Exports from the state of Mato Grosso reached US$ 3.813 billion, between January and June 2008, registering a trade balance surplus of US$ 3.162 billion. When compared with 2007, there was growth of 66% in the volume and 60% in the trade balance surplus.
The figures were presented by the secretary of Industry, Trade, Mines and Energy of the state, Pedro Nadaf, who is also the president of the Deliberative Committee of the Brazilian Micro and Small Business Support Service (Sebrae) in Mato Grosso, at the ceremony for inauguration of the Permanent Export Council (CPEX-MT), last week, in the offices of state governor Blairo Maggi.
The new organization, their creators say, should serve as an instrument for dialogue and articulation between public organizations and private enterprises, diversifying the state's export basket and guiding the implementation of new incentive policies.
The council was established by state Law 8,774, of December 20, 2007, aimed at serving as a mechanism for support and analysis of imports and exports of the state of Mato Grosso, helping businessmen of large, medium and small size who may be interested in investing in foreign trade.
The Council includes 17 institutions, among them the Federation of Industries, Agriculture and Fisheries, the Revenue Service, the Brazilian Airport Infrastructure Company (Infraero), the Brazilian Micro and Small Business Support Service (Sebrae), Porto Seco, the Bank of Brazil, the Federal Savings Bank and the Secretariat of Finance. The organization is presided by state governor Blairo Maggi and the vice president is Pedro Nadaf.
"The intention is to expand the economic process in the state, not only improving the trade balance, but also making Mato Grosso a gateway for imports, establishing a favorable environment for regional development," explained Nadaf.
Governor Blairo Maggi emphasized the importance of the Mato Grosso state Sebrae as a partner in this process and recalled that "foreign trade is a two-way highway, which should be explored as best as possible by all those involved, so it is necessary to look at micro and small companies."
According to Maggi, the council has three main objectives: to diagnose the reason why the state imports so little, to forecast problems that could arise in future – mainly with regard to trade barriers – and to propose policy changes that may serve as incentives to the insertion of a greater number of companies. He also added that this should be done with the support of the Bank of Brazil and of the Sebrae.
Sebrae
