Brasília – Exports may be an important way out for the sectors affected by the global financial crisis in Brazil, in the opinion of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade Minister Miguel Jorge. He said that two sectors – the machinery and equipment and the auto parts sectors – have been facing hardships in recent months due to the change in expectations regarding industry investment.
"Export are not a solution to these sectors, but they could be an important way out at the current moment," pointed out the minister.
Next week, Miguel Jorge should head a delegation of 92 Brazilian businessmen to North Africa, to visit four countries. The objective is to open trade relations with Tunisia, Algeria, Libya and Morocco. Apart form the sector of machinery, the government plans to stimulate exports of agricultural products, food, beef and cheese.
According to the minister, they are countries whose trade flow with Brazil is still small. "We see a chance to increased that: they are countries that are doing well, that are growing. Some of them are working on great infrastructure projects and there are already large Brazilian companies working there. We believe that we may sell more and establish partnerships with local companies to install Brazilian factories there and sell more."
To him, nowadays the international scenery is hard, but represents an opportunity for Brazil to strengthen itself as an exporter of food, mainly. "The sectors we are going to establish ourselves in are the same ones we are already strong in, like agribusiness and food. In these sectors, we have chances of increasing our exports and becoming stronger."
*Translated by Mark Ament
