7 Anuário Abipeças e Sindipeças Abipeças and Sindipeças Yearbook 2026 From the President We need lower interest rates. The scourge of sky-high Selic rates is suffocating opportunities to build a virtuous future. Well-being and a healthy business environment depend on economic stability, anchored in public spending control, moderate inflation, a competitive exchange rate, and lower interest rates. Without the ideal macroeconomic conditions for sustainable growth, we will continue performing below the potential of our economy and below global growth rates. The numbers speak for themselves. According to Serasa Experian, a historic volume of judicial recovery filings was recorded in 2025. A total of 2,466 companies resorted to this mechanism, representing a 13% increase compared to the previous year, bringing the total number of companies in this situation to 5,680. At the same time, data from the National Confederation of Commerce (CNC) indicate a record level of indebtedness among Brazilian families, with approximately 80 million people in default. Temporary measures may bring short-term relief, but without addressing the root causes of the problem, they do not offer a lasting solution. To move forward vigorously while reducing inequalities, it is essential to leverage our growth through productivity gains, overcoming the deadlocks that hinder our development. The information gathered by international organizations regarding labor productivity in Brazil is alarming and perplexing. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), Brazil ranks 94th in a ranking of labor productivity across 184 countries. In the ratio of output per hours worked, while the G7 recorded an average of US$ 74.6 in 2025, Brazil stagnated at only US$ 21.2. This result keeps us far from developed economies and behind South American neighbors such as Uruguay (US$ 38), Chile (US$ 34.4), and Argentina (US$ 33.8). Overcoming this scenario requires tackling systemic barriers. Distortions related to the high tax burden — despite the transition to the new tax model — entrenched bureaucracy, legal and property insecurity, poor education quality, restrictions on credit supply, and, finally, high interest rates, demand continuous confrontation and must be incorporated into a national development project. Added to these difficulties are proposals that place further pressure on the corporate environment, such as ending the 6x1 work schedule and reducing the workweek from 44 to 40 hours while maintaining salaries. From the outbreak of conflicts in Eastern Europe to the war in Iran, compounded by the protectionist measures of the American government, global geopolitics continues to require constant vigilance, intense dialogue, and greater political coordination. Furthermore, the ratification of the Mercosur-EU Agreement signals both opportunities and threats for Brazilian industry. In the automotive sector, we know there will be adjustments in business models, increased industry consolidation, and a need for greater investment in R&D&I to withstand European competition. At the same time, the strategy of Chinese automakers is evolving toward the internationalization of production, reshaping the direction of the industry. This movement goes beyond a model focused solely on exports, driven by China’s domestic economic slowdown, price wars in the Chinese market, and high tariffs imposed by the United States and Europe. A study by AlixPartners — a global financial advisory and consulting firm — reveals that Chinese manufacturers plan to triple their overseas production, increasing from approximately 1.2 million to 3.4 million vehicles by 2030. With a focus on 16 countries, Eastern Europe and Latin America are emerging as the main destinations. In Latin America, Chinese brands already account for 20% of total vehicle sales and 50% of electric vehicle sales. Electrification, digitalization through AI, and greater connectivity are transforming the global automotive industry, as we know, imposing challenges on the Brazilian supply chain and shaping new business models focused on services and mobility solutions, beyond vehicle sales alone. Abipeças and Sindipeças are closely monitoring these developments, proposing directions and bringing suggestions to public authorities. Despite delays in structural reforms, Brazil has the potential to lead the decarbonization movement by leveraging its clean energy matrix and the availability of critical minerals. May we have the wisdom and resilience to face and overcome all these challenges, so that the coming years may be marked by prosperity and progress. Cláudio Sahad President of Abipeças and Sindipeças Addressing systemic barriers and building the future
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