| Fostering Bilateral Trade and Investment Flows Between Brazil and Florida |
Member Spotlight We are proud to highlight the following Council members in President's Circle and Patron membership levels. Learn more about prestigious companies who have selected the Brazil-Florida Business Council as their partner to foster business relationships between Brazil and Florida. If you wish to upgrade your membership category, contact us.
The Akerman Corporate Practice Group advises public and private companies, including private equity funds, on M&A, capital markets, financings, and other transactional matters, with a strong focus on the middle market. Akerman is top-ranked nationally for mergers, acquisitions and buyouts: middle market by The Legal 500 and is recognized as a leading U.S. law firm by U.S. News – Best Lawyers for corporate, M&A, private equity, securities/capital markets, securities regulation, and banking and finance law, and is listed in PitchBook league tables as among the most active law firms in the United States for M&A and private equity deals.
Our mission is to be a worldwide consistent source of high quality orange juice, its products and services, adding value to the citrus business, respecting the community and the environment.
 Delta Air Lines serves more than 180 million customers each year. In 2018, Delta was named to Fortune’s top 50 Most Admired Companies in addition to being named the most admired airline for the seventh time in eight years. Additionally, Delta has ranked No.1 in the Business Travel News Annual Airline survey for an unprecedented seven consecutive years. With an industry-leading global network, Delta and the Delta Connection carriers offer service to 324 destinations in 57 countries on six continents.  Digibee enables organizations to build flexible, highly scalable integration architecture. Founded in São Paulo, Brazil, in 2017, the Digibee team is based throughout the Americas with offices in Florida. Our platform allows enterprises to compete and excel in today’s rapidly changing digital environment. The technology is cloud native, low code, fully recyclable, and discoverable–connecting applications, processes, and people for faster time-to-market without a major investment. Ten times faster than other systems, Digibee is the preferred e-iPaaS solution for 250+ corporate customers including Accenture, B3, Carrefour, Payless, Santander, and others.
In a market with fewer economic barriers, it is important to be in constant contact with specialized professionals who are in tune with world economic trends. In such a global market, it is vital to have qualified consultants certified in specific countries to help ensure proper international accounting, taxation and legal compliance, with security and excellence. In this challenging environment, Drummond Advisors was created to fulfill the needs of companies operating in both the Brazilian and U.S. markets. In order to deliver an exceptional level of high quality service, the consulting performed by Drummond Advisors presents a set of skills that differentiates us in the market, allowing greater efficiency, timeliness and promptness in service. We mean to always work in partnership with our clients, ensuring their accounting, tax, legal and market needs are aligned to your goals, thus enabling sustainable financial decisions and successfully exits.  With more than 1,600 lawyers in our U.S. and international offices and legal colleagues in over 40 countries around the world, Holland & Knight LLP serves clients globally. Our clients recognize the ability of our firm to consistently provide excellent value in a variety of areas that range from commercial litigation, regulatory matters, mergers and acquisitions, real estate and government advocacy. We are committed to providing the highest quality legal counsel combined with the utmost in client service – across state and national borders – in a seamless, cost-effective manner.Council News Led by Shining Star, Brazil Business Council Gains Traction
One of the most active is the Brazil-Florida Business Council, which after only three years in operations has gained a reputation for its high-profile Brazilian guests while scoring strong feedback from attendees of its events, who lavish praise on the council’s founder, Sao Paulo native Sueli Bonaparte. Read more at Latinvex. Bonaparte: Brazil Back on Track
Latinvex: To what extent have recent economic reforms in Brazil helped interest in Brazil among US companies? Bonaparte: Despite Brazil’s dismal economic performance, foreign direct investment has hit record highs amid recent reforms. Savvy US companies recognize Brazil’s underlying economic fundamentals and see this is a historic buying opportunity. The economic team of the current administration has brought confidence to the international financial market and they have quickly taken essential actions to bring the economy back on track. Despite modest economic growth forecasted for the coming year, analysts expect that the new administration will continue pro-growth policies to foster more robust economic recovery in the coming years. Read more at Latinvex. Council helps businesses in Brazil, Florida navigate bureaucracy
Sueli Bonaparte - President and FounderTAMPA, June 17 — Brazil is Florida’s No. 1 trade partner when it comes to exports. But getting in the door isn’t easy. Cutting through red tape and tariffs requires a sharp tool. Enter Sueli Bonaparte, who for 17 years served as executive director of the Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce in New York City, slicing through bureaucracy to create international partnerships. After moving to Florida a few years back, Bonaparte said, she saw a lot of untapped potential for connecting business threads between this state and her native Brazil. Read more. Encontro realizado em São Paulo auxilia investidores brasileiros interessados em ingressar no estado da Flórida
Uma das maiores ambições de empresários brasileiros é fazer com que seu negócio seja reconhecido internacionalmente, porém, muitos não possuem as informações e regras para trilhar esse caminho. Pensando em auxiliar esses executivos, as organizações Brazil-Florida Business Council (BFBC), Enterprise Flórida e APEX-Brasil, que trabalham na intensificação do relacionamento entre o estado da Flórida e o Brasil, realizaram no último dia 7 de julho, em São Paulo, um encontro com o objetivo de apresentar estratégias para o investidor interessado em ter uma fatia de seu negócio nos EUA. Com o tema "Investindo na Flórida: desafios e oportunidades", o encontro foi apresentado pela presidente-fundadora, Sueli Bonaparte, e contou com a participação de líderes empresariais com filiais no estado americano. Read more. | SAVE THE DATE THANK YOU MEMBERS FEATURED VIDEOS Brazil 2020-21: Q&A TESTIMONIALS "Sueli, the amazing energy that you bring to this cause is astounding. I envision this organization and the relationship to go long beyond certainly my tenure as a mayor, and I think building a bond between Brazil and Florida, particularly between Brazil and Tampa, is going to be important. The Brazil-Florida Business Council can play a vital role to the economic growth of the city. If we are going to be the city we want to be, we will have to expand our horizons and be global in our perspective and global in our actions." Bob Buckhorn, Former Tampa Mayor "Sueli is relentless in pursuing excellence for Brazil-US relations, and she should really be congratulated for that. Honestly, we highly respect her work and all the great things she’s done now, she’s doing it here." "I'd like to say how excited we are for the launching of the Brazil-Florida Business Council and the important work they'll do in further connecting Brazil's and Florida's business communities and promoting Brazilian companies in Florida." David Neeleman, Azul Brazilian Airlines "It is important to work with partners such as the Brazil-Florida Business Council to help counsel and advise American companies about doing business in Brazil." Stephen Knode, United States Commercial Service "Brazil continues to be Florida's largest global market for trade and FDI. The partnership between the Brazilian Office of Enterprise Florida and the Brazil-Florida Business Council play a vital role to capitalize on business prospects in both regions." Fabio Yamada, Enterprise Florida Brazil "A Sueli é uma locomotiva para o desenvolvimento de negócios, ela não se cansa de procurar meios para auxiliar o crescimento de todos, prova disso é a Brazil Florida Business Council que em tão pouco tempo já alcançou tamanha expressão e mostra o tempo todo ao que veio, aglutinando mais interesse no Brasil e esse tipo de iniciativa faltava na Florida.” Marcelo Fleury, LAFINSA "We see how passionate you, and your staff, are in building relationships across borders to mutually grow global economic development.” Doug Davidson, Bank of America Merrill Lynch “We are extremely grateful for your continued leadership and efforts to promote the relationship between Florida/Tampa Bay and Brazil. Your efforts reflect the very best of what we do to promote our community and our regional growth.” Paul Anderson, Port Tampa Bay “The Brazil-Florida Business Council is surely a key partner for Brazilian firms willing to invest in Florida.” Andre Leal, Select USA “What you have achieved is truly remarkable in such a short time and serves as an inspiration to all of us. I have always believed that nations in this hemisphere should work closely together. The Council has demonstrated to me that there are many opportunities to better both Nations by working together and sharing information. At each event we have attended, we have met people that we would not have come in contact with normally, had it not been for the Council.” Dr. Gustave Zader, University of South Florida |
Citrus Products, Inc. was established 40 years ago in the business of importing and distribution of citrus products (orange juices and by-products) as a wholesale. The company operates an orange juice terminal in the Port of Newark, NJ and has offices in Orlando, FL.
Formed in 2004, Mosaic is a young company rooted in history and experience. Recognized as innovators in our field, this status owes much to the combined strengths of the crop nutrition business of Cargill, Inc. and IMC Global Inc., our founding companies. In 2014, Mosaic completed its acquisitions of the Florida phosphate business of CF Industries, Inc., and of Archer Daniels Midland Company's fertilizer distribution business in Brazil and Paraguay.
Azul 
Bernardo Piccolo Team for Real State Solutions is a Residential & Commercial Real Estate practice with 15 years of market experience in the Tampa Bay and surrounding areas. With over 800 transactional parties assisted and $100+ millions in Real Estate Sales. Bernardo Piccolo PA is within the top 1% in Sales volume & Units sold in the Tampa bay. Bernardo and his team specialize in Domestic & International relocation, Investment Real Estate, residential & commercial sales. Assistance in English, Portuguese and Spanish.
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Although The White House, Commerce Department and US Trade Representative’s Office are all led by protectionists these days, various chambers of commerce throughout the United States are moving ahead with promoting two-way trade and investment flows between the United States and Latin America.
Brazil’s economy, Latin America’s largest, is back on track, says Sueli Bonaparte, president of the Brazil-Florida Business Council (BFBC). In this interview with Latinvex, Bonaparte talks about the outlook for Brazil’s economy, US investor interest, investment grade and why she started the BFBC.
Brazil is Florida’s No. 1 trade partner when it comes to exports, but getting in the door isn’t easy. The Brazil-Florida Business Council provides a forum for business people to exchange ideas and network.