The former Minister of Foreign Trade says of environmental protection: “Good reasons are always reasons for barriers.”

BRASILIA – Amid rising global protectionism, with new laws putting Brazilian agricultural exports at risk, Wilbur Parral, former foreign trade minister and partner at BMJ Consultores Associados, said the country has a long homework to do.

Targeting:A new wave of international protectionism threatens 20% of Brazilian exports

Is Brazil a victim of environmental protectionism?

maybe yes. What has always happened in the history of international trade is that good reasons are always good reasons for barriers. As the environmental issue is becoming more and more important in the international arena, the trend is for countries to put more barriers on the basis of environmental issues. And Brazil, unfortunately, has to be one of the hardest hit.

Is Brazil doing its homework?

An obvious issue is information on deforestation and carbon emissions. This data is becoming increasingly public and is being more widely perceived not only by foreign governments but also by foreign consumers. Either way, Brazil clearly has a lot of homework to do.

I am searching:The European Union is proposing a law to ban the import of soybeans and meat from deforested areas. How does this affect Brazil?

Could the proposed EU law inspire other countries?

There will be new European law and possibly new UK law and new US law that will create barriers to products that come from areas of deforestation. Europe must agree to this rule and it will increasingly be implemented in trade agreements. Brazil faces the risk of being indirectly affected by European agreements.

Foot:The foreign minister described the EU’s “protectionist” proposal to ban products from deforested areas

How will the exporter prove that his product does not come from a deforested area?

The cost of proof is important as it will include certifications and product traceability. And there is still the risk of consumer boycotts from other countries in supermarkets against Brazilian products.