Brazil's Vice President and Minister of Development, Industry, Trade, and Services, Geraldo Alckmin, emphasized the importance of international trade and reiterated Brazil's support for multilateralism against the backdrop of new tariff policies implemented by U.S. President Trump. This statement was made at the 16th International Auto Parts, Equipment, and Services Exhibition (Automec) held in São Paulo on April 22.

"Diplomacy needs to achieve win-win results, and international trade is fundamentally win-win. I may be more efficient in certain areas and export to you; you may be more efficient in other areas and sell to me. This benefits society as a whole and stimulates competitiveness. International trade creates jobs, income, and development opportunities. Brazil advocates for open multilateralism and free markets, not closed economies," Alckmin told reporters at the event.

The Brazilian Vice President also noted that Brazil does not have trade disputes with other countries and has a "two-hundred-year friendly partnership" with the United States. "There is no trade deficit from the U.S. to Brazil; on the contrary, we have a surplus. We should maintain good relations with all countries: China is Brazil's largest buyer and trading partner, and the U.S. is Brazil's largest investor. We need to seize opportunities while promoting dialogue," he said when asked about President Lula's upcoming visit to China.

The exhibition, held at the São Paulo Expo, attracted participation from entrepreneurs in the automotive parts industry. Running from April 22 to 26, the event brought together over 1,500 brands in the automotive parts, equipment, and vehicle services sectors. Alckmin highlighted three key government initiatives:

"Firstly, accelerating the depreciation policy. In the past, machinery and equipment purchases required 15 years for depreciation, now shortened to two years to encourage modernization of industrial equipment. Secondly, the Mover Plan (Automotive Industry Transformation Plan) has been regulated, and related projects are being fully implemented. The third is the Green Industrial Products Tax (IPI Verde) policy that will be enacted in a few weeks."

The Vice President emphasized that the Green Industrial Products Tax "will not increase the tax burden or alter the overall tax structure, but will incentivize green technology through tax benefits, including improving energy efficiency, reducing reliance on fossil fuels, and providing incentives for electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles, and dual-fuel vehicles (especially ethanol-based vehicles), further driving Brazil's energy transition."