ABSTRACT
Brazil's greatest foreign minister, the Baron of Rio Branco, set the course of bilateral relations early in the century when he consciously selected the United States as a principal friend and trading partner. The basic friendship and the commercial bond have continued to this day, with some variations representing the more modern ideas of Ambassador Araujo Castro, who sought a broader, more independent relationship for a maturing Brazil. Brazil's political opening or abertura has eliminated human rights as a point of conflict. On nuclear matters, our two governments still have their differences, but these issues no longer impede progress in other areas. The type of discussions in which the authors are now engaged reflects the changes in Brazil and the United States over the past twenty years. Brazilian manufacturers have become strong competitors in the US market with products such as shoes, textiles, steel, transportation equipment, and small aircraft.
