Brazil and IDB close R$5 million agreement to strengthen international trade

The vice-president and minister of Development, Industry, Commerce and Services (MDIC), Geraldo Alckmin (PSB), and the president of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Ilan Goldfajn, signed this Monday (6) an agreement that foresees an investment of R$5 million to facilitate trade and promote exports in the country.

In a note, the ministry informed that the IDB will support the implementation of the “New Import Process within the scope of the Single Foreign Trade Portal Program, the main project to reduce bureaucracy in Brazilian foreign trade”, and the R$ 5 million invested will be “in amounts not -refundable”. Alckmin highlighted that the initiative will reduce bureaucracy and reduce the costs of exports and imports.

“We need to increase exports and imports. Foreign trade is a source of employment, development, economic complementarity. And we will strengthen the Single Portal with this resource”, said the vice-president. The MDIC informed that the initiative will begin in five government bodies, which represent approximately 85% (in value) of import licensing operations in Brazil.

The five bodies are: the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Mapa); the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa); the National Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuel Agency (ANP); the Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama); and the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq).

The IDB will also support the MDIC with the National Export Culture Policy (PNCE), which aims to increase the number of micro, small and medium-sized exporting companies in the country. The bank will collaborate especially with initiatives that increase exports of Amazon biodiversity products.

According to the minister, the expectation is that the agreement with the IDB, and other government initiatives, will result in an increase of US$130 billion in GDP by 2040. “It’s difficult to export when you’re small. So, we have to help with that , because once you export with small and medium-sized companies, you diversify. And diversification generates productivity and generates resources”, said Goldfajn.