Sines wants to be agribusiness gateway from Brazil to Europe
In the first six months of the year, Brazil, one of the world's largest 'granaries', exported 2.46 billion to Portugal, an increase of 108% compared to the same period in 2021.
Portugal aims to be an important gateway for Brazilian agribusiness in Europe via the port of Sines, according to Portugal’s ambassador to Brazil, Luis Faro Ramos.
“The transport of agribusiness goods from Brazil to Europe, via our Sines terminal, is a subject of great interest and can be boosted,” said Luis Faro Ramos, in Brasilia, on the sidelines of the annual meeting of the Federation of Portuguese Chambers of Commerce in Brazil, at the Portuguese embassy.
The Portuguese official noted that agribusiness accounted for over half of trade between the two Portuguese-speaking countries, and for that reason, “logistics is an extremely important area”.
According to Statistics Portugal (INE), in the first six months of the year, Brazil, one of the world’s largest ‘granaries’, exported 2.46 billion to Portugal, an increase of 108% compared to the same period in 2021.
“The Port of Sines saves time and money in terms of the circuit of entry of Brazilian goods into Europe and North Africa,” Luis Faro Ramos stressed, stressing, “It is not an easy path, but that interest exists.”
Agribusiness, tourism, real estate and information technology, thus summarised to Lusa, the president of the Federation of Portuguese Chambers of Commerce in Brazil, on Brazilian investment that has grown substantially in Portugal.
In the opposite direction, growth in Portuguese investment in Brazil has not been visible, a consequence Armando Abreu explained (who was elected on Tuesday for another two-year term) of the socio-economic situation in the country.
The vision that Portugal and foreigners have of Brazil “unfortunately is not the best: whether politically, economically, the issue of security, health and education,” he told Lusa, also on the sidelines of the annual meeting of the Federation of Portuguese Chambers of Commerce in Brazil.
Armando Abreu said the Federation of Portuguese Chambers of Commerce in Brazil had made presentations “of the various Portuguese industrial and commercial regions to Brazil,” such as Aveiro, Beira interior, Leiria, Madeira and Minho, in order to encourage Portuguese business in the South American giant.
“Brazil is not for amateurs; it is a difficult market, but with high potential, especially in infrastructure, be it energy, roads, airports, sanitation,” he stressed.
In the same vein, Luis Faro Ramos said that trade between the two countries was increasing but that “Portuguese investment was not so visible in terms of new investments”
“We are currently seeing a very strong interest from Brazil in Portugal,” he said, adding that this is reflected in the Brazilian community living in Portugal and in the investments that Brazilians are making in Portugal.
Brazilians are the main foreign community living in the country, representing last year 29.8% of the total, the highest figure since 2012.
At the end of last year, 204,694 Brazilians were living in Portugal, and the community from Brazil is also the one that grew most in 2021 (11.3%) compared to 2020.
