PETROBRAS-CHINA RELATIONS: TRADE, INVESTMENTS, INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS and LOANS1 Pedro Henrique Batista Barbosa2
PETROBRAS-CHINA RELATIONS: TRADE, INVESTMENTS, INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS AND LOANS1 Pedro Henrique Batista Barbosa2 Petrobras’ expansion over the last years is linked to one foreign country: China. After the discovery of the pre-salt oil, the company’s relation with Chinese players has evolved rapidly in four directions: trade, investments, infrastructure projects, and loans. Chinese actors have become relevant crude importers, production partners, service providers, and funding options. China became Petrobras’ main export destination and the origin of the majority of its external loans, which have helped it to expand production and honor its financial commitments. From China’s perspective, Petrobras is a reliable crude supplier, besides being an increasingly relevant destination of investments and technical, operational, and financial services. In each of the four pillars, the progress of bilateral relations was based upon complementary circumstances, such as China’s skyrocketing imports and Petrobras’ burgeoning exports. However, beyond complementarity, Petrobras-China oil cooperation has significant challenges. Keywords: China; Petrobras; oil; trade; FDI; infrastructure projects; loans. AS RELAÇÕES PETROBRAS-CHINA: COMÉRCIO, INVESTIMENTOS, PROJETOS DE INFRAESTRUTURA E EMPRÉSTIMOS A expansão da Petrobras nos últimos anos está ligada a um país estrangeiro: China. Após a descoberta do petróleo do pré-sal, a relação da empresa com os atores chineses evoluiu rapidamente em quatro direções: comércio, investimentos, projetos de infraestrutura e empréstimos. Empresas e bancos chineses tornaram-se importantes importadores de petróleo, parceiros em extração, provedores de serviços e opções de financiamento. A China passou a ser o principal destino das exportações da Petrobras e a origem da maioria dos seus empréstimos externos, o que a ajudou a expandir sua produção e equilibrar seus compromissos financeiros.
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