L’UE, un partenaire de choix pour les entreprises brésiliennes[en] 

Many European firms have "heavily increased" investment in Brazil over the last ten years, said Dias Reis, founder of Imagem Corporativa , a Brazilian consultancy, citing among others Spain's Telefónica, Germany's Mercedes-Benz, France's Carrefour and the UK's HSBC.

Brazilian companies, meanwhile, are still learning about European complexity, the consultant said, particularly regarding trade rules.

"Only a limited number of entrepreneurs and executives really know the role of the European Parliament and the European Commission, and the impact of their decisions on business," he said, while others complain of a "high level of protectionism" in Europe hampering Brazilian exports. 

Asked how the crisis had affected the Brazilian economy, Dias Reis said Brazil had not been hit as hard as the US and Europe, citing the health of the banking system among the main reasons for this. 

"Brazilian banks are very healthy due to a long period of high profits," said Dias Reis, while protective legislation meant that there was "zero exposure" to toxic assets from abroad. 

Mass privatisations in the 1990s opened the market to international commerce, which "produced a tremendous change in the way companies look for competitiveness and new strategies," the consultant explained. 

This puts Brazilian business "in a better position to look for a more relevant role on the global arena" when the world economy picks up again, he said, predicting a "second wave" of growth. 

Such growth will be driven by a wider variety of companies this time, he explained, citing the "new tendency" of Brazilian small and medium-sized enterprises to look to the international market, first within Latin America and then further afield.

Describing Brazil's global currency reserves as "very comfortable", Dias Reis pointed to the global reach of Brazilian companies like oil firm Petrobras and beer giant AmBev as proof of the country's strength in the international arena. 

"Plus Brazil is self-sufficient in terms of oil and is the global leader on ethanol, the most important alternative fuel for being environmentally correct," he said. 

Moreover, national purchasing power has increased in recent years, not just as a result of economic expansion, but also due to social policies enabling millions of Brazilians to improve their quality of life and participate in the market as "effective consumers". 

Dias Reis cited the over-evaluation of the 'real', Brazil's currency, as the main obstacle to boosting the country's competitiveness. 

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