Portugal to double its presence at 11^th MIF

Portugal will send its biggest delegation ever, consisting of representatives from over 50 companies and business organizations, to the 11^th Macau International Trade and Investment Fair (MIF) next month, the commissioner of Trade and Tourism Board of Portugal (ICEP), Manuel Geraldes, has told The Macau Post Daily.

Speaking at the local ICEP office, Mr. Geraldes said that since Macau had been strengthening its role as a hub for Portugal to explore overseas markets, especially mainland China, the Portuguese authorities were paying “much more attention to this year’s MIF”.

Mr. Geraldes said that Portugal’s rising interests in the “Macau hub” role could be easily shown by the country’s previous MIF attendance statistics. According to Mr. Geraldes, the number of Portuguese companies joining Macau’s biggest annual trade and investment fair has been “on the rise year by year”: zero in 2001, eight companies and organizations in 2002, 12 in 2003, 18 in 2004, 33 last year and over 50 companies and organizations that committed themselves to participate in this year’s MIF.

Mr. Geraldes said the fact that Portugal was sending its biggest delegation reasons, namely the fact that Macau’s economy was experiencing rapid growth. Second, economic cooperation among the mainland, Macau, and Portugal was on the rise as well. Third, Portugal had made great efforts to explore the mainland market in the past few years, such as through a Sino-Portuguese-speaking trade forum that took place in April this year.

Mr. Geraldes also said that through the MIF, “our country [Portugal] has explored large markets on the mainland”, pointing out that Portugal’s merchandise exports to the mainland so far this year had reached 170 million euros, an increase of 39 per cent from the same period last year. On the other hand, Portugal’s merchandise imports from the mainland reached 570 million euros so far this year, “which means a huge trade deficit for us [Portugal]. I hope we can bridge the gap between two countries by promoting our brands and products at the MIF.”

Mr. Geraldes pointed out that the export of Portuguese construction materials to the mainland was on the rise. He also underlined the economic importance of Portuguese wines that were “famous all over the world,” accounting for 65 per cent of Macau’s wine imports. “In the past three years, more and more Portuguese wine companies have joined the MIF, thus I hope that through the MIF, we can introduce more Portuguese wine brands to the mainland,” the Portuguese trade commissioner said.

According to Mr. Geraldes, the Portuguese Pavilion will have 46 booths at this year’s MIF, twice its size of last year. Next month’s Portuguese attendance at the 11^th MIF will include12 in beverage companies, 13 agricultural products companies, 11 food industry companies, seven construction materials, and three service industry companies. In addition, the Portugal stands would set up a “tasting counter” for wines and olive oil, namely targeting professionals from hotel, restaurant and catering businesses.

The 11^th MIF will be held at the Macau Tower Convention and Entertainment Centre on September 23-26. Portugal ruled Macau for some four centuries until December 1999. Portugal accounts for about one per cent of Macau’s external merchandise trade.

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