Brasília – The Brazilian minister of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade Armando Monteiro said this Tuesday (16th) that the federal government is reviewing a national export plan that should be launched by the end of this month. Speaking to the Senate’s Economic Affairs and Science and Technology commissions, he stressed that in this time of crisis and adjustments, the country must turn to foreign trade.
One of the probable measures in the plan is simplification of customs processing. “Today, it takes us 13 days to carry out and process an export order. This falls far short of international standards, which are six to seven days.” The idea, the minister said, is to have one single portal integrating import- and export-related customs processes.
The minister said he hopes the export plan will coax the private sector into action. “Our foreign trade total equals 20% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), while the average in developed is nearly double. International trade is the obvious route right now, considering our domestic market slump. Brazil must turn to foreign trade,” he asserted.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
