The presence of Queen Elizabeth II at the ceremony marking the beginning of the construction on the Rio-Niterói Bridge further highlighted the importance the British government had come to place on diplomatic relations with Brazil.

This rapprochement intensified in the early 1960s when several British colonies in Asia and Africa began their independence processes, prompting England to seek new trade partners. In this context, Latin American markets—especially Brazil—became particularly attractive, as the country was undertaking large-scale infrastructure projects.

It was within this scenario that the London branch of the Rothschild Bank was chosen to finance the construction of the Rio-Niterói Bridge. Among the terms of the loan, it was established that the metallic structures for the project could only be supplied by national or Anglo-Brazilian companies.

Additionally, other British companies were selected to supply machinery, such as compressors and cranes, which were not yet manufactured in Brazil. According to estimates, several million more pounds were invested in importing these British capital goods