The Brazilian Invasion

July 25, 2014

According to the latest U.S. Department of Commerce statistics, Brazil has officially surpassed the United Kingdom in the amount of tourists visiting Florida each year. It should come as no surprise that Brazilians have reached this top spot. Over the last few years, Brazilians have flocked to the United States, and particularly South Florida, to invest in real estate, open businesses, to vacation and to shop. In 2013 alone, over one million Brazilians visited Florida.

U.S. Consulates in Brazil couldn’t handle the amount of visa requests it was receiving. According to the U.S. Embassy, in 2011 the U.S. Consulate in São Paulo received approximately 3,000 visa applications per day. In 2012, President Obama announced new measures to expedite the approval process for foreign visitors. The relationship between the U.S. and Brazil continues to grow. In February 2014, the two countries signed an agreement to promote and facilitate investments between them.

It’s not just South Florida feeling the economic boom from Brazilians. Historically, Brazilians have flocked to Orlando for the hundreds of outlet malls and theme parks. Plane flights, hotels, and the thousands spent shopping are huge savings for Brazilians, who are known to pay outrageous import taxes back home.

Tourism aside, Brazilian companies are opening up its doors in South Florida now more than ever. Brazil remains South Florida’s top trading partner, with nearly 11 billion dollars in trade 2012. Embraer Aircraft Holding, the world’s third largest producer of aircrafts, opened a plant in South Florida, and is a perfect example of a Brazilian company expanding its reach to South Florida. A few other Brazilian companies with operations in Miami-Dade include Burger King, Banco do Brasil, TAM Airlines and Odebrecht Contractors of South Florida.

With a successful World Cup behind them, and the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, the future is promising for Brazil, and what’s promising for Brazil, is promising for the rest of us. Bem-vindos! Welcome!

We are a full service, Fort Lauderdale-based law firm focusing on intellectual property, business and entertainment law and litigation. We counsel Brazilian and other foreign entrepreneurs in Florida and throughout the United States. Our team is fluent in Portuguese, Spanish and English, and we have several partnerships with specialized professionals and experts in multinational affairs.

Proud members of the Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce of Florida.