The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Antonio Tajani, arrived in São Paulo yesterday, where today he will inaugurate the Italy-Brazil Business Forum with Brazil’s Minister of State Head of the Civilian House of the Presidency of the Republic, Rui Costa Dos Santos.
Organised in collaboration with the Federation of Industries of the State of São Paulo, the event will see the participation of over 300 representatives of Italian and Brazilian companies, as well as key players from the Italian internationalisation system. “We will ensure that our diplomatic offices become the key tool to further establish our entrepreneurial presence,” said Tajani. “Along with the internationalisation team, ITA, SIMEST, CDP, and SACE, we are also developing innovative financial initiatives. Exports represent 40% of our GDP, and the Italian System must strengthen in Latin America as well,” the Minister continued.
The Forum, which will also be attended by Confindustria and Confapi, will feature five working groups focused on priority sectors: agro-industry; infrastructure, energy and biofuels; industrial machinery; extractive technologies and steel; and water treatment.
On the sidelines of the event, important agreements will be signed between Italian and Brazilian companies and financial institutions, covering sectors such as investment and logistics. Among these, a deal between Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, SACE, and Banco do Brasil for a financing line of up to EUR 250 million (allocated between projects for reconstruction in Rio Grande do Sul and credit lines to support the energy transition in Brazil), an agreement between SIMEST and Invest São Paulo, and a contract between Italian and Brazilian companies for the construction of the new logistics port in Aracruz.
Yesterday, the Minister met with the Governor of the State of São Paulo, Tarcísio de Freitas, to further discuss the economic partnership and strengthen the presence of Italian companies, and inaugurated the new SIMEST office in São Paulo. “We need to close ranks and work as a system to grow,” Tajani stated. “Italy’s goal is to reach EUR 700 billion in exports by 2026. In this context, increased economic cooperation with Brazil and Latin American countries is essential.”
