Mayor Kasim Reed will lead a delegation of Atlanta-based companies on a trade mission to Brazil to encourage foreign direct investment in the metropolitan Atlanta region and to help local companies grow their buisness opportunities from April 5 – 12, 2014. Mayor Reed will also meet with elected officials in both Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro to share best practices on sustainability, urban transportation and redevelopment, social inclusion, as well as sport diplomacy.

“The objective of this trade mission to Brazil is threefold: help Atlanta-based companies position themselves in the Brazilian market; promote Atlanta to potential investors; and increase Atlanta’s visibility on the global stage,” said Mayor Kasim Reed. “I am confident that this trade mission to Brazil will strengthen Atlanta’s position as an international economic capital, expand opportunities for our businesses and foster job creation.” 

Mayor Reed will be joined by a delegation including City Council President Caesar Mitchell and councilmembers Keisha Bottoms, CT Martin and Kwanza Hall, as well as Invest Atlanta President and CEO Brian McGowan, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport Interim General Manager Miguel Southwell, the Metro Atlanta Chamber (MAC) President and CEO Hala Moddelmog and the Brazilian American Chamber of Commerce President Lucia Jennings. The Georgia Institute of Technology and Georgia State University will also be part of the delegation along with twenty other Atlanta-based companies.*

"This trade mission is a perfect way for Atlanta to connect with Brazil's government and business leadership to spur economic activity for our region," said Brian McGowan, President and CEO of Invest Atlanta. "We're excited about increasing foreign direct investment and trade opportunities for our mission delegates and securing Atlanta's place as a world-class city."

The cities selected for this trip, which include Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, were carefully chosen by the Mayor’s Office of International Affairs with the support of Invest Atlanta, the Metro Atlanta Chamber and the Brazilian American Chamber of Commerce of the Southeast U.S. because of established networks and opportunities. The delegation will participate in industry roundtable meetings, plenary sessions with influential city and regional government officials, and other business-to-business matchmaking opportunities in each city, coordinated by the U.S. Foreign Commercial Service.

"This mission trip serves as an excellent way to tell Atlanta's story in one of our important international markets," said MAC President and CEO Hala Moddelmog. "Traveling to Brazil offers our companies and higher education institutions a unique opportunity to showcase metro Atlanta's talent and assets, while providing a platform to grow their business and make unmatched connections with Brazilian companies and universities."

Atlanta is uniquely positioned for trade with Brazil: Delta Air Lines has non-stop routes from Atlanta to Brasilia, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo; Atlanta is home to the Consulate General of Brazil, which maintains a trade Bureau; the State of Georgia maintains an international trade office in Sao Paulo; and the Brazilian American Chamber of Commerce of the Southeast U.S. is headquartered in Atlanta.