The Curious Case of Brazil's Closedness to Trade

Abstract

Although Brazil has become one of the largest economies in the world, it remains among the most closed economies as measured by the share of exports and imports in gross domestic product. This feature cannot be explained simply by the size of Brazil's economy. Rather, it is due to an economic structure reliant on domestic value chain integration as opposed to participation in global production networking. It also reflects more generally an export base that shows lack of dynamism. Opening up and moving toward integration into global value chains could produce efficiency gains and help Brazil address its productivity and competitiveness challenges.

Keywords: Rules of Origin, Trade and Multilateral Issues, Economic Theory & Research, Economic Policy, Institutions and Governance, International Trade and Trade Rules, Trade and Services, Trade Policy, Economic Growth, Industrial Economics