.4 billion.

In 2009, Brazil was in 24th place in the world in terms of exports ($153 billion) and in 26th place in terms of imports ($134 billion). Over the first 9 months of 2010, Brazil exported goods worth $144.9 billion and imported goods worth $132.2 billion. Compared to 2009, Brazilian exports increased by 29.6% and imports by 45.8%.

Brazil's trade surplus (the difference between exports and imports) reached US$12.8 billion at the end of September 2010, down 39.7% from the same period in 2009, due to a significant increase in imports and a decrease in exports . In 2009, Brazil's exports exceeded imports by US$21.2 billion.

Overall, Brazil's foreign trade shows a recovery from the economic crisis, but the main problem remains the very high exchange rate of the Brazilian real against the US dollar (1.69-1.72 rela per US dollar), resulting in demand for Brazilian exports due to the inflated price is reduced, and a lot of dollars accumulate in the country, with which, so that they do not depreciate, imported goods are bought.

Among the goods exported by Brazil in 2010, 53.2% were industrial products and 39.7% were agricultural products (semi-finished products and goods).

As for Brazil's imports, 46.3% comes from purchases of raw materials, 22.5% from means of production. Imports of consumer goods account for 16.9% of Brazil's total imports, and fuels and fuels and lubricants - 14.3%. Compared to 2009, the most significant increase in Brazilian imports was in the category of fuels and fuels and lubricants - an increase of 61.1%, followed by consumer goods (51.1%), raw materials (43.3%) and capital goods (38). ,9%) .

Table 4 - Brazil's trade volume with selected countries (in US dollars)

As for sales markets, the largest buyer of Brazilian goods was Asia (Brazilian exports to these countries increased by 31.3%), in second place are the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean (Brazilian exports increased by 40.5%), followed by European Union (export increase by 22.7%). Here we must take into account that the comparison is with the crisis year of 2009, and in relation to the level of 2007-2008, Brazilian exports and the volume of foreign trade in general still show a significant regression.

Table 5 - Brazil's foreign trade and commercial balance (millions of US dollars)

VOLUME OF FOREIGN TRADE

Source: http://www.russobras.ru/international-trade-relations. php

Brazil remains one of the world's largest exporters of agricultural products, although exports of manufactured goods have increased even more, and exports of aircraft, steel, and electronics have almost equaled agricultural products.

In some industries, Brazilian importers and exporters are required to obtain certain permits, but most imports into Brazil are not subject to licensing, while exports are generally exempt from taxes. Brazilian currency regulations still play a significant role in the implementation of import-export transactions - currencies are exchanged under special contracts related to imports, and exports are subject to federal taxes and customs system. Fines may be imposed if the Brazilian importer or exporter fails to fulfill such contracts on time.

Trading companies in Brazil play a very important role in the import and export of goods, as they have practical experience and knowledge in these areas. Trading companies can act as customs brokers, preparing import transactions, processing export and customs permits, and importing products on behalf of Brazilian companies.

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