ONLINE EVENT: Prospects for Brazil-Japan-US Cooperation in a Shifting International Political Environment

Brazil, Japan, and the United States are all grappling in unique ways with the present, colossal transformations in the international political and economic landscapes, brought about by the wide-ranging effects of Covid-19, certainly, but also by shifts in the global economic architecture that long preceded the pandemic. In an effort to mitigate growing uncertainties and identify areas of shared interest, the three countries launched a platform for trilateral coordination during a joint meeting in Brasilia in November 2020. The Japan-US-Brazil Exchange (JUSBE) aims to strengthen policy coordination on regional issues, advance economic prosperity, and fortify democratic governance, building upon the three countries’ traditional ties, and based on shared values.

As indicated by the creation of JUSBE, there is untapped potential for enhanced trilateral cooperation, with some likely benefit to all three countries, whether by strengthening the rules-based international order, promoting trade and collaborative investment in critical, growth-promoting sectors, or expanding cooperation on cutting-edge technologies. Prospects for trilateral cooperation will hinge on the future development of Japan-Brazil relations, however, and also, to a considerable extent, on the nature of US-Brazil relations in the coming months and years. To what extent will enhanced Brazil-Japan-US collaboration bear fruit? How might the Biden administration approach trilateral economic and policy-related coordination in the coming months? Could enhanced economic collaboration help with Covid-19 recovery? What might that look like in practice?