U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke said it's time for the United States to "treat our engagement with Brazil on economic issues as seriously as we do with nations like China and India."
"Brazil is on the rise and the United States welcomes that rise," he said. "While the United States and Brazil will not always agree on everything, we know that our economies are inextricably linked, and we must strive to solve any problems through candid, open dialogue and respect."
The United States is the largest foreign investor in Brazil and exported more than $50bn worth of goods and services to the South American country in 2010. U.S. exports to Brazil are growing twice as fast as all of U.S. exports overall, according to the Commerce Department.
