Brazil’s largest and most traditional foreign trade event, the National Foreign Trade Meeting (Enaex), continues today (11/13), bringing together government representatives, experts, and business leaders to discuss the future of the country’s competitive and sustainable integration into the international market. Organized by the Brazilian Foreign Trade Association (AEB) in Rio de Janeiro, the 43rd edition of Enaex reaffirms its role as the key forum for dialogue between the productive sector and public authorities in the search for solutions to the challenges faced by exporters and importers.

This year’s theme — “Industrial Productivity and Competitiveness in Foreign Trade” — emphasizes the need for integrated industrial and logistics policies to drive economic recovery and strengthen Brazil’s presence in global value chains. At the opening on Wednesday (11/12), AEB’s executive president, José Augusto de Castro, highlighted that the event “is consolidating itself as a strategic space for proposing state-level policies that make Brazil more competitive and sustainable in global trade.”

Márcio Fortes, Director of Institutional Relations at Firjan, emphasized the importance of reindustrialization to boost industrial productivity and competitiveness in foreign trade. “We have this strategic commitment to the state of Rio de Janeiro,” he stated, presenting data showing that Rio’s trade flow between January and October 2025 reached roughly USD 70 billion, underscoring the sector’s importance to the regional economy.

He also referenced Firjan’s Proposals for a Brazil 4.0, a document outlining 62 measures to modernize national industry under the federal Nova Indústria Brasil (NIB) program. Several of these proposals directly relate to foreign trade — including support for tax reform aimed at reducing tax cumulatividade and increasing export competitiveness, as well as the implementation of the Unified Foreign Trade Portal, which has streamlined and simplified international operations.

In addition to Márcio Fortes, representing Firjan’s president Luiz Césio Caetano, the opening session also included Catarina Carneiro da Silva, Executive Manager of Analysis, Economic Development, and Statistics at the National Confederation of Commerce (CNC); José Luís Pinho Leite Gordon, Director at BNDES; Priscila Sakalem, Secretary of Transport and Mobility of the State of Rio de Janeiro; and Bruno Costa, Deputy Secretary of International Relations of the State of Rio.

Tax Reform

The first panel, “Tax Reform: A New Landscape for Brazilian Foreign Trade – Challenges and Perspectives,” was one of the highlights of Enaex 2025, bringing together public- and private-sector specialists to discuss how changes to the tax system will impact the competitiveness of Brazilian exports.

Panel moderator Márcio Fortes emphasized that tax simplification is essential to unlocking a better business environment in the country. “Brazil still faces one of the most complex tax systems in the world. The reform needs to make the system more rational, with lower costs and greater predictability for the productive sector,” he said.

Renato Agostinho, Director of the Department of Foreign Trade Operations (DECEX), presented an overview of the reform’s main points and expected effects. According to him, studies indicate that up to 15 years after the implementation of the new Value-Added Tax (IVA) model, Brazil could see a 12% increase in GDP, a 14% increase in investments, and a 17% increase in exports.

“The new system should reduce distortions and eliminate tax remnants that currently make Brazilian products more expensive abroad. This means more competitive and transparent trade,” he explained.

For Mário Sérgio Denis, Director of Economics at CNI, the tax reform represents a “turning point” for national industry. He cautioned, however, that success will depend on effective implementation and legal certainty. “Maintaining overall tax neutrality is essential, but we must ensure that simplification does not create new hidden costs or erode competitiveness,” he noted.

Attorney Breno Console, partner at Martinelli Advogados, stressed that ending tax cumulatividade and the so-called “fiscal war” among states is crucial to reducing Brazil’s cost of doing business. “Today, each state creates its own incentives, often favoring imports over domestic production. With destination-based taxation and the federal compensation fund, we will gain a fairer and more productive environment,” he added.

Panelists unanimously agreed that the reform will bring direct benefits to foreign trade by eliminating distortions and simplifying procedures. “The complete exemption of exports — now in an effective manner — is a decisive step toward strengthening the country’s global competitiveness,” said Dayane Lima, coordinator of AEB’s Technical Tax Committee.

The event also included a tribute to the Superintendency of the 7th Tax Region of the Brazilian Federal Revenue Service, presented by AEB, Firjan, and GE Aerospace, in recognition of its efficiency, competence, and agility in implementing new systems and operational technologies for foreign trade. The commemorative plaque was delivered to deputy superintendent Ronaldo Feltrin.

Later in the afternoon of the first day, in Arena 1, the lecture “Made in Rio: The Internationalization Journey of Companies from Rio and Access to International Markets” was held, delivered by international trade analysts from Firjan Internacional, Ana Carolina Vieira de Oliveira and Lucas Peron.