Steve Jobs has allegedly told a Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) government official exactly why no retail store is planned for the country — ”super crazy” import taxes, he wrote in an e-mail, according to to the “ifoAppleStore” site (http://www.ifoapplestore.com/db/2010/03/15/no-to-retail-store-in-brazil-high-tariffs/).
Jobs’ remark highlights an on-going trade dispute between the U.S. and Brazil over cotton trade, and how international affairs can affect the selection of store sites, the article adds. As reported by “MacMagazine Brazil” (http://macmagazine.uol.com.br/2010/03/14/steve-jobs-diz-nao-a-convite-para-abrir-apple-retail-store-oficial-no-brasil), a story in the “Gente Boa” newsletter recounts that the city’s Secretary of Heritage contacted Jobs to explore building an official store in the city.
Washington Fajardo reportedly suggested Apple might open a store in the city’s port region or perhaps in the historic city center. But according to the account, Jobs sent an e-mail back to Fajardo explaining that the country’s policy of super-high taxation, “makes is very unattractive to invest in the country.”
Apple now has 283 stores in 10 countries. Approximately 100 stores were remodeled during the 2009 calendar year and 10 new stores opened, including one in Louvre in Paris and Upper West Side in New York.