On October 7th, the Government of Brazil published , Decree no. 10,044/19 that restructures the Brazilian Chamber of Foreign Trade (CAMEX), adapting it to the new organization of the Presidency of the Republic. As for its political structure, the Decree confirms the already announced transfer of CAMEX from the Presidency to the structure of the Ministry of Economy.
Regarding the powers to guide and intervene in trade policy, CAMEX gains back its leading role by reabsorbing legal competencies that, in the new institutional arrangement, had been attributed to the Special Secretariat for Foreign Trade and to the International Affairs of the Ministry of Economy.
The Conselho de Estratégia Comercial (the Commercial Strategy Council ), composed of by the President of Brazil and five ministers, will be responsible for proposing the strategies and guidelines, granting a trade negotiation mandate, and other broad competencies on trade policy.
The Comitê-Executivo de Gestão – GECEX (the Executive Management Committee), composed of by the Minister of Economy and nine second-level, governmental officials, will be responsible for setting the rates of import and export taxes and for deciding how trade remedies will be applied (aanti-dumping and countervailing duties, as well as safeguards), among other assignments.
Within GECEX, the division of power and influence has undergone very significant changes. In the previous structure, there was greater division and isonomy of power among the various Ministries, and in the new organization, the Ministry of Economy will hold the Presidency and have the right to half of the votes.
In addition to GECEX’s permanent members, Brazil’s Administrative Council of Economic Defense (CADE) and APEX will now have the right to two permanent guest chairs, without voting rights.
Lastly, the Decree established that CAMEX’s new bylaws should be drafted and posteriorly approved by GECEX, within the next 90 days.
