Amid tariffs, Trump government visits Brazilian cities to attract companies to the USA

According to the Republican, the taxes will boost American industry, create jobs and reduce US trade deficits with its international partners. Trade deficit is when a country imports more than it exports. This week, for example, Trump associated Toyota's decision to invest US$3.6 billion (R$18.5 billion) in building a factory in Texas with the effects of tariffs imposed by his government on other countries. The automaker is also expected to transfer part of its pickup truck production from Mexico to the USA. "Toyota is moving from Mexico to the United States (Texas!). Big deal. Tariffs in action!" he said in a post on Truth Social. g1 contacted Toyota to find out if the decision to invest is related to the tariffs adopted by the American government and what factors motivated the choice of Texas to host the project. The company stated that, generally speaking, its investments are guided by "long-term business planning and market projections." "While we are impacted by evolving trade policies, our investments are multi-decade decisions based on broader strategic objectives, our commitment to producing where we sell and exceeding customer expectations," he said in a statement. Regarding the new investment announcement in the US, the automaker stated that the measure "expands Toyota's production capacity" and complements the company's "broader manufacturing network" in North America. "The location selection process is influenced by factors such as labor availability, infrastructure and proximity to suppliers", he concluded. What is SelectUSA? SelectUSA is a program created in 2011 by the US federal government and linked to the country's Department of Commerce. According to the agency, the initiative seeks to promote and facilitate investments by foreign companies in American territory. According to data released by the program itself, the initiative has already facilitated more than US$400 billion (R$2.1 trillion) in investments since its creation and contributed to the creation or maintenance of more than 270 thousand jobs in the USA. In Brazil, the US Embassy and Consulates are promoting SelectUSA Every Day this month. With programming scheduled for at least nine Brazilian cities, the event promises to bring businesspeople together with experts and partners from the American government to facilitate the expansion of Brazilian companies to the USA. Among the cities planned for the "roadshow" are: Goiânia (GO), Uberlândia (MG), Uberaba (MG), Ribeirão Preto (SP), São Carlos (SP), Londrina (P), São José dos Campos (SP), Fortaleza (CE), and Recife (PE). g1 contacted the US International Trade Administration (ITA) and SelectUSA to obtain more information and data on the participation of Brazilian companies in the program and their investments in the country, but did not receive a response until the last update of this report.