São Paulo – An agreement between the São Paulo state and federal agencies of export promotion should be signed this year still to expand the sales to other countries from small and medium-sized companies based in São Paulo state. In June, technicians from the Investment Promotion Agency (Investe São Paulo) will meet with associations from several sectors of the state economy to discuss how to expand their exports.
From this meeting, the project draft will be formulated and taken to the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil) in Brasília.
According to Investe São Paulo’s president, Juan Quirós, after being presented and discussed with Apex-Brasil, the project should be signed this year still. “(The deal) will be part of the National Export Plan (which is being developed by the federal government). The state will give its support on infrastructure and logistics to the exporter. We will support the small and medium-sized companies of the São Paulo state”, said Quirós to ANBA on Wednesday (29th).
On Monday (27th), Apex-Brasil’s David Barioni said that the agreement is being negotiated and should be signed soon to expand the exports of São Paulo state even more. In 2014, the state of São Paulo exported US$ 51.4 billion. Brazil exported R$ 225 billion (US$ 76.4 billion) in the same period. Apex-Brasil and Investe SP already signed other partnerships with each other in 2010, 2011 and 2013.
Like Brazil, São Paulo state is a large producer of commodities, which amount to the majority of products exported by the country. According to Quirós, who was Apex-Brasil first president from 2003 to 2007, the state has, however, the capacity of export more than only basic products. “The (export) agenda of São Paulo is of high-value-added and technological products”, he aid.
The president of Investe São Paulo said that both the products and priority destinations will be chosen after meetings with the associations of exporting companies, but said in advance that the Arab countries are important for the Brazilian and São Paulo state foreign trade.
“In 2003, in a prospecting mission, we found out Dubai, the Switzerland of the Middle East. We held events, in 2005 we opened a business center in Dubai, the Brazilian companies started to sell and operate in Dubai. For the diversification of the exporting agenda, we have to look at the Arab countries, which are very important to us”, said Quirós.
*Translated by Sérgio Kakitani
