Foreign Agricultural Service

The USDA is represented in Brazil by three offices: the Office of Agricultural Affairs (OAA) and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), both located at the American Embassy in Brasília, and the U.S. Agricultural Trade Office (ATO), situated in São Paulo. The former’s location aims to facilitate the interaction with the Brazilian Government on agricultural policy and trade issues, while the latter is positioned in the strategic traditional Brazilian business center to capitalize on private sector trade contact. The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is also represented in Brazil, with a representative placed at the American Embassy to address sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) matters.

The ATO serves as the intermediary for commercial contacts between Brazilian and U.S. firms, offering its local infrastructure and providing free-of-charge consultation services for U.S. exporters and Brazilian importers interested in launching U.S. products in the local market.  Among the services that can be obtained free of charge at the ATO office are reports with relevant information about Brazilian commodities, food and beverage market informative leaflets regarding initiatives supported by the Office and support to local importers seeking information on trade shows and assistance to new-to-market US companies.

For more information, please contact us:

Office of Agricultural Affairs (OAA)
Av. das Nações, quadra 801, lote 3
70403-900 Brasília – DF
Tel: (55-61) 3312-7000
Fax: (55-61) 3312-7659
E-mail: AGBrasilia@usda.gov

U.S. Agricultural Trade Office (ATO)
Rua Henri Dunant, 700
04709-110 São Paulo – SP
Tel: (55-11) 5186-7400
Fax: (55-11) 5186-7499
E-mail: ATOSaoPaulo@usda.gov / atobrazil@usdabrazil.org.br
Home Page: www.usdabrazil.org.br

The Commercial Service

The Commercial Service’s mission is to promote the export of goods and services of American companies and to develop and protect US business interests in Brazil and Paraguay. We have a vast network at our fingertips, supported by more than 1500 international industry and trade specialists whose job it is to provide the best source of customized solutions for US companies (and their Brazilian partners!) to do business in the global marketplace. For further details please go to this website..

Trade Events

Trade Events provide venues for U.S. exporters to meet international buyers, distributors, or representatives.

By organizing trade missions and educational seminars; providing matching or export counseling services at trade shows; and recruiting buyer delegations to U.S. trade shows, the U.S. Government helps U.S. exporters expand global sales at trade events.

The Export.gov Trade Events List for Brazil

This list includes all official trade missions and trade events sponsored by the International Trade Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

This listing does not include any events for Agricultural goods.

American Citizen Services

The American Citizen Services section provides passport and special consular services to U.S. citizens. The Federal Benefits Unit provides assistance with filing applications for Social Security and Veterans Administration retirement, survivor and disability benefits.

Visas

The Visas section provides services to those seeking to enter the United States for a temporary period and for those wishing to take up indefinite or permanent residence.

The Economic Section, works with other United States government agencies including the U.S. Commercial Service, Foreign Agricultural Service, Treasury Department, USAID, Federal Aviation Authority, and others, as well as with our consulates in Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and Recife to seek opportunities to deepen investment and trade ties with Brazil bilaterally in order to increase business opportunities, job growth, and economic development to create more prosperity in both countries. We are building partnerships with Brazil to promote global economic and social inclusion goals, trade liberalization, and energy development cooperation.

The Environment, Science & Technology, and Health (ESTH) Section supports the goals of the many U.S. Government departments and agencies active in the following areas:  environment – with a focus on climate change, combating deforestation, drought mitigation, and earth observation; science and technology, from cooperation in space activities to promoting stronger ties between the U.S. and Brazilian scientific communities; and health, both with respect to addressing tropical diseases and worldwide threats.  A wide variety of treaties, agreements, memoranda of understanding, and implementing arrangements provide an institutional foundation for extensive cooperation in the ESTH areas.  Further, bilateral consultative mechanisms such as the Joint Commission Meetings on Science and Technology and the high-level Working Group on Climate Change, provide opportunities to review and strengthen links between the two countries.

Illegal Trafficking of Plants and Animals from Brazil to the United States

The United States is a major consumer country of flora and fauna that have been illegally obtained in other countries.  Brazil, with it rich abundance of wildlife, is sometimes a supplier country.  The illegal trafficking of plants and animals may violate the international regime to protect species endangered of extinction, under the Convention against International Trafficking in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), and may constitute a crime under U.S. domestic legislation, such as the Lacey Act.  The ESTH Section is interested in information about such illegal trafficking to the United States in animals and plants, including illegally harvested timber, and can help to direct such information to the appropriate law enforcement authorities.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Mission

To prevent acts of terrorism by targeting the people, money, and materials that support terrorist and criminal activities by identifying and shutting down vulnerabilities in the nation’s border, economic, transportation and infrastructure security. The ICE Office of Investigations (OI) is the largest investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), charged with preventing terrorist and criminal activity by targeting people and materials that support terrorist and criminal organizations. OI is a critical asset in this mission, responsible for investigating a wide range of domestic and international activities arising from the illegal movement of people and goods into, within, and out of the United States.

ICE investigations cover a broad range of areas, including national security, financial and smuggling violations (including illegal arms exports), financial crimes, commercial fraud, human trafficking, narcotics smuggling, child pornography/exploitation, and immigration fraud. ICE enforces over 400 U.S. laws for 60 different agencies. ICE has 27 principal field offices throughout the United States and more that 50 international offices around the world.

ICE Vision

To be the nation’s preeminent law enforcement agency, dedicated to detecting vulnerabilities and preventing violations that threaten national security. Established to combat the criminal and national security threats emergent in a post 9/11 environment, ICE combines a new investigative approach with new resources to provide unparalleled investigation, interdiction and security services to the public and our law enforcement partners in the federal and local sectors.

The office of the DHS/ICE Attaché has been in Brazil since September 24, 2001. The Attaché and his staff are advisors to the U.S. Ambassador and mission staff on DHS/ICE related matters. We are also the official representatives of the Department of Homeland Security for Brazil and Bolivia. This office is a federal investigative agency with the primary responsibilities of conducting criminal and civil investigations into violations of United States Law. We are law enforcement liaison officers for our host government law enforcement counterparts.

In addition to the main office at the U.S. Embassy in Brasilia, on September 22, 2005, this office inaugurated a new office in Santos, Brazil dedicated to the Container Security Initiative (CSI). Santos, Brazil is now the first CSI port in South America and the 39th operational CSI port in the world to target and pre-screen maritime cargo containers destined for U.S. Ports. CSI is the only multinational program in the world actually targeting the primary system of global trade, containerized shipping, from being exploited or disrupted by international terrorists.

In summary, the principle behind CSI is to extend the U.S. zone of security outward so that the U.S. borders are not the first line of defense against the threat of terrorism, and to secure and protect trade lanes from foreign seaports to the United States.

Role and Responsibilities

This is a regional office with responsibility over the countries of Brazil and Bolivia. Two Supervisory Special Agents, a Senior Special Agent, a Foreign Service National Investigator and an Office Manager staff the Brasilia office. One Supervisory Special Agent, an Intelligence Research Specialist, three Customs, Border Protection Officers, and a Foreign Service National office manager staff the office in Sao Paulo.

Our primary responsibility is the enforcement of Title 19 and applicable sections of Title 8,18, 21, 22, 31, 49 and 50, of the United States Code. These various sections of the United States Codes deal mainly with contraband and narcotics smuggling, trade fraud, money laundering, technology diversions, weapons smuggling (Weapons of Mass Destruction WMD), terrorism at U.S. Ports of entry, arms trafficking investigations, cultural property, child pornography, forced child labor, prison labor, prime bank instrument fraud, immigrations issues, health and safety issues, including tainted or prohibited foodstuffs, unsafe toys and consumer product etc.

We are also the overseas points of contact for the importing and exporting communities. This includes responding to questions about importing regulations to providing outreach and information on various programs, including Bio-Terrorism Act, African Growth and Opportunity Act and the 24-hour rule.

We work with US Trade Representative on negotiations of Free Trade Agreements and other customs-related bilateral agreements. We are involved in trade programs that are quasi-enforcement related, such as coordination of Textile Production Verification Team visits to textile factories.

This office is the primary point of contact for training to foreign counterparts and the trading community on traditional customs matters. We provide training on intellectual property rights, forced child labor, child exploitation, child pornography, trade fraud, money laundering, anti-corruption, weapons of mass destruction (WMD) diversion, arms trafficking, canine enforcement and contraband smuggling.

We (DHS/ICE) are the guardians of our nation’s borders and the ICE Attaché offices are the forward bases of defense. As part of our mission, we employ an integrated strategy to deliver law enforcement expertise, training and modernization to our trading partners.

Through these efforts, we develop effective partnerships to combat transnational crime, money laundering and trade fraud while facilitating international trade. This integrated strategy provides us a with a unique access and influence with our foreign partners, which leads to a positive impact on foreign legislation, trade practices and international law enforcement.

Additional Information

United States Embassy
Office of the DHS/ICE Attaché
SES Quadra 801, Lote 3
70403-900 Brasilia, DF
Fax: 5561-3312-7338

For information on the Department of Homeland Security, visit the DHS website.

DHS agencies:

• Immigration and Customs Enforcement website
• Customs and Border Protection website for information on travel or imports and exports
• Citizenship and Immigration Services website
• U.S. Coast Guard website

Members of the public wishing to report suspicious activity may contact ICE in the United States at 1-866-DHS-2ICE.

The Political Section assists the Ambassador in managing the bilateral relationship between the United States and Brazil and serves as the primary interlocutor with the Brazilian Ministry of External Relations on a wide range of foreign policy issues, including the promotion of democracy and human rights, labor and social issues, rule of law and efforts to combat international organized crime, nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament, internet governance, and regional and global issues of mutual concern.

The Political Section is responsible for analysis and reporting to the United States Government on the official positions of the Brazilian Government on international political matters as well as on political developments in Brazil as they unfold, such as elections, significant pending legislation, etc. Additionally, the Political Section compiles information for the State Department’s annual reports on human rights, religious freedom, and trafficking in persons, among others.

The Public Affairs Section of the Embassy explains and advocates American policy and works to promote mutual understanding between Brazilian and American societies. The Public Affairs Section acts as a focal point for media, think tanks, and academic and cultural institutions, and advises the Embassy on public diplomacy issues. The Section’s two offices, the Press and Information Office and the Culture and Education Office, together with the Information Resource Center (IRC), are directed by the Mission’s Public Affairs Officer. They work together to strengthen the Brazilian-American relationship.

Press and Information Office

The Press and Information Office is headed by the Embassy Spokesperson. The Office works closely with Brazilian and international media to provide authoritative information on U.S. government policies. It facilitates media exchanges and visits to the United States and provides information to the media via press conferences, interviews, press releases and other forms of communication. It also administers the Embassy’s public Internet site.

If you are a journalist and need more information, please contact the Press Offices of the U.S. Mission in Brazil:

U.S. Embassy Brasília
SES, Av. das Nações, Quadra 801, Lote 03
70403-900 – Brasília, DF
Phone: 55 (61) 3312-7687
Fax: 55 (61)  3323-1972
E-mail: imprensabrasilia@state.gov

U.S. Consulate General Porto Alegre
Av. Assis Brasil, 1889 – Passo d’Areia
CEP 91010-001 – Porto Alegre – RS
Phone: +55 (51) 3345-6000
E-mail: portoalegreimprensa@state.gov

U.S. Consulate General Recife
Rua Gonçalves Maia, 163 Boa Vista
50070-060 – Recife, PE
Phone: 55 (81) 3416-3063
Fax: 55 (81) 3231-1906
E-mail: imprensarecife@state.gov

U.S. Consulate General Rio de Janeiro
Av. Presidente Wilson, 147 – Centro
20030-020 – Rio de Janeiro, RJ
Phone: 55 (21) 3823-2169 / 55 21 3823-2119
Fax: 55 (21) 3823-2121 / 2122
E-mail: imprensario@state.gov

U.S. Consulate General São Paulo
Rua Henri Dunant, 500, Chácara Santo Antônio
04709-110 – São Paulo- SP
Phone: 55 (11) 5186-5237
Fax: 55 (11) 5181-1368
E-mail: imprensasp@state.gov

U.S. Embasy Branch Office in Belo Horizonte
Av. do Contorno, 4520 – Santa Efigênia
Belo Horizonte – MG
Fone: 55 (61) 3338-4010
E-mail: usconsulatebh@state.gov

Culture and Education Office

The Culture and Education Office is headed by the Embassy’s Cultural Affairs Officer. The Office provides Brazilian audiences with an understanding of U.S. foreign policy and its context through seminars, conferences, and American speakers. The Office also offers programs that present a fuller picture of American society, its values and beliefs. It manages U.S. government-administered professional and educational exchange programs, including the Fulbright Scholarships. It also encourages U.S.-Brazilian non-governmental institutional linkages and promotes American arts and literature in Brazil.

USAID/Brazil contributes to a number of mutual U.S. and Brazil development goals and objectives, while strengthening a vital partnership that exists between the people of Brazil and of the United States. The projects supported are planned and implemented side-by-side with the Brazilian government, civil society, and the private sector to ensure sustainability and equitable economic and social development.

USAID/Brazil supports Brazilian efforts towards sustainable development. Democratic values and economic policies aimed at open markets and private sector development have been the cornerstones of a growing partnership between the United States and Brazil.

Acting in collaboration with bilateral and multilateral donors to maximize the use of technical and financial resources, USAID/Brazil intends to strengthen civil society in order to find innovative and efficient solutions for environmental and development problems.

USAID priorities in Brazil focus on environment, health, job market access to disadvantaged youth, clean energy, and corporate social responsibility programs.

For more information on USAID activities in Brazil, please visit their website.