Every year, millions of products regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) flood into the United States from 150 countries. Ensuring these products are safe and effective can be daunting task. It was heartening for me to sign two cooperative arrangements with some of our international partners that will make this task a little easier. The arrangements also represent encouraging developments in the quest for a global safety net created through international cooperation.

One arrangement, a “Statement of Cooperation” with the FDA’s counterpart in Brazil, outlines procedures for enhanced collaboration between our nations on common regulatory issues. The arrangement is particularly critical at a time when Brazil is dramatically increasing its trade with the United States. Last year, the United States imported from Brazil products totaling $31.4 billion (both FDA-regulated and not regulated)—an increase of 126 percent since the year 2000.

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