PRESS RELEASE For Immediate Release                                                                     .................................Contact: Bob Vastine April 11, 2005                                                                           .... ....... ...... ............ ..... .... .(202) 289-7460 ................................................................................................................................................Contact: Mark Smith ................................................................................................................................................(202) 463-5794 U.S. Private Sector Pushes for Brazilian Leadership in WTO Services Negotiations (Brasilia, Brazil) - A delegation of U.S. services companies, organized by the Brazil-US Business Council and the Coalition of Service Industries (CSI), met today with senior Brazilian government officials to discuss Brazil’s participation in WTO services negotiations. The delegation was led by Norman Sorensen, CSI Chairman and President of Principal International, and included executives from leading U.S. financial, express delivery, and energy services companies. At the meetings with Brazilian chief WTO negotiator Clodoaldo Hugueney and other government officials from the Foreign Affairs, Development, and Finance Ministries, the delegation encouraged Brazil to submit a strong revised offer by the end of May. "There is tremendous potential gain for Brazil and other emerging markets from service trade liberalization in the Doha Round," Sorensen said. "We urge the Brazilian government to submit an improved revised offer, and look forward to working together with Brazil to encourage other key partners to do the same so that we can keep on track for the Hong Kong Ministerial." "Progress in the services negotiations is a key factor in reaching a balanced WTO Doha package that includes substantial liberalization in the agricultural, industrial and other areas. Unfortunately, thus far progress in the sector has lagged that of agriculture and goods," said Mark Smith, Executive Vice President of the Brazil-U.S. Business Council. Many developing countries have yet to submit initial services offers, and many WTO members submitted offers that are not sufficiently ambitious. It is important that revised offers due in May contain improvements, and the mission is part of the U.S. private sector’s efforts to work with developing countries’ private sectors and governments toward this goal. # # # # # The Brazil-U.S. Business Council is a bilateral trade organization that works to provide a high-level private sector forum for the business communities of both countries to engage in substantive dialogue on trade and investment issues and communicate private sector priorities to both governments. The U.S. Section of the Council represents the majority of the largest American corporations invested in Brazil and operates under the administrative aegis of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. CSI is the leading business organization dedicated to reducing barriers to U.S. services exports and mobilizing support for domestic U.S. policies, including tax policies, which enhance the global competitiveness of its members. CSI was formed in 1982 to ensure that U.S. trade in services would become a central goal of U.S. trade policy and trade negotiations. It played a major role in the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) and in the advocacy effort leading to the 1997 World Trade Organization (WTO) Basic Telecommunications and Financial Services Agreements. CSI’s knowledge of the process of services trade negotiations, its ties to the WTO and its network of relationships with governments and industry in other countries are unmatched. For a complete list of CSI members, visit our website at www.uscsi.org.