Emerging South

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1. Jan 29 2009

   Industria Americana: how protectionism will change the world

   By John Baeyens | Share This | 0 Comments

   Earlier this wrote Brazil announced protectionistic matters; a lot has been written on it since then.
   But Brazil is not crazy to impose unilateral measures; they had a reason to do this. And here it is: Obama is launching a massive "Buy American" campaign; starting with a clause which stipulates that all the steel used for the infrastructure works in the US needs to be steel made in the US. Europe reacts with furious anger, but alas, this is just the start.
   
   The real question is: what are each countries SWOTs in a world which will becoming increasingly protectionistic?
   Brazil has a long experience being a very closed economy. Actually, until the 80s, the country nearly had no imports, certaily no imports of consumer goods. And even today all consumer products made in Brazil carry a logo "Industria Brasileira". Many times the locally produced products are not 100% of the same quality as the imported ones. But Brazilians will always stick to the Brazilian version, partly motivated by price, but as much by nationalistic pride. The most sold soda drink is not Coca Cola, but Guarana; a rare exception in the world and a consequence of this deep-embedded "Industria Brasileira" product.
   And here we are in Belgium, with no manufacturing industry left; let be with any pride left to buy "Made in Belgium" products.
   
   Update: BBC reports on big worries on protectionism at Davos 2009.
   
   
   

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