Acting President Geraldo Alckmin highlighted this Monday (5) the Brazil-China trade relationship and said that, from January to July this year alone, the partnership grew 7.4% compared to the same period in 2023. For him, the year 2024 should represent a new trade record.
When participating, via videoconference, in the closing of the Brazil-China Business Council Seminar, held in São Paulo, the acting president defended that the two countries continue to advance in the areas of trade and investment, with special stimulus to the industrial sector.
“We want to neo-industrialize Brazil. There is no economic development without industry, there is no social development without industry. So we want neo-industrialization, which is important, and a densification of production chains,” said Alckmin, who is also the Minister of Development, Industry, Commerce and Services. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is in Santiago, Chile, where he is on a state visit and participating in the signing of several bilateral agreements.
Geraldo Alckmin highlighted Brazilian exports to the Asian country in the food, oil, iron ore and cellulose sectors, and anticipated that, with the New PAC, there will be many opportunities in the areas of infrastructure, logistics, transport and energy.
“Tax reform will boost industry and bring more investment and exports, because it eliminates cumulative taxes, so it completely relieves investment and exports,” said the acting president. Also during his speech at the event, Alckmin cited a study by the Institute of Applied Economic Research (Ipea) that shows that, over a 15-year period, tax reform could generate a 12% increase in Brazil’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), a 14% increase in investment and a 17% increase in exports.
The seminar takes place as Brazil and China celebrate 50 years of diplomatic relations. For the past 14 years, China has been Brazil’s largest trading partner, with trade totaling more than US$157 billion in 2023. Last year, Brazil’s trade surplus with China was US$51.1 billion.
