The trading  dollar surpassed the rate of $ 2.50 this Thursday(4). The currency has gained strength at the end of the trading session and finished the day with recovery of 2.46%, negotiated to $2,536 for the sale.
With this, accumulated in the year, the dollar has been valued 42.71% against the real. Only in the first week of December, the accumulated high is 9.54%. The price for this Thursday is the highest recorded since April 28, 2005.

This Thursday, the chairman of the Central Bank (BC), Henrique Meirelles, said the monetary authority has spent, by the end of November, U.S. $ 6.7 billion of its reserves in direct sales exchange market. Together, all forms of intervention by BC in the exchange market already total $ 49.5 billion.

The Central Bank reported this Wednesday (29) $ 6.1 billion left the country in October until last Friday (24), from the financial account – which records all transactions that are not related with trade balance.

Transiting from “financial account” the applications, and withdrawals of funds from stock exchanges, the remittances of profits and dividends to the outside world and foreign direct investment (FDI) among others.

The withdrawal of the country’s resources through the financial account coincides with the period of crisis in financial markets around the world and also from strong fluctuations in the stock exchange, and the quotation of U.S. dollars in Brazil. Last week, the BC had already confirmed that foreign investors withdrew U.S. $ 4.3 billion of stock exchanges.

Total Movement

The Central Bank also confirmed this Wednesday (29), that the Brazilian trade balance brought U.S. $ 1.73 billion for the Brazilian economy in October, until the 24th (last Friday).

Together, the movement’s financial account and the Brazilian trade balance are all buying and selling dollars of the country with the world – which is known as flow exchange.

Thus, although the international crisis has contributed to the outflow of resources from the financial account, the balance counterbalances this value and the total turnover was negative in a slightly smaller proportion: $ 4.39 billion.

According to Central Bank (BC) in 2007 reached U.S. $ 2.8 billion the amount of money sent to families in Brazil by Brazilians who live in other countries. Of this total, more than $ 1.3 billion comes from the United States, virtually the same amount established by BC in 1997, the total values returned.

That money, which is usually called a referral, comes from Brazilian people  who have left the country to seek better financial conditions and also work to help families who stayed in Brazil.

In addition to the data from BC, the numbers established by the Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF) to the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) also show that United States is the main source of remittances: 42% of total, according to the IDB.

However, the IDB has established a total remitted higher in 2007: $ 7.1 billion. The second main source is Japan (34%), followed by the European Union (16%).

Data from MIF / IDB show that most of the people receiving these money in Brazil is concentrated in the SouthEast (58%) and South (39%). In general are women (65%), with low education (only 21% have higher education) and low-income classes.

Because of this profile, the specialist from IDB in Brasilia, Luciano Schweizer points out that these remittances are a very important social role in the country “Generally these people who emigrate usually makes 5 times more money than they would make in Brazil,” he says.

Among the major investments made with those resources in Brazil, is the purchase of property,  the improvement in the level of education and access to health services. “And in some cases, such as the dekasseguis, (Brazilians) that go to Japan and to Portugal, a large proportion of those who return to Brazil use the money to open and run a company,” says Schweizer.

Moreover, such values also create an impact on the financial market here. As Brazil has one of the highest levels of the bank remittance, between 60% and 70%, “obviously this money arrives and circulates within the formal financial system, and this is a work that the bank (IDB) has developed to increase the formality of such shipments because it lets people manage a history in the financial system and have access to other services offered in this system, “he says.

Brazil is the 10th largest economic power in the world with a GDP of nearly 800 billion dollars in 2006. President Lula’s prudent fiscal and monetary policies, coupled with necessary microeconomic reforms have restored confidence in this market. However a strict fiscal discipline and restrictive budgetary policies will not allow the government to pursue an ambitious reform agenda and thus will restrain growth. GDP growth rate was 3.7% in 2006 and 4.4% in 2007, with a forecast of 4.0% for 2008 (according to the IMF). Brazil has made progress but significant vulnerabilities remain. The Brazilian government’s debt (largely domestic) remains high, at 50% of GDP. Total foreign debt, while falling, is still large in relation to Brazil’s modest export base. The inflation rate has decrease from 6.9% in 2005 to 3.6% in 2007.

Main branches of industry

Brazil has abundant natural resources and its economy is relatively diversified. Brazil is a huge agricultural power: it is the world’s largest producer of coffee, sugarcane and oranges; this attracts numerous international food processing groups. Agriculture accounts for 10% of GDP (30% when including agri-businesses) and 40% of Brazilian exports. Brazil has the world’s largest commercial cattle herd (50% larger than the U.S.). Forests cover half of Brazil, with the largest rain forest in the world located in the Amazon Basin. Being a big industrial country, Brazil benefits from its abundant mineral resources: it is the 2nd largest exporter of iron in the world and one of the main aluminum producers. The country is now increasingly standing out in sectors like textile, aircraft, pharmaceuticals, cars, steel and chemicals. Most of the big automobile manufactures have established their production facilities in Brazil. The industrial sector contributes nearly 37% to the GDP, while as the service sector contributes around 52%.

International trade

Privatization (right from 1996) has triggered the inflow of investments into the country. The share of foreign trade in GDP reached 26% in 2006. The depreciation of the Real has stimulated Brazilian exports. Brazil’s top three import partners are: the U.S.A., Argentina, and Germany. The country mainly imports mineral fuels & oils, machinery and electrical & electronic equipment. The top three export partners are: the U.S.A., Argentina and China. The country mainly exports vehicles, machinery, iron & steel, ores, meat and other food products.

Coca-Cola’s Brazilian sales rose 20 percent to 12 billion reais in 2007, the best performance in the last three years, Estado said. The newspaper cited Brian Smith, president of the company’s local unit.

The beverage maker has increased its product range to more than 150 from fewer than 50 three years ago, Estado said, citing Marisol Angelini, the unit’s marketing vice-president.

On the Year to Date numbers the value is US$ 8,799 billions, being the best for the first trimester as well.

Just to reinforce the idea, Brazilian law gives the same protection and guarantees to foreign capital investments that it gives to investments made by Brazilian nationals. So don’t worry if you’re thinking of invest money in Brazil.

The research indicates that, despite the taste for luxury brands, only 18% of the interviewed Brazilian consumers had affirmed they buy products of famous brands.

However, 60% of the interviewed ones in Brazil had affirmed they know people who buy merchandises of luxurious brands.

The survey also discloses that 75% of the Brazilians believe that the brands charge an exaggerated price for the products and 63% affirm that the consumers of these products want only projection in the social sphere.

Moreover, only 36% of the interviewed ones in Brazil believe that the luxurious brands are related with products of better quality – close to 32% of the interviewed ones don’t believe in this relation.

Another relevant fact raised in the research on the quality of the luxurious merchandises is the counterfeit market. In Brazil, 13% had affirmed that the counterfeited products and the imitations are as good as the originals.

In total, the global 2000 companies now account for $30 trillion in revenues, $2.4 trillion in profits, $119 trillion in assets and $39 trillion in market value. Around the world, 72 million people work for these companies.

The U.S. still dominates the global list, but countries like Brazil are rapidly adding companies to the list. In comparison to 2007, Brazil added 12 more companies in 2008 and the best company from Brazil, Petrobras, went from rank #50 in 2007 to rank #29 in 2008.

The requirements for the global high performers list are: shares traded in the U.S. or American depositary receipts, a share price of at least $5, positive equity and sales of at least $1 billion.

Maps of Brazil’s performance on Forbes List:

Below there a list of the top 10 Brazilian companies in Forbes 2000 list:

Rank   Company

29       Petrobras-Petróleo Brasil

76       Vale

85       Banco Bradesco

132     Banco do Brasil

175     Itaúsa

233    Unibanco Group

492    Eletrobrás

736    Usiminas

760    Tele Norte Leste

766    Metalurgica Gerdau

The interview listens to 25 thousand consumers in 48 countries and indicates that 37% of the interviewed Brazilians would prefer to buy products of Giorgio Armani’s brand; case money was not a problem. In the second place of Brazilians preference was the French brand Christian Dior, with 28%.

Despite the preference, the brand of luxury more acquired by Brazilian consumers is the American Calvin Klein – acquired by 30% of the interviewed ones. In the second place was the Italian Diesel, with 18%.

The option of the Brazilians for Armani differs from the global preference disclosed by the survey. According to data collected for Nielsen, Gucci is the most desired brand in the world – one in each five consumers affirmed that they would buy products of the brand case money was not a problem.

In the global survey, the French Chanel and the American Calvin Klein occupy the second place, followed for the brands Louis Vuitton, Armani, Dior and Versace.

“The appeal for luxury brands continues to increase – a famous brand is simply something that the consumers, especially those in the emergent markets, have to pay an expensive price”, affirmed the European president of the Nielsen, Patrick Dodd.

In accordance with the global survey, the North Americans are the ones that less consumes the luxury brands – 35% of them had affirmed that they do not buy merchandises of these brands.

BBCBrasil.com

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5. Biodiesel is a proven fuel with over 20 years of use in Europe and 30 million successful US road miles.

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source » http://education.kulichki.net/bp/Biodiesel.htm