Fiat's Brazilian subsidiary was the only unit in the company to make a profit in 1993.

In the longer term Sibra, operating through its Brazilian subsidiary, hopes to double production working with Brazilian concerns.

It is the Brazilian subsidiary of Portuguese utility company Energias de Portugal.

At Caterpillar's Brazilian subsidiary, a six-year, $300 million investment has cut the average assembly time for a tractor to three days from five.

Officials from Ford's Brazilian subsidiary declined to comment.

It employs 3,600 people in the United States; a Brazilian subsidiary employs 2,260.

And the group said it was asking the government to limit the reach of the Brazilian subsidiary of Telefonica.

All are designed, engineered and built by the Brazilian subsidiaries.

G.M.'s Brazilian subsidiary relies on suppliers, but it also has an enthusiastic work force and imaginative middle managers.

Moreover, Monday was the deadline for a 200 million euro payment to investors in a Brazilian subsidiary.