BRAZIL'S BIG PLAYER.

Brazilian jet maker Embraer is in a boastful mood. Brazil's leading exporter of manufactured goods recently received US$6.6 billion worth of orders for new jets, turning the regional company into a global player behind Boeing Co., Airbus Industries and Canada's Bombardier. "We're now the world's fourth-largest commercial jet maker," brags Mauricio Botelho, who has been at the helm of Embraer since it was privatized in 1994. The latest coup: It recently landed a $230 million order from InterCanadian Airlines, a company operating in Bombardier's backyard. The Brazilians' top selling jet--the 50-seat ERJ-145--goes for $16.5 million, $2 million cheaper than a similar jet made by the competition. Last year, Embraer collected a record $1.25 billion in revenue, which, together with cost-cutting moves, gave the company its first profit following eight years of losses.