Publications

2023

Articles

1. Os impactos das barreiras e das medidas ambientais no comércio internacional: desafios para o Brasil (Vera Thorsyensen e Catherine Rebouças Mota). The article analyzes the intersection between trade and the environment within four regulation frameworks: WTO, OECD, voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) and environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG). Additionally, it identifies Brazil’s position in this scenario and inquires what challenges the country is likely to face from the perspective of a competitive insertion in an increasingly sustainable global economy.

2022

Articles

1. Energy efficiency international standards (Elgar Encyclopedia of Environmental Law) (Vera Thorstensen, Thiago Nogueira e Mauro Kiithi Arima Junior). Energy efficiency is of undeniable importance. Global and regional institutions are adopting initiatives with the purpose of standardizing ways of measuring energy efficiency and disseminating practices favorable to sustainable energy consumption. This text focuses on the main international initiatives to produce energy efficiency standards.

2. CBAM - O mecanismo de ajuste de carbono na fronteira da UE (Revista de Direito do Comércio Internacional, n. 5, 2022) (Vera Thorstensen, Amanda Mitsue Zuchieri, Catherine Rebouças Mota). The purpose of this article is to present the CBAM proposal, conducting an analysis of the new Mechanism, emphasizing the arguments for and against the European proposal.

3. A proposta de regulamento da UE para produtos livres de desmatamento: um novo capítulo na relação Brasil-UE (Revista de Direito do Comércio Internacional, n. 5, 2022) (Magali Favaretto Prieto Fernandes, Maria Eugênia Kroetz, Milena da Fonseca Azevedo). The purpose of this article is to detail the contours of the proposal and contextualize it within the bloc's broad environmental program, bringing its foundations, main motivations and compliance mechanisms.

4. Os planos estratégicos chineses e seu impacto nos investimentos no Brasil: uma análise do setor de energias renováveis (Conjuntura Austral, 13(61) (Maria Eugênia Kroetz, Michelle Ratton Sanchez-Badin, Lisi Mie Sato). The objective of this specific article is to understand the relationship between the commitments of the bilateral agreements signed between the two countries and the goals of the Chinese State itself, in its state planning and public policy documents. To this end, the article is structured from a qualitative analysis of regulatory instruments at the bilateral level and those at the domestic level in China and their forecasts related to renewable energy, between 2010 and 2020.

5. Abertura comercial ou integração competitiva para o Brasil (Publicado pelo IEDI) (Vera Thorstensen e Tiago Megale). It analyzes the advantages and challenges of trade openness and integration. It features debates on signing trade agreements and unilateral tariff reductions.

Books

OECD

1. OCDE: Sustentabilidade e Crescimento Verde (March, 2022)

Cadernos of Trade Agreements Collection. CCGI presents a new series of publications, Cadernos of Trade Agreements, where interested parties will have access to trade data and relevant information on trade topics of possible agreements with Brazil. This information includes historical aspects and governmental structure, in addition to the tariff profile, including tariff quotas and quantitative restrictions, regulatory structure of technical and sanitary and phytosanitary measures, including environment; sustainability policies; regulation of services, intellectual property, investments, as well as international trade agreements. When discussing this information, it is presented, when relevant, parallel with the Brazilian reality.

1. Cadernos de Acordos Comerciais: Brasil-Canadá. The book presents essential aspects of Canada's trade policy. It brings internal regulatory aspects that impact on international trade, as well as agreements and the various international commitments of Canada.

2. Cadernos de Acordos Comerciais: Brasil-Indonésia. Indonesia is an important member of ASEAN, which has established partnerships with the main economies of Asia, inserting itself in the value chains of the region. This edition of Cadernos presents a synthesis of the main relevant facts in the country's history to emphasize its uniqueness. It follows the analysis of trade policy, trade flows and highlights its instruments.

3. Cadernos de Acordos Comerciais: Brasil-Vietnã. This edition of the Cadernos is intended to provide an overview of the most important aspects of Vietnam's international trade policy. Based on consultation of official documents, this descriptive document was to offer the relevant aspects for understanding the contemporary international economic insertion of Vietnam.

4. Cadernos de Acordos Comerciais: Brasil-Coreia do Sul. The article presents essential aspects of South Korea's trade policy on goods, services, investments and intellectual property. The changes that have taken place in recent decades in terms of economic regulation stand out.

5. Cadernos de Acordos Comerciais: Brasil-Cingapura. The book presents essential aspects of Singapore's trade policy on goods, services, investments and intellectual property.

6. Cadernos de Acordos Comerciais: Brasil-República Dominicana. The article presents essential aspects of the Dominican Republic's trade policy in terms of goods, services, investments and intellectual property.

WIT-CCGI

1. Coletânea WIT (VOL 2 - WIT Starters): Comércio Internacional: regras de comércio, o Acordo UE-Mercosul e o Brasil na OCDE

2021

Articles

1. Normas voluntárias de sustentabilidade: barreiras ao comércio à margem da OMC, 2021 (Vera Thorstensen and Catherine Rebouças Mota). The article addresses the challenges of voluntary sustainability standards in the face of international trade rules.

2. Género: el debate sobre la mujer en la OCDE e en la OMC, 2021 (Vera Thorstensen and Catherine Rebouças Mota). The article deals with discussions on gender within two important international organizations: WTO and OECD. Documents, instruments and visions of the two organizations about gender inequalities are discussed, especially in relation to the role of women in the contemporary economy.

3. Convergence on e-commerce: the case of Argentina, Brazil and Mercosur, 2021 (Vera Thorstensen and Valentina Delich). It deals with different normative aspects of digital commerce in Argentina, Brazil and in the context of Mercosur. The main national and regional regulatory frameworks are explained, with emphasis on the relationship between trade and data protection.

4. Working Paper (FGV Series n. 549) A OCDE e a economia circular, August 2021.(Vera Thorstensen and Antonio Pedro de Faria). This paper analyzes the concept of Circular Economy in terms of the OECD, its academic production on the subject, its relevant norms and the degree of Brazil's adherence to the organization's guidelines and to the transition to a Circular Economy model.

5. Working Paper (FGV Series n. 550) Eficiência energética: situação do Brasil em relação aos padrões da OCDE, August 2021 (Vera Thorstensen e Mauro Kiithi Arima Junior). The purpose of the article is to present the situation of Brazil in terms of energy efficiency policy, taking as a reference the standards established by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

7. Working Paper (FGV Series 552) OCDE e o investimento verde, August 2021. This article addresses green financing and investing in green growth, according to the evolution of the theme observed by the OECD. The search for international harmonization in this theme is still a work in progress, to be developed with the cooperation of all players involved.

8. Cadernos Brasil na OCDE: Compras Públicas, July 2021 (Vera Thorstensen, Luis Felipe Giesteira, Antonio Pedro Faria). This text proposes to present, in general terms, the OECD perspective on the subject and compare it with some elements of recent Brazilian history, including the debate on the use of purchasing power as an instrument for achieving objectives. governmental – corresponding to what the OECD calls secondary objectives of public procurement.

9. Working Paper (FGV Series n. 547) Os indicadores da OCDE e a regulação da diversidade biológica no Brasil, August 2021 (Vera Thorstensen and Catherine Rebouças Mota). An overview of the federal legislative and institutional structure situation is presented in relation to international documents for the protection of biodiversity, especially those of the OECD. The article presents the OECD assessment based on indicators on Brazil in terms of biodiversity.

10. Working Paper (FGV Series n. 548) O Brasil frente a política de comércio e meio ambiente da OCDE, August 2021 (Vera Thorstensen, Catherine Rebouças, Mauro Arima Junior, Thiago Nogueira). Brazil formalized the request to open the accession process to the OECD on May 29, 2017. In view of the Brazilian interest in being a member of the Organization, the objective of this paper is to analyze the work of the OECD on the interface between trade and the environment, drawing a parallel with the Brazilian reality.

11. Vanguardismo ambiental e protecionismo comercial na União Europeia e nos Estados Unidos da América (IPEA), October 2021 (Vera Thorstensen, Catherine Rebouças Mota, Mauro Kiithi Arima Júnior, Amanda Zuchieri and Fabio Thomazella). The text identifies the impact of EU and US environmental measures on the international trade system. Subsequently, the two policies are analyzed separately, with identification of institutions and environmental rules, with emphasis on changes resulting from the set of environmental measures recently announced by both. The comparison between the two policies is established next and taken up again in the conclusions.

12. Working Paper (FGV Series n 555) OCDE e agricultura: meio ambiente e mudança climática, November 2021 (Vera Thorstensen and Amanda Mitsue Zuchieri). CO2 is the biggest contributor to global warming, but methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O), the non-CO2 greenhouse gases emitted directly by the agricultural sector through agricultural and livestock production, are major contributors to increase the total concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and for climate change. As it has a thriving agricultural sector, Brazil is an emitter of greenhouse gases from agriculture and, despite having advanced in some legal and regulatory aspects, it still has a long way to go in the areas of implementation and compliance to meet OECD’s goals emissions, guidelines and recommendations.

13. Working Paper (FGV Series n 556) Dimensão ambiental da qualidade de vida: o Brasil no olhar da OCDE, November 2021 (Vera Thorstensen and Gustavo Jorge Silva). This article deals with the normative instruments entered by Brazil in the management of water resources and sanitation, as well as in the fight against atmospheric pollution, both domestically and internationally. It also addresses the indicators on these themes prepared by the OECD that contain data on Brazil, in the context of the country’s accession process to the Organization.

Books

CCGI-WIT

Coletânea WIT (VOL 1): Estudos sobre comércio internacional em Homenagem à Professora Vera Thorstensen.

2020

Books

• O Brasil entre União Europeia e Estados Unidos: uma leitura comparada das regulações da OMC e textos do Mercosul-UE e USCMA

Working Papers

• Governo Digital no Brasil: o quadro institucional e regulatório do país sob a perspectiva da OCDE
• Boas práticas regulatórias: a situação do Brasil como avaliada pela OCDE (Vera Thorstensen and Mauro Kiithi Arima Júnior). The authors' purpose is to analyze, from a historical perspective, the theme of regulation in the OECD, focusing on the Brazilian situation in relation to the Organization's recommendations and guidelines. Normative and descriptive documents produced by the OECD will be scrutinized, with emphasis on those exclusively focused on the theme of good regulatory practices.
• Um passo além de tarifas: barreiras regulatórias entre Brasil e Argentina (RBCE), janeiro de 2020.

Articles

• Texto de Discussão IPEA n. 2582: Barreiras regulatórias: a infraestrutura da qualidade no México, no Chile e na Colômbia em comparação com Brasil e Argentina, agosto de 2020 (Vera Thorstensen, Mauro Kiithi Arima Junior, Tiago Matsuoka Megale e Fabio Thomazella). The purpose of this paper is to examine, from the perspective of international trade, the general characteristics of the operation of technical regulations, technical standardization and conformity assessment procedures (quality infrastructure) adopted by Chile, Mexico and Colombia. Next, the researchers will try to identify, from a perspective that relates trade to quality infrastructure, similarities and differences between these three countries and the two main members of Mercosur: Brazil and Argentina. The conclusions will emphasize the importance of regulatory barrier and convergence initiatives to international trade.
• Avaliação da Conformidade no Brasil e na Argentina: diferenças, similaridades e modelos de convergência, abril de 2020.

2019

Books

• Regulatory coherence and convergence: a comparative analysis of Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Colombia, and Chile - technical regulations and their supporting standards
• Coerência e Convergência Regulatória: Modelos regulatórios de parceiros do Brasil - EUA, União Europeia, Canadá, Coreia do Sul, Japão, México e Acordos Regionais de Comércio de EUA e União Europeia - Uma primeira leitura
• Cadernos de Normas Voluntárias de Sustentabilidade, vol. 3 - A controvérsia em torno do conceito das NVS, 79p.
• Impactos regulatórios e econômicos do CPTPP para Brasil e Argentina
• Cadernos de Normas Voluntárias de Sustentabilidade, vol. 2 - NVS e as Exportações brasileiras: Mercados da União Europeia, Estados Unidos e China, 70p

Articles

• Convergência regulatória na integração comercial Brasil-Argentina (Boletim de Economia e Política Internacional n. 24, IPEA, 2019)
• Convergência regulatória na integração comercial Brasil-Argentina (TD2454, IPEA, 2019)

Working Papers

• O quadro regulatório do sistema financeiro internacional
• A OCDE e a questão do Transfer Pricing
• O Princípio da Precaução na OCDE (Vera Thorstensen, Catherine Rebouças Mota e Mauro Kiithi Arima Júnior). The precautionary principle has no univocal concept. Although used in various legal documents, the principle remains contested on its rational-scientific basis and in its usefulness in mitigating environmental damages. Concerning these two dimensions, the opposition between the American and the European perspectives on the subject stands out. This duality of views is identified, for example, within the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), which, although adopting the principle in certain circumstances, limits its application. This article aims to analyze how the precautionary principle is used in the OECD in its various normative documents and in the analytical reports produced by its experts.
• A OCDE e o investimento estrangeiro.
• A OCDE e a Governança Corporativa de Empresas Estatais.
• OCDE e a nova demanda da agricultura: Produtividade e Políticas Agrícolas sustentáveis.
• E-Commerce in Brazil: Where we are in terms of regulatory practices
• A OCDE e os Códigos de Capitais e Intangíveis: Código de Liberalização de Movimento de Capitais e Códigos de Operações Correntes Intangíveis.
• Barreiras no comércio internacional, normas técnicas e normas de sustentabilidade: as novas e velhas regras de certificação.

Events

• Proceedings of the IV Annual Conference on International Trade (IV CACI)

2018

Conferências

• Anais de Conferência - Diálogo Regulatório Brasil-Argentina (11/06/2018)

Working Papers

• A OCDE como fórum de governança das empresas multinacionais
• Comércio e Gênero: um novo tema na agenda internacional?
• A governança mundial da sustentabilidade: o papel da OCDE
• O Brasil na OCDE: membro pleno ou mero espectador?

Books

• Cadernos de Normas Voluntárias de Sustentabilidade, vol. 1 - Comércio e Sustentabilidade, 90p.
• La multiplicación de los estándares privados de sustentabilidad ¿Hay un rol para la OMC? In: DELICH, Valentina. Ni si, ni no, ni blanco, ni negro. Reflexiones latinoamericanas en ocasión de la M11. Buenos Aires: FLACSO/Cátedras OMC, 2018, p. 21-26.
• A Regulamentação Internacional do Investimento Estrangeiro: Desafios e Perspectivas para o Brasil

Articles

• Comparative Advantage and the Uneven Effects of Non-Tariff Measures

Research Report

• Compras Governamentais Na América Latina: O Acesso de Pequenas e Médias Empresas às Contratações Públicas no Chile, Colômbia, México e Peru

• Efetividade do Acesso de Empresas Estrangeiras aos Mercados de Compras Nacionais da União Europeia (UE)

2017

Research Report

Books

• O Tratado da Parceria Transpacífico (TPP): impactos do novo marco regulatório para o Brasil
• COERÊNCIA E CONVERGÊNCIA REGULATÓRIA NO COMÉRCIO EXTERIOR - o caso do Brasil frente a União Europeia e Estados Unidos com ênfase na experiência do Reino Unido. This project was supported by the Great Britain and Northen Ireland Embassy in Brazil and funded through the Prosperity Fund. This project is part of the WTO Chair Programme.
  • VOLUME I - Coerência Regulatória. Coordenadoras: Vera Thorstensen e Michelle Badin
  • VOLUME II - Convergência Regulatória. Coordenadoras: Vera Thorstensen e Michelle Badin
  • VOLUME III - Simulação dos impactos regulatórios sobre o comércio de BR-UE, BR-RU, BR-EUA. Coordenadores: Vera Thorstensen e Lucas Ferraz
  • VOLUME 0 - SÍNTESE E CONCLUSÕES

Articles

• "America First" in Practice: The Trump Administration and the State of Trade in Brazil and the Americas, Jon Ettinger, Georgetown University
• "Coerência e convergência regulatória: o novo desafio do comércio internacional", Interesse Nacional

Events

Interviews

• "What to expect when the presidents of Brazil and Argentina meet" Lucas Ferraz, The Economist, Feb. 2017

2016

Books

• Repensando as Relações Comerciais entre Brasil e Uruguai. WTO Chair Programme and IPEA. The study aims to outline options for deepening trade relations between Brazil and Uruguay. The study sets out to investigate the economic trade domain of the free circulation of goods and services, raising relevant topics to advance not only in the bilateral integration, but also the regional integration. 
• Negotiating Preferential Trade Agreements for Brazil: A CGE Modeling Perspective. WTO Chair Programme. The main objective of this book is to present a synthesis of several studies that the Center for CCGI has been producing since 2013. Produced, at first, in an unrelated manner, the works presented in this Compendium have been revisited and updated so that all simulations became part of a single body and, therefore, comparable among each other. 
• Regulatory Barriers to Trade: TBT, SPS and Sustainability Standards. WTO Chair Programme. The study came out of an interest from the Brazilian industry better understanding of the real logic behind technical barriers and sanitary and phytosanitary barriers: what is discrimination and what is the real need of protection 

Events

Articles

• Coerência, Convergência e Cooperação Regulatória nos Capítulos de Barreiras Técnicas ao Comércio e Medidas Sanitárias e Fitossanitárias do Acordo Transpacífico - IPEA, 2016. The work outlines the rights and obligations of Chapters of TBT and SPS of TPP, its main innovations, their relationship with the WTO agreements, and that it is subject to the dispute settlement system of both the TPP as the WTO.

2015

Proceedings

• Proceedings of the I Annual Conference on International Trade (I CACI)

Articles

• On the Effects of Non-tariff Measures on Brazilian Exports
• The Manufacturing Industry in Brazil in the era of Global Value Chains
• Connecting to Global Value Chains: The Dynamic General Equilibrium Effects of a PTA between China and Mercosur over the economy of Brazil
• Citizens and the Future of Multilateralism in a Polycentric World at 2030 - The perspectives of Emerging Countries for the Trading System: the impasse of WTO, the trends of mega agreements, the logic of value chains and the advent of consumers’ concerns on international trade
• WTO – Challenges for the Next 20

Events

• Diálogo Nacional com Ruy Altenfelder on International Trade and main trade agreements, with focus on TPP.
• Speech at Brazilian Senate: 40ª Reunião Ordinária da 1ª Sessão Legislativa Ordinária da 55ª Legislatura - Audiência Pública (Finalidade: debater sobre os efeitos na economia brasileira decorrentes do Acordo Multilateral Pacto do Pacífico)
• Conferência Anual de Comércio Internacional (I CACI) - e-book
• WTO Public Forum 2015

• Analysis of the economic and financial relations between Latin America and the Caribbean and the BRICS group - SELA

CGTI Studies

2014

Articles

• A Inserção do Brasil nas Cadeias Globais de Valor, CEBRI, vol 2, Year 13
• OMC - presença e persistência, por Celso Lafer
• Entrevista para Revista Sapientia
• The impacts of TTIP and TPP on Brazil
• O elo perdido entre a OMC e o FMI
• Opiniões Samuel Pinheiro Neto x Vera Thorstensen sobre Mercosul e UE
• O isolamento do Brasil e o impacto dos mega-acordos comerciais
• WTO x PTA: Where to negotiate trade and currency
• Força-Tarefa sobre Acordos Preferenciais de Comércio

Books

• O Brasil e os Novos Acordos Preferenciais de Comércio: o peso das barreiras tarifárias e não tarifárias
• Sistema de Solução de Controvérsias da OMC – Uma primeira leitura

CGTI Studies

• Trade Regulation of Exchange Rates
• Acordos Preferenciais de Comércio: da multiplicação de novas regras aos mega-acordos comerciais
• The impacts of the Mega-Agreements on the BRICS: in search for a new global governance for trade at the WTO
• Exchange Rate Measures, Who Judges the Violation? Sorting out prerogatives
• Acessão da China à OMC: a questão da economia de não mercado
• Efeitos do câmbio sobre o instrumento de antidumping
• Brazil: exploring new paths with the EU and the US.

Events

• The Role of the WTO in the 21st Century and the Launching of the WTO Chair in Brazil
• International Conference on the Future of WTO in a Multipolar World with Mr. Pascal Lamy
• International Workshop: The Mega-Regional Trade Agreements and the Future of Mercosur
• Brazil Roundtable on Restoring Multilateral Trade Cooperation: the Future of the WTO
• 5th BRICS Trade and Economic Research Network (TERN) Meeting: The impact of the mega-agreements on BRICS

2013

Articles

• WTO - Market and non-market economies: the hybrid case of China. This article discusses the systemic challenges of integrating hybrid economies, and their non-market economies (NME) features, into the WTO
• The missing link between the WTO and the IMF. This article searches for an explanation on why there is no effective rule in the World Trade Organization (WTO) to neutralize the negative impacts of currency misalignments on trade instruments.
• A Multiplicação dos Acordos Preferenciais de Comércio e o Isolamento do Brasil. The article discusses the difficulties in modernizing international trade regulation in the context of an increase in the number of preferential trade agreements (PTAs). It also discusses what position Brazil is in and what impacts PTAs can bring to the country.
• Sistemas de Regulação do Comércio Internacional em Confronto: o marco dos Estados e o marco das transnacionais. This article includes another approach to international trade regulation studies, proposing a better understanding of the influence of transnational enterprises in the shaping of modern internal trade.
• EU-Mercosur Trade Relations: Impacts of Exchange Rate Misalignments os Tariffs. The main purpose of this paper is to exam the impacts of misalignment on exchange rate on the trade relations between the EU and Mercosur.
• The impact of TTIP on Brazil. The objective of this paper is to analyze the effects for Brazil of the conclusion of TTIP. This is approached under different hypotheses, eg. considering the effects on Brazil of a TTIP with the reduction of only tariff barriers between US and EU.

Books

• ​A Regulação do Comércio Internacional de Energia. The purpose of this book is to deal with the Regulation of Global Trade in the area of energy, especially in the fuel and electricity sectors.

CGTI Studies

• Trade Rules and Exchange Rate Misalignments: in search for a WTO solution. The main purpose of this paper is to analyze the impacts of exchange rate misalignments on tariffs as applied by the WTO – World Trade Organization. Results for Brazil, USA and China are presented.
• Brasil e União Europeia na OMC: relações econômicas, disputas comerciais, crise financeira e câmbio. The work presents an overview of bilateral trade relations between Brazil and the European Union, especially considering their relations in the World Trade Organization. The Mercosur-EU Agreement, challenges and current perspectives of the bilateral relationship are considered.
• A Regulação do Comércio Global nos Setores de Milho, Arroz, Trigo e Soja. This paper presents the main barriers to trade and subsidy policies imposed on corn, rice, wheat and soybeans. The regulation of these sectors is discussed in the context of Brazil's competitive insertion in international trade.

2012

Articles

• Rules of Origin: an unfinished negotiation
• Desafios da acessão da Rússia à OMC (Vera Thorstensen, Carolina Muller and Daniel Ramos). This study aims to analyze the commitments undertaken by Russia at the moment of its accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO), in order to evaluate the impacts that these may have on the multilateral trading system.
• O reconhecimento da China como economia de mercado: o dilema de 2016
• Obrigações da Rússia na acessão à OMC
• Impactos da crise econômica e financeira na regulação do comércio internacional
• Exchange Rate Misalignments and International Trade Policy: Impacts on Tariffs

Books

• Os BRICS na OMC

CGTI Studies

• The issue of exchange rates in the history of GATT
• A Regulação do Comércio Global de Produtos Agrícolas - Perspectivas para 2050. Nota Técnica para o Projeto Alimentos Ponto 11.2 – Políticas Comerciais Projeto financiado pelo Centro de Gestão e Estudos Estratégicos – CGEE

2011

Articles

• O princípio da nação mais favorecida e os desalinhamentos cambiais
• Exchange rates misalignments and international trade policy: impacts on tariffs
• Impactos do câmbio nos instrumentos de comércio internacional: o caso das tarifas
• Brasil e China: de conflitos de interesse à busca de uma agenda comum
• A defesa comercial dos BICs
• ​Perfil da política e instrumentos de comércio internacional dos BICs
• The multisystem of Global Trade Regulation: proposal for a new theoretical reference and new analysis methodology

CGTI Studies

• Salvaguardas Transitórias contra a China: investigações e medidas aplicadas
• Aplicação simultânea de medidas antidumping e medidas compensatórias
• Reference Price: estudo da compatibilidade com a OMC

2010

Articles

• China e EUA: de guerras cambiais a guerras comerciais
• A China como membro da OMC e líder das exportações mundiais